The MiniBone

When i started my pike fly fishing journey many moons ago there was practically no help out there for tying flies.YouTube had very little and i had to find my inspiration somewhere else.
Big trout streamers tied in a much bigger version were my first pike flies. (Thank you Mr Galloup)
Sex dungeon , Boogie man and the articulated Butt monkey caught me so many good pikes here but i quickly got bored tying and fishing them, i needed to expand my catalog. So i turn my attention to saltwater flies and musky flies. And one particular fly really caught my attention, the T-bone. At that time bodytubing was non existent in tackle shops and i had to get the help from a few American friends to source that material.

Now you can find some in most good tackle shop or straight from FLYMEN FISHING COMPANY .
For the flytyer  that need  more colours, a wider choice of sizes or if you tie flies in large quantities it's worth having a look at TECHFLEX  , after all bodytubing is a braided sleeving product used for cable protection and management called  FLEXOPET.
Have a look on the Techflex website for a reseller close to you. I get mine from the German or Dutch resellers.

To this day i am still surprised why no more pike anglers tie or use T-Bones. When i look at the flies that are displayed in various social media platforms i rarely see any Bones....Is it because people are afraid in using body tubing? Have no confidence in using it on their flies? Well their loss....
Body tubing makes your fly so much more durable. I found pike teeth on a few occasions stuck in the head of my T-Bone while putting them up to dry after a day on the water...
It gives the fly a tremendous amount of volume and  massive presence in the water by pushing water from the head and the volume created by tubing place inside the fly.
I get a lot of questions in what sizes to use, and i general i use the 1/2 inch -12.7mm Flymen website or the slightly bigger ones 9/16 inch -14.29 Techflex website for the heads of my larger flies and MiniBones . The 1/4 inch-6.35mm Flymen&Techflex  for the body of the flies or smaller flies like perch flies.
And the 1/8 inch-3.18mm also for bodies of smaller flies.
Tips in using body tubing:

• Make sure you cut the correct length, too long had your head will look like a cone and not round. Too short and you will simply struggle (this is usually the main problem people encounter ). 
• I usually cut a length of about 60/70mm for my heads and body parts.
• Don't forget to burn each end to stop the tubing from unraveling itself.
• I like to create a cone before placing it on the hook or shank.

When creating the cone like in the video, make sure both ends meet flush so when you start tying it you will capture both sides securely 
To help the head sit better on your hook or shank, wrap an underlay of shammy leather strip, or a zonker strip ( remove the hairs and only keep the leather ) or a rubber band works too. This will give more surface for the head to sit and catch the glue resulting in a secure head.Nothing more frustrating the a head starting to spin after just a few fish caught.
As i said in the video i don't like using a wiggle tail on my T-Bones as it acts like a break and stops the fly from getting that side to side action they are known for. Hence the name T-bone as pikes love striking this fly after a strip when it presents itself sideways.
Feathers, a rabbit whip tail, wave tails are all good for the tail of a T-Bone.
That said if the fish are active and hit the fly on a fast straight retrieve then you can switch to a wiggle or dragon tail in the hope of triggering a larger fish.

Next video will be about the BigBoned , a larger size T-Bone that i love using. Then next in the pipeline is the MegaloBoned !So stay tuned and if you can go and subscribe to the channel it will help it greatly in growing.
Possibilities are endless with bodytubing, don't be afraid of it! Give it a go, it will take a few tries but once you get it right i can guaranty you that you will always have a T-Bone in your box!

My top 5 pike flies, starting with the mighty Gamechanger!

It's a subject that's been in the back of my head for quite some time now, and one that i'm often asked about. What are my top five pike flies?
First of all i do have a top five, but i cannot rank them against each other as they all reach top spot depending on the season, weather condition and of course, pike mood (s) .
So i will not do a countdown type of article, but i will reveal my top five in no particular ranking system.
We start with a firm favorite, the Gamechanger. Undoubtedly it's a fly that will scare most fly tyers. Some see it as too complicated and time consuming others think that it's simply not worth the effort.
Their loss...If well tied a gamechanger will catch a huge amount of fish before it's retirement. It's also very versatile, you can use different materials depending on the action and sink rate needed.
Here's how to tie one:


The easier way is to use synthetic brushes, and to "match the hatch" is even better if you make your own brushes , and it will save you ton of money as brushes cost a fair bit from fly shops.

