John McBride
Angola, Indiana
I
have 101 lakes in the northeastern Indiana county where I live. Although
raised on bluegill fishing, which is my specialty, I also enjoy fishing deep for perch.
I've written several articles about myself and how I fish. One, which can be controversial to some, is titled "Pan Fish with Bait on Flies" and it you click the title you can read it. I have other articles, "Tie A Few, Fish A Lot," "Flies, and Fries," and the most recent is "Tom." They can be seen at flyanglersonline.com.
I have a few flies and some fishing help articles published at flymasters.net and had some stuff on Robert Morger's "Onthefly" site before it was shut down. I also hosted a swap called "Catch & Cook" at the virtualflybox.com. When I was young we ate what we caught. Fishing and hunting supplied many a supper.
I especially enjoy teaching kids to catch fish with their own tied flies. In the "Pan Fish with Bait on Flies" articles I mention starting kids out with a little bait on their flies to keep their interest. Boy, did I catch flack for using bait on flies, even for bluegills to get kids started. I also caught flack for deep water trolling of flies. Most complaints were from trout anglers that don't even fish for bluegill.
I have about 100 fly patterns handed down to me from ancestors. According to them 65 of these patterns come from Charles Cotton's list in the 5th edition of the Complete Angler dated somewhere in the 1600s. I've asked around the web about the different styles of wing position, (some are superman cape style) and nobody could answer if they are authentic or not. The materials are upgrades from about in the 1960's, but they work.
Nobody in my family fishes for anything but "Panfish" so I don't know why we tie these Trout flies, but they have always worked great for Bluegill depending on which fly you pick for water clarity, and the different weather conditions. I hope you find my flies interesting. They are the first 6 flies below.
Select One of John's Flies:
White Hackle (or Thistledown Fly)
Panfish
with Bait Article
Be sure to visit our on-line store at http://www.flytyingworld.com/angling/index.html Tier:
John McBride
Note: This is
one of my family's handed down version of Charles Cotton's Trout Fly patterns
from the 5th edition of the Complete Angler, using newer materials of course. Bright Brown Fly: Select Another Fly:
White Hackle (or Thistledown Fly)
Return to John's
Introduction.
Tier:
John McBride
Note: This is
one of my family's handed down version of Charles Cotton's Trout Fly patterns
from the 5th edition of the Complete Angler, using newer materials of
course. Select Another Fly:
White Hackle (or Thistledown Fly)
Return to John's
Introduction.
Tier:
John McBride
Select Another Fly:
White Hackle (or Thistledown Fly)
Return to John's
Introduction.
Tier:
John McBride
Select Another Fly:
White Hackle (or Thistledown Fly)
Return to John's
Introduction.
aka:
Great Hackle Tier: John
McBride
Note: This is
one of my family's handed down version of Charles Cotton's Trout Fly patterns
from the 5th edition of the Complete Angler, using newer materials of
course. Select Another Fly:
White Hackle (or Thistledown Fly)
Return to John's
Introduction.
Tier:
John McBride
Body: Chenille of choice. Legs: Rubber legs of choice. Panfish Candies are one of my
first flies that I use for Bluegill. One is florescent pink with orange legs, and
the other (below) has florescent chartreuse with yellow legs. Both have
the same Krystal Flash beard. This fly is only traditional to my dad and
I.
Select Another Fly:
White Hackle (or Thistledown Fly)
Return to John's
Introduction.
for your tying needs.
Body:
Golden dubbing, or yarn.
Wings: Bright brown partridge, tied long past the hook bend.
Another March fly, used from the sixteenth of the month, till the tenth of
April.
Body dubbing for which is to be had out of a skinner's lime pits, and using the
hair of an abortive calf (which the lime will turn so bright as to shine like
gold).
Wings made from the feather of a brown hen are best.
Body- Peacock
hurl.
Wing- One red hackle feather (on top streamer style).
Cow Lady
A little fly used in May.
Body made of a peacock feather.
The wing made of a red feather, or the strip of the red hackle of a cock.
These are some of my first choice
wet flies for Bluegill and are only traditional to my dad and I. They are
a combination of either red and orange or chartreuse and yellow mixed hackle and
have bodies of either white or black sparkle thread.
Body: White
thin, and very small.
Wings: Medium dun gray.
Note: This is one of my family's handed down version of
Charles Cotton's Trout Fly patterns from the 5th edition of the Complete Angler,
using newer materials of course.
Owl Fly:
June, from the twelfth to the four-and-twentieth, late at night.
Dubbing for the body made of a weasel's tail.
Wing of white/grey.
Body: Yellow.
Rib: Gold twist.
Hackle: Red (wide web) palmered full
length, and not trimmed.
Wings: Two bright yellow Mallard. feathers, tied long past hook bend.
Palmer Fly (Or Great Hackle)
Used in May.
Yellow body ribbed with gold twist.
Large wings of Mallard feather dyed yellow, with a red Capon's hackle over all.
Instructions
Tier: John McBride
Materials: Use
any material that will separate (Floss, Yarn, etc) and use a wide range of hooks
for different fish.
I used fancy chalk line for these but, for great bait-fish imitations, you may want to use "Plastic-canvas" yarn (it separates well), on larger hooks. You can also tie the wings in two colors on top and bottom.
These are easy to tie flies that work well for Bluegill, Bass, and even Pike. Since there is no tie-in of materials at the bend of the hook for the fish to tear apart they seem to last longer than regular streamer patterns.
