Cats Whisker

[Ian]

Cats Whisker SBS

Hook: Gamakatsu S10-2S #6
Bead: Tungsten 3.5mm
Thread: Gordon Griffiths
Tail: Hends White Marabou
Body: Sport Fish Chenille Fluorecent-Phosher Yellow
Wing: Hends White Marabou

Step 1
Place tungsten beat on hook and secure in vice
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f185/IPL_bucket/1.jpg

Step 2
Wrap cotton to the bend. Spin the cotton and create a little bump. Wrap cotton to the hook point and wrap some white marabou fibers in.
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f185/IPL_bucket/2.jpg

Step 3
Clean the chenille to create 2 bare cotton threads. Secure the chenille at these points and wrap to the back and forward ½ to the eye of the hook.
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f185/IPL_bucket/3.jpg

Step 4
Follow by the chenille over the cotton. Do not bind the chenille in and neither trim it as yet.
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f185/IPL_bucket/4.jpg

Step 5
Create the wing by using some more white marabou fibers
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f185/IPL_bucket/5.jpg

Step 6
Continue with the chenille and cover the wing base. Tie it in and trim.
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f185/IPL_bucket/6.jpg

Step 7
Trim that the wing and tail almost same length.


You could put very-very little supper glue at the base of the tail to ensure no wrapping around the bend while fishing.

For the festival I fished it on a Di3 with long-slow retrieves with pauses in between, always in contact with the fly. When feeling a take, continue with the slow retrieve and lift the rod.

[Ian]

This is a first for me.....the SBS

[Benja]

Hi Ian

Nice SBS! What other colour variations have you found to be effective?

[Ian]

Black with neon green wings...creating a montana effect.

If I use a cats whisker, 99.9% of the time it will be this pattern

[poppernel]

Nice going Ian, good S.B.S. and tying. Hope to see more of your tying.

Dave

[Gerrit Viljoen]

Thanks for sharing,well done.

When I still bought commercial flies I used to love the Orange & White variation.If the forels didn't bite I would chuck some white bread and strip one of them Whiskers past them.Boom boom boom!!!!!! :cool: :D

G

[Ian]

I did not know the 'hows', but Grant did all a huge f(l)avour and typed a detailed step by step how to put it all together.

Now, will make more effort and try to update the fly library.

Actually, I will put the SBS of SBS together in behalve of Grant.

Thanks Mr. Kieser

[Byron]

i like this fly, it has it's moments for me - I often tie it with bead chain eyes rather than the bead.

[Ian]

For competitive purposes we/I am only allowed to use a single bead max size of 4mm. (No cones either):rolleyes:

[gkieser]

Nice Ian!!

[Ian]

Thanks Grant

I just showed Estelle

[JanK]

Before asking what's said and done before :rolleyes: I did a search on the "Cats Whisker" fly, and came across this, Ian's SBS...nice one.

Following the thread, came to Byrons comment:


I often tie it with bead chain eyes rather than the bead.

Now my Q: you often see the commercial version with the bead chain eyes tied ON TOP of the hook shank - surely this is technically incorrect (although it still catches fish :D) because won't the extra weight make the fly roll over and swim upisde down?

Shouldn't the bead chain be tied in UNDER the hook shank, or is the top wing enough to keep the fly upright?

[Byron]

I'm not sure what is right or wrong in this case - but it catches fish. Although it's been a long time since I've tied one on my line. The are in "fly box 13" with a bunch of other flies that are now passed over too frequently.

[JanK]

Quick on the draw there B....! :cool:

Agreed, not sure what's "correct" or not, as the commercial one's I used to buy with the bead chain on top still caught me fish, that's for sure.

I need to make up some and chuck 'em in the pool and see how they swim.

EDIT: another search, found Nicholas' thread here:

http://www.flytalk.co.za/forum/showthread.php?t=4368&highlight=cats+whisker

and a pattern on FlyTalk here:

http://www.flytalk.co.za/FlyTalkflyView.php?id=17

The pattern info had this to say regarding one of the pics with the bead chain on TOP:

"The pattern above has been tied with the eyes on top of the hook shank and the wing below the shank. This pattern rides hook point up and works well when fishing over rocky bottoms, since the fly is less prone to snagging on the bottom."

followed by another pic with the bead chain also top, but the wing tied in UNDERNEATH.

Interesting...

[C J]

Nice! I found that a all white version (almost like a White Death with a tail) also works lekker. A pattern like that tied on a salty hook with cactus chenille should also job lekker in the salt?

[Byron]

Yip very much like a white death - I tied them in either white or green and orange. All with bead chain on the top so that they don't hook up on the bottom.

They still seem to catch fish.

[core fly]

I tie a variation of this fly for targeting catfish.I use cactus chenille for body and darker marabou.I also tie it with bumbell eyes if i need the weight but it is best fished with a bit on lead wire under the body and no bead/eye.I use a size 2 to 4 bass bug hook.Sinks at a nice slow rate for subsurface action.

[dlampert]

Step 2
Wrap cotton to the bend. Spin the cotton and create a little bump. Wrap cotton to the hook point and wrap some white marabou fibers in.


Hi Ian,

I know this sbs was posted a while ago but interested to know why you create a thread bump for this pattern? This technique is normally used for splaying tails on mayflies (dries and nymphs) and I wondered what effect (if any) it has when tying with marabou?