What is a HEAVY fly?

[GGY]

Before I relate what I use to make my HEAVY flies, I would like others to post what they use (and think is heavy).

I spent some time with a scale weighing various beads (lead & tungsten), as well as differing amounts (wraps) of lead wire, so I should be able to estimate the mass of the fly.

You should specify:

• Hook type.
• Hook size.
• Bead size and metal
• Lead - diameter, number of wraps (preferably per layer)
• Dubbing - material and thickness.

I will probably be writing a whole article on mass, density, profile etc of sinking flies for Flyfishing, so I will not go into technical details.

[Scythe]

I was waiting for this post ...

[MCC]

Howzit Gary

Well, the heaviest control flies that I carry weigh two grams.

These bombs are tied with two 3.8 mm Tungsten beads, three 3.3 mm Tungsten beads and about ten centimetres of .20 lead wire.

These patterns are tied on #4 Mustad circles with a very thin covering of Hare's dubbing and a shellback of shrimp foil.

A bit expensive, but well worth having.

I also tie 1.7 gr, 1.4 gr, 1.1 gr, 0.7 gr and 0.5 gr control flies. Presentation at exactly the right depth is always possible.

Cheers
MC

[dizzy]

The biggest fly I tie is a #6 on a grip hook. I'm not sure which grip model it is though.
The biggest beads I use are 3.8mm and are mostly tungsten.
I use mostly 0.25mm lead.
On a #6 hook I wrap once from the eye to the bend and then a half (from eye to middle of shank).
I use diamond brite and rabittron for dubbing as well as blends.

[dlampert]

Howzit Gary

Well, the heaviest control flies that I carry weigh two grams.

These bombs are tied with two 3.8 mm Tungsten beads, three 3.3 mm Tungsten beads and about ten centimetres of .20 lead wire.

These patterns are tied on #4 Mustad circles with a very thin covering of Hare's dubbing and a shellback of shrimp foil.

A bit expensive, but well worth having.

I also tie 1.7 gr, 1.4 gr, 1.1 gr, 0.7 gr and 0.5 gr control flies. Presentation at exactly the right depth is always possible.

Cheers
MC

MC,

Out of interest do you catch any fish on the 2gr sinkers ?

Thanks,
Darryl

[Chris Shelton]

Interesting thread!

Being a 90% dry fly fisherman, I am pretty new to the concept of heavily weighted flies. I have on occassion seen the need to get down quickly though, and usually achieved this by attaching a string of small spit shot on and around my tippet knot. Although this often did the trick for me, it was always a bugger to cast, but then again, I was invariably hampered by a 3 weight rod.
This leads me to the question. What weight rod do you guys find to be the most suitable for those heavily weighted bombs,....and, how long do you make your leaders?

[dizzy]

What weight rod do you guys find to be the most suitable for those heavily weighted bombs,....and, how long do you make your leaders?

Chris, I doubt that many of the folks using this technique actually cast. I reckon its mostly Czech nymphing. Although I have seen some anglers cast there bombs at the barbel on the Vaal, and there bombs are considerably heavier than the ones I use.

[KevinE]

We use "bombs" - effectively control flies - on the Tongariro in winter. But these need to be cast at least 15 metres to fish the prime lies and get long drifts. Some guys use 5.5mm tungsten beads. Casting with these is beyond my ability so the biggest I go is 4.6mm beads. These are tied on a #10 long shank hook with 1 1/2 wraps of lead (0.20 I think). A glo-bug or small natural is tied to the bend of the bomb. The most effective way to cast this lot is to let your cast touch the water on the back and forward casts to load the rod (the running fish sit very deep and don't mind so much). Or to use a fancy spey or roll cast. Very challenging and tiring casting though. And it is always a nice surprise when the bomb scones the back of your head on the forward cast.

[dizzy]

Sounds like you have first hand experience Kevin?

[MCC]

Darryl

I do sometimes catch fish on these heavy bombs, but you must remember that the 2 gr version is quite extreme and there will always be another two "fishing" flies attached as well. The slightly lighter weights between .5 gr and 1.1 gr regularly take fish as these are far more realistic.

Over the past two years or so our control flies have become much lighter as well and these bombs of over 1 gr are only used for about ten percent of the time and then only when faced with serious water. During the last nationals the flow on the Vaal was quite slow and I never fished a fly of over 0.3 gr. This was much more fun than lobbing bombs around and the movement of the flies are definitely more natural. The depth of the drifts can also be increased by simply fishing a slightly extended Czech Nymphing style where a few metres of flyline is actually cast and mended upstream.

There are a lot of guys who fish in the "when the tapping stops" style, but I believe that your flies should only briefly touch bottom on every second drift or so. This way you know that they are drifting just off the bottom and without drag.

Chris, dizzy is correct in that these flies are used while Czech nymphing. Personally I prefer the Greys Missionary and Streamflex rods in 4 to 5 weight for this purpose. Awesome sensitivity and the ten foot lengths increase control of the line.

Cheers
MC