I call a gamechanger a fly that's made of at least four articulated sections. The sky is the limit, but 4 to 8 sections is the perfect match. You can use only one hook at the front or if the fish are nipping the tail, it's always good to have one or two GC with a small single hook incorporated at the back.
For pike i use a large, strong front hook as it will act as a keel and make that fly track straight.
Most of my GC are  synthetics or bucktail for longevity. Bucktail if i fish shallow waters as they will sink slower . For that really slow sink try a full  trimmed bucktail head like the ones on musky flies , deadly when you need to let it sit to tease moody pikes.
Synthetics are great for deeper waters. And dumbell eye can be used if you really need to get it down faster/ deeper.
You can fish them with many types of retrieve , rolly polly will give you that swimbait action, try to alternate from fast to long stops.And some days they are total suckers for the regular slow speed without interruptions.

Strip them with short and long strips to send them in a crazy jerkbait action. This fly is many flies rolled into one, get out there and get some practice, you will be amazed how one fly can catch fish in many different situations. Definitely deserves a place in my top 5!

Here's a list with all the materials used and where to get them (cheap!):

For the brush:
Wire:Stainless steel 0.20mm
Kanekalon hair:Kanekalon Jumbo Hair
Angelina flash: Angelina fibre
Congo hair:Flytyers dungeon

Wire for the shanks:  check ebay , sellers vary a lot, look for "piano wire" or "spring wire" in 0.8mm or 1mm

Vice: Predator vice

How to make your shanks:

1-step looper review

After i posted my last video on how i make my own shanks , i got a message from "anthony_lee " on Instagram, and he put me on these pliers.
After a quick search, i found the best value was on amazon. Two clicks and two days later the loopers arrived. Right out of the package my first impression was not great , as the pliers were smaller than what i was expecting. Are they gonna do the job with thick stainless steel?...
 I ordered the 3mm loop maker for my pike shanks. Not disappointed with the size of loop it creates, i rather have a larger loop to help with movement and not to  get stuck sideways like some shanks can do when you cast them.
You have two other options as well if you want to make smaller and lighter shanks for your trout or bass streamers, the 1.5mm loop and the 2.25mm loop.
I open the package and as soon as i have them in hand, they feel heavy. (usually a good sign) The grip is very nice and it does feel like a quality product...Now lets bend some wire and see...
First go and it makes a perfect round closed loop, effortless! Just need a little squeeze with a set of normal pliers to finish the loop properly. This is so easy!
While applying pressure to cut and bend the wire at the same time, i didn't feel like the whole lot was going to fell apart. It's a solid piece of equipment! My first impression was well wrong.
The bonus with this looper is that you can do the "r" loop as well, not sure if they are fully designed for that but it works perfect. Just check the video to see the different way you need to feed the wire inside the jaws.
At around 25/30€ its not that cheap, but just look at  the price of the shanks in fly shops....If you buy more than five packs of shanks in your fly life, then this is a tool well worth having in your tying desk.
If you want to get one just check the left column of the blog ←, there's a direct link to Amazon (thats the cheapest i could find).
Now i will have to use it for the next 6 months, and i will come back with an update to see if they are still working...I have a good feeling about this one.

Articulation Nation: An introductory into the world of shanks

Over the years of fly fishing for pike my choice of flies as changed a lot. I'm a firm believer that size does matter , and this does not mean only using big flies. The size of the fly goes with the appetite and mood of the pike. Generally i tend to use  my big flies early spring and mid to late autumn into winter. Big flies range from 20 to 30 cm

The rest of the time i fish "small" flies (around 10 to 13 cm).
As for the models that are prominent in my boxes, well that's easy: the articulated ones. It usually involve one or many articulations.
If i only use one shank, its placed in front of the hook and not behind. I like that position as it pushes the hook back and balance the streamer very well.And it can result in more positive hook ups.
Mini T-bones are an absolute killer and you can make so many variations.

MiniBone, 40mm shank in front, 6/0 behind, rabbit whiptail

For this type i only use strong shanks, like the big game shanks from Flymen, or homemade shanks ( made from hard stainless steel wire of 1mm)
One type of fly that requires shanks is definitely the game changer.These are time consuming to tie but i absolutely love using them! Variations are endless on a GC, but i use two types:

Large, two hooks GC.

The first is the one with two hooks, and that's the larger model i fish. One large hook at the front, 6/0, four shanks and a small hook at the back  1/0. Only big game shanks should be used for this one as you dont want anything to open up if a large fish is hooked on the back hook.

Big game shanks, 100% secure.

Smaller GC where the lighter shanks are a good choice

If you want to make these yourself i made this short video where you can see how i make mine.

