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need a good top water fly

2K views 3 replies 4 participants last post by  Lefty 
#1 ·
Hi, I am going to be in Chatam this weekend and have a hankering to try some of the topwater action, (if any). Does anyone have a good pattern that they are willing to share? Can be for blues or stripers. Thanks Greg
 
#2 ·
I'm sure others will chime in bbut here's my take:

three ways to go:

(in order of difficulty)

deer hair
closed cell foam sheet / gurgler
livebody foam

BANGER:
Livebody foam comes in a cylinder, poke a hole thru with a bodkin. I push the eye of a long shank hook thru first to test things out. If you use the kind with the humpback (hook) don't test first and poke a bigger hole. Anyway, Wrap a layer of thread around a long shank hook and a drop of zap a gap and work the hook thru the foam. Decorate the sides as you like and coat with a thin layer of epoxy. Turning wheel is a plus.

GURGLER:
Gurgler is essentially a tail, crystal chenille body, with a doubled over pc of foam sheet (craft store, couple bucks). Pretty easy tie but doesn't make as big a distruption as the banger.

DEERHAIR head patterns:
Dahlberg diver, for instance. Not a popper but a very good surface-oriented lure, you can play around with deer hair and make all kinds of topwater flies if you know how to spin it already.

Oops forgot:

SLIDER:
Most of mine are variations of Page ROger's Slim Jim. Use livebody foam as in banger but narrower. The preformed popper bodies are good too. You can make a nice dahlberg diver pattern using the conehead foam bodies backwards.

check the archives, there must be some in there..
 
#3 ·
I have not used a top water fly in and around Chatham since I can remember. I am not saying not to ,but even with surface action I have succeeded with the old "down and Dirty" clouser/sand eel... VERY sparse clouser or deep sand eel on North Monomoy with a crab or green shrimp pattern in your box... Chartreuse clouser was my old stand by tied like Harry K's "rats Ass".
 
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