If you
separate the
wings with a bodkin you will see there are two. Here's how they are tied:
Instructions
Lay thread, yarn, or floss on the top of the hook having about two inches past the hook bend, and about an inch-and-a-half past the eye. Then wrap thread over the whole thing until you come to about two eye widths behind the eye.
Pull up the piece hanging off the front and wrap thread to an eyes width behind the eye.
Wrap yarn around up to this wing, then wrap past it, and tie off at eye.
Pull toward rear of hook and tie up a head.
Now pull both wings past the hook bend and trim.
Separate the strands and you are finished.
Select Another Fly:
White Hackle (or Thistledown Fly)
Return to John's Introduction.
Tier: John McBride
Body: Black
thin dubbing, and very small.
Wing: One gray duck, or mallard flank over the back like a
cape.
Note: This is one of my family's handed down version of
Charles Cotton's Trout Fly patterns from the 5th edition of the Complete Angler,
using newer materials of course.
Thorn Tree Fly:
Used in March.
Body is as little as can be made with absolute black dubbing mixed with eight
hairs of
Isabella colored mohair.
Wings of a bright Mallard's feather.
An admirable fly, and in great repute amongst us as a killer fly.
Select Another Fly:
White Hackle (or Thistledown Fly)
Return to John's Introduction.
Tier: John McBride
Body:
White mohair.
Hackle: White (wide soft web) palmered
full length, and not trimmed.
Note: This is one of my family's handed down version of
Charles Cotton's Trout Fly patterns from the 5th edition of the Complete Angler,
using newer materials of course.
White Hackle/Thistle Down:
Used in July.
Body of white mohair, wrapped about with a white hackle feather.
Select Another Fly:
White Hackle (or Thistledown Fly)
Return to John's Introduction.
Article by: John McBride
I learned to fish while setting on the floor of a eight foot Jon boat between my mom's feet. I was small enough that I needed help with a six foot casting rod.
My dad's family has always been able to catch Bluegill's by the buckets full.
Sometimes we would fish from daylight till dark, then mom and I would scale, while dad would fillet the catch of the day. There are memories of waking up still setting at the table, with a spoon in my hand, and dad still cleaning fish.
We ate everything we caught, and with the local hunting seasons we ate pretty well year round. I learned early that three people fishing with a grub, or chunk of red worm on a dry fly while the Bluegills are bedding, will literally fill the bottom of a boat. I also learned young that turtles can really bite hard, and when Ice fishing, stomping your feet doesn't really get them any warmer!!
As I got older, I kept the ways of bait-on-flies as my mainstay for Pan fish. Whether on a fly rod, spin cast, trolling, cane pole, slip-bobber, or on a bottom bouncer rig. I've been all over the U.S. and caught local pan fish, wherever I happened to be that weekend, while other fishermen were drowning flies, and throwing rubber things to no avail.
This is the way I learned, and how I get people started fishing still to this day.
The only difference in the way I fish now, is that I use selective release and don't eat every fish that I catch.
I learned to tie flies early, and found out that the most gaudy thing that a fish sees, (that has the right profile) will get his attention first, and usually result in a bite.
I've spent a lot of time snorkeling alongside a boat, checking surface profiles of flies alongside of real bugs. I also tied up a lot of flies, and used the old aquarium to check them out in the winter. The correct profile in the water, whether on top or under the surface, will activate the senses of the prey you are after, and a real bait smell/taste, only adds to the realism.
If you really want to start out with a thrill for someone learning to fish, show them how to tie up a good and bright Pan fish fly, and then take them out fishing immediately, tip the fly with a little bait, and as the fish really start to bite, watch the smile grow. As they start really catching fish, inform them about selective catch, and release, because every single one I have taught over the years, still uses it today.
I am not saying that this is the way for everyone to fish. I just start them this way so that they will catch fish instantly, and then they can decide for themselves how they will continue from there.
A day fishing with only a few bites is very discouraging to anyone trying to learn any kind of fishing. Maybe that's why I don't do saltwater, I never had a nibble anytime, on anything I tried!
I have started children at age four, and a lady that was eighty (alas she's gone now), to fish using a cane pole that has a pushbutton reel and guides, with their own tied flies and bait, and all have gone on to fish and have fun, and promote the sport, while spreading the word about selective catch and release.
Six out of the last ten I have taught my way, have taken up the fly rod and no longer use bait, they love all the different casting and fly presentations, and the match-the-hatch fly tying. One lady now fishes strictly for Largemouth bass in Florida, and last fall she caught one that was a half pound under the state record for on a fly rod. One gentleman I taught a few years ago, has since moved to Canada and uses a fly rod for Musky, and he has a blast!
Everyone does everything differently, I just try to help give some a fair chance at being excited about fishing, and where they go from there is, and should always be, their choice.
Tie a few, fish a lot!!
John
Note: In the "Treatyse of Fysshynge with an Angle" (that was published in 1496 in England) they used bait on flies for everything from Trout, to Salmon. Since I use patterns from Charles Cotton's 65 Trout flies, found in "The complete
Angler" (published in 1676 in England) this may be what has been passed down to me. Fly fishing purists should not take offense at the way I use my flies, because I only fish for Pan fish, not trout.
Select Another Fly:
White Hackle (or Thistledown Fly)
Return to John's Introduction.
Be sure to visit our on-line store at
http://www.flytyingworld.com/angling/index.html
for your tying needs.