The second type is a smaller version with only one hook at the front. The body and tail is made with lighter shanks, stainless steel of  0.7 up to 0.9 mm. These are the normal shanks with the little eye at the front. Same here you can buy the directly from fly shop, or you can save money and make them yourself.

Normal shanks with a closed eye on one end.These are strong but could open as the eye is not secured with thread.

For this small shanks, you can of course buy them already made, but with the right tools you can make them yourself as well.If like me you can go though 100's of shanks  (i do tie a lot for clients that come to my lodge) It's something to consider doing, if you only use a few , many buying them from a shop would be a better option money wise...

So for them u need a lighter wire and one special pair of pliers, the Beadsmith 1 step-looper.This is going to make your life so much easier! 

Three different type of looper exist, make sure you get the large 3mm model so your shanks will articulate with ease.

Now for the wire i use, and where i get it!
The wire is stainless steel grade 316 ( medical/marine) solid, and never any rust even in saltwater use.( try them on seabass!Well with it!)
I order all my wires from https://www.wires.co.uk fast postal service and great products.

De retour sur l'étau...

De retour a la normalité, quelques petits travaux de maintenance au lodge avant l'arrivée du premier groupe dans une dizaine de jours...La météo est froide, avec du vent , de la pluie et des averses de neige..Le niveau des eaux est haut, ce qui est normal pour février...Donc je ne risque rien en restant au chaud a monter quelques nouveautés nouveautés et me remplir une nouvelle boite pour ma saison de 2016.

Whip tail T-Bones / Update.

Comme prévue cette semaine fut difficile, haute pression avec une forte tendance nord, nord/est, pas de vent, pas de pluie, les niveaux qui continuent a descendre, bref des conditions pas appréciées par les brocs...Un seul réconfort , c'est que tout le monde a prit  des couleurs et se sont bien reposés....( 98cm pour le plus gros de la semaine).
Enfin aujourd'hui un changement arrive, sud ouest/ ouest, un peu de pluie, pression qui va descendre...Ca devrait reprendre...
Donc je reste derrière mon étau et je prépare de nouveaux streamers pour cette saison (qui approche pour moi). Je me suis plus particulièrement concentré sur les "Bodytubing" de chez Flymen.
Le volume est fantastique, sans compromettre le poids lors du montage, donc je peux monter des streamers bien plus gros. Une taille d'environ 20, 23cm pour un poids de 6 a 7 grammes.
Un de mes matériaux fétiche reste toujours le lapin, le seul inconvénient c'est que celui ci devient lourd une fois mouillé et a tendance a s'enrouler sur l'hameçon: Bunny ball...
Pour remédier a ceci, je monte une "Whip tail" ( queue fouet) j'attache un bout de zonker sur une tige de titane, ça réduit la quantité de lapin, sans enlever sa mobilité et il ny a plus de Bunny balls...
Biensur je reste sur des modèles articulés, toujours pareil, un Sakuma Manta XL 6/0 et une tige de 40mm en tête.
Apres une journée sur l'eau la semaine dernière, je confirme que ça marche très bien, et ce n'est pas trop lourd a lancer ( sur canne de #10 ).
Maintenant je passe sur un autre type de montage, ce coup ci je conserve l'articulation et du bodytubing, mais je monte avec des funky fibres pour encore enlever quelques grammes...Suite au prochain post...

Cherchez l'intrus, une canine cassée dans le bodytubing, ça démontre bien la dureté et longévité des T-bones.

On note bien sur cette photo ou l'hameçon se trouve, en plein milieu, meilleur endroit pour les T-bones, car comme le nom l'indique en anglais, tbone c'est prendre quelque chose de travers..Ces streamers ont une nage genre jerkbait, il se présentent sur le coté pendant les pauses, et très souvent c'est a ce moment que le brochet attaque!

Wiggle Bones

Voici une paire de streamers qui vont bouger pas mal d'eau! Articulés avec des tiges Big game de 40mm, un hamecon Sakuma Manta 6/0 et une wiggle tail xl.

Mix de bucktail et funkyfibres

100% bucktail.

Test-Bone

Une sortie hier soir pour tester les T-bones...Ca marche....
C'est le deplacement d'eau qui est impressionant avec ces montages.Les brocs doivent "sentir" les bones  venir de loin!

