NT Fly Fishers : 'NO SEE UM' 007 FLY

After recently putting up some photos of Sams' flies (see below) we had a lot of requests about the pattern etc. so Sam has made up instructions for tying....hope they assist.

First a bit of background on this fly....a few of us have been experimenting with what we originally call 'See through' flies because of the fact that often when your fly has been chopped up a heap by fish, those fish seem to hit it more. EP fibre worked well then we got onto a stiff curly fibre from a mob called At the River Bend (click for link). I know there will be a heap of similar fibres on the market but this stuff really seems to work better.

We compared flies, fishing from both the beach and boat, even swapping rods to ensure it was not the fly fisher who was the main attraction. The results were that the 'See through' flies got more hook ups than the denser type of flies. Might have been the right time of the day, but who knows.

The Stig and Canadian Pete were out and Pete killed a pig on the 'See through' fly he was using. The Stig renamed them the 'No See um' fly because they are very opaque in the water. We have tied them with different glues, and even have silicone head ones but they all seem to work when others wont.

Sam has made some beauties up and they really performed, some all white wings or a light grey wing on top. Sam's are tied with a UV glue that we got on line. Its industrial I think and is hard as diamond when it goes off. So hard in fact only the eyes remained after some of the fishing and as Sam said, the fish seemed to be going for the 'Eyes only' so Cathie named them the 007 flies ie For your eyes only....corny but catchy too.

Sam McCowan

Cut a sparse amount off hank. Double over cut and combine. (Tease both ends so they're tapered. Cut in middle (this will make two flies with the two colour pattern)

Tie in the underwing as per normal. With a decent amount before the hook shank (need top and bottom to be even) and top is forward tied. Cut underwing.

Then forward tie top colour. (Ideally so you have nothing to cut off)

sparse DNA strand cut in half (I tie these in pairs so the other half goes in next fly)

Tie down. Migrate thread in front of material at hook eye (give it a bit of a push back if you can. Wrap hook shank (DO NOT TIE ON MATERIAL. OR IT WON'T STAND AS PROUD.)

Finish with whip or dodgy loop. (I don't know how to whip finish) lol

Slap the eyes on (I use toothpick so I don't stick my fingers together. Also apply superglue to a little bit of hook shank) (this photo will give you an idea of how see through or 'no see um' the fly is)