Back to Deep Winter

With highs dropping into the teens and lows falling into the single digits and negatives we are back into the deep winter. Thankfully, there has been enough sun to give us a glimmer of hope that spring is around the corner in spite of the bitter cold temps. I could really use a warm up and some open water to cast a line. Spent the majority of Sunday's down time tying streamers for whatever. One was an outrageous streamer called the foosa, which was tied by the Great Lakes Fly guys. It's on a 6/0 2461 and runs 8 or 9 inches long. The tail is 6 schlappan feathers and a mixture of flash of the same length. You tie the tail in right at the bend of the hook above the barb. At that tie-in point you add a clump of bucktail on the top and bottom of the shank. On top of the bucktail tie in some Finn Racoon again on the bottom and top. Then you lash a large rattle at about the middle if the hook in front of the Finn coon and bucktail (be sure to add some glue to hold it in place). Cover the rattle with some medium crystal chenille. Then, in front of the rattle wrapped in crystal chenille, add two more sets of bucktail clumps, just as you did at the bend of the hook. Clump on top and on the bottom. You can reverse tie these for added bulk. At this point you are crowding the eye a bit but add an addition clump of Finn Coon to cover the bucktail on the top and bottom. Then glue in some eyes. This fly will not have a small neat finishing head. There's just nothing small and neat about it.

I didn't take any pictures but if you google Fossa streamer you'll come across some images. It's big and heavy, but that makes it a fun project and has big predator written all over it.

Anyway, flyfishing adventure DVDs, a fire, and big streamers on the brain just fueled my already raging case of cabin fever. The winter feels like it's going to last forever.