T-Bones

Cela fait quelque temps que je monte des streamers avec des têtes en tube flexible.Mais les tubes en grande taille sont difficile a trouver, pas pratique d'utilisation et  trop fragile.
FLYMEN FISHING CO. vient juste de commercialiser des tubes, et ceux ci sont parfait! Facile a manipuler, resistants, facile a "souder"au briquet.Deux tailles sont disponibles, 1/2 inch et 1/4 inch.
Les 1/4inch sont parfait pour le corps du montage, pour aider a donner du volume au bucktail tout en restant léger et aéré.
Les 1/2 inch sont pour faire les têtes. (Le 1/4 peut confectioner les têtes de plus petits streamers pour la truite,perche...ect).
Le nom T-bone vient du fait que ces streamers sont toujours articulés, et grace a leur grosse tête ils ont une nage du meme genre qu'un jerkbait, a chaque pause entre les tirées la mouche vire sur la gauche ou la droite se présentant ainsi de profil au brochet . La grande partie des brochets pris ont le steamer en travers dans la gueule.( L'image du chien avec un os...)
Je monte les plus petits , entre 13 a 18cm avec un hameçon Sakuma Manta extra 6/0 et une tige de 40mm.
Les plus grands ont le meme hameçon, voir deux.
Différentes tiges sont utilisées, 40mm, 80mm, une , deux tiges...il n'y a pas vraiment de limite aux possibilités de montage.

Grand modele, 27cm, deux hameçons et une tige 40mm.

Big bunny...

Vue de derriere, ou on note bien le volume que ces tubes donnent au montage.

Pink

 One combo qui plait a tous! Rose et blanc! Et bravo a l'Irlande qui est le seul pays au monde a avoir légalisé le mariage gay par vote de la nation aujourd'hui. ( OUI a 62,3%)

Cela montre un énorme changement de ce pays fortement catholique...

Allez sortez le rose!

Articulé sur une tige Big game 40mm avec bien sur du flash rainbow...

Big dirty roach

Gros gardon articulé monté sur un hameçon Sakuma Manta extra 6/0 et une tige Big game de 40mm.
Funky hair , funky fibres,  bucktail, flash mix , plumes schlappens x 2  et des badger hackles x 4.

La vie en rose....

Streamer de 27cm , articulé avec une tige de 40mm ( Big game shank/FlymenFishingCo.). Monté sur un hameçon Sakuma Manta 6/0, plein de flash, et le plus important une tête creuse constituée en bucktail reversé (3 couches) pour donner un maximum de volume et pour former de bonnes pulsations dans l'eau.  Le tout  recouvert avec de la funkyfibre (funkyflytying.co.uk).
Je colorie les Fish-mask avec des marqueurs "Sharpie" et je termine le masque avec deux couches de vernis U.V.

Articulated pink. from Norbert Renaud on Vimeo.

The return...

Je commence juste a retrouver la réalité après ce séjour paradisiaque....De retour a l'étau, et pour reprendre les choses en mains voici un streamer articulé a deux hameçons.
Un Sakuma Manta xtra 6/0 en tete et un Manta normal pour la queue. Corps et tete est une mixture de funky fibres et funky hairs.Les deux hameçons sont reliés par du Carboflex de 40lbs.

Et en bonus...un peu de soleil...

San José central.

"Chops" sympa cochon de compagnie, mais limite casse couil**s

Update

Les eaux montent...encore...et les temperatures tombent ( 8.3º dans l'eau hier). Ce qui rend la pêche bien difficile en ce moment, avec des loupés et des departs sans convictions sur les poissons morts.
Vivement le Costa Rica, et j'espere a mon retour retrouver des conditions plus clémentes.
Les flash tails articulées m'ont sauvé la dernière journée avec Dominique...

Pour les amateurs de Facebook, Flies With Attitude a sa propre page maintenant...Passez me donner un click et partagez s.v.p...

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Flies-With-Attitude/783267085074611

F.W.A

Avec l'automne qui arrive a grands pas, mon style de pêche va complètement changer....Endroits, soies, animations et surtout les streamers que j'utilise.
Apres avoir utilisé des streamers doubles ( deux hameçons montés en tandem) avec de très bons résultats, je préfère a present pêcher avec des mouches articulées.
Elles sont beaucoup plus fiables ( plus de liaison entre les deux hameçons avec du cable, qui après une,voir deux saisons a prendre du broc risque de casser).
Un seul hameçon suffit pour traquer les mamas, et quand il est derriere une tige, il possède alors un placement bien stratégique: au milieu, ce qui équilibre le montage et aide beaucoup lors du ferrage.
Durant les semaines a venir , je vais rentrer plus en details dans le montage et matériaux utilisés pour confectioner ces bêtes.

Celui ci est monté avec une tige de 55mm et un hameçon Sakuma 410 en 4/0.