Words By: Kit Belen
A look into a fly angler’s flybox is often greeted with a few revelations. There are a few schools of thought on this. There are those that stick to a simple formula, they are those that either buy or tie flies that work anywhere, those that carry nothing but flies made from natural materials, those that carry nothing but synthetics because they last longer, and those that carry everything they can.
Since I tie my own flies, I would love to carry everything that I can – however, this is not always possible especially if I’m traveling elsewhere.
For me, those are the times when I carry “fluff” that works everywhere, in the sizes I feel confident with.
There are quite a few out there that are surprisingly easy to tie, work in fresh and saltwater and I’m willing to bet, can be found in one form or another in almost all fly angler’s box. The following fly is one you can tie from materials you might already have at home (there is a slight chance that you will mutilate a fluffy stuffed animal, as I have in this case). This fly can be tied without special materials or equipment; in fact, I learned how to tie this with sewing thread and hand holding them while tying. Since it’s almost impossible for me to hand hold and take images at the same time, I’m using my fly tying vise for this.
The Crazy Charlie
Recipe:
Eyes: Bead chain – your bathtub’s plug would have this or a quick trip to Ace Hardware would get you a few of these for cheap.
Hook: any size 8-4 hook with a regular length shank
Thread: Thin mono
Body: Tinsel (like the ones you have for the festive season)
Wing: Any fur looking thing (just as long as the fibres are a good length)
Glue: Clear nail polish from your mum, girlfriend or sister’s stash
I usually tie a lot of these over the summer to prepare me for the winter’s fishing. It helps with the cabin fever… trust me.
Till next tide change,
Kit
