This fly catches bass late in the season.  Let this fly sink near structure and strip the line in a series of quick two to three inch strips.  Then wait and start up again.  Then it may may feel like the fly is stuck on a log, but after the hook is set, the log takes off swimming.    Then there are no more thoughts of the geese that spent the night on the pond, or the reflections of the fall foliage in the mirror like surface of the pond or how cold I am and why didn't I bring coffee.  All thoughts and concentration are on keeping the line tight but not so tight that the leader or the rod breaks and landing that largemouth bass.

The novelty of this fly lies in the material used to tie it.  It is nylon.  I am always looking at everyday items and ponder if they can be used to catch fish.  I have caught bass and sunfish on flies constructed from rubber bands, zip loc bag sealing strips, metalized potato chip bags and bicycle inner tubes.  For this pattern, the source of the nylon can be from parachute cord, nylon webbing, nylon twine or other yet untried sources, maybe even shoe laces!  To prepare the material you need to unravel and tease the fibers.  When the fly is in the water, the fibers are as alive as marabou!  This fly is easy to tie and the materials cost just pennies.   And of course it catches bass and pickerel.

The general method of tying this fly I learned from the Virtual Fly Box fly posted by Tony Spezio.  His One Marabou Plume Damsel is an easy, inexpensive fly to tie and a very productive fly to fish.

When fall fly fishing for bass was new to me, I received advice to fish with a big bushy Clouser leech and let it sink along fishing structure before you start to retrieve.  It was great advice!  Thank you Byard and Rick.  If you tie and fish this fly, I would like to hear about your success and or comments.

Wrap the hook with thread to the bend and then back to eye.

Tie in medium beaded chain or a short piece of1/8” threaded rod, or other non-lead weight.

Option:  Coat the beaded chain with nail polish to match the body or with glitter nail polish.

Fray 3  1/2 inches from the end of a piece of black (or camouflage, purple, brown, red) parachute cord.  (Or use fibers removed from a piece of nylon webbing.)

Wrap thread back to the beginning of the bend of the hook and tie in the frayed tail.  The rest of the cord will form the body and the throat.

Take the cord and wrap along the hook shank to form the body and wrap the cord with thread where it reaches the beaded chain eyes.   Now cut the cord to the approximate length needed and fray this end.

 Take one half of the fibers and bring under the beaded chain and over the top on the far side of the hook.  Next take the other half and bring under the beaded chain and over the top on the near side of the hook.  These fibers form the throat.  (They are on top now, but clousers present hook point up in the water)  Wrap and tie off with a few half hitches.

Trim the throat to final length.  Do not let it extend past the beginning of the tail or the fibers will tangle.

Shape the tail as desired.  (If the fly is too heavy to cast, trim the tail until the fly is managable.  You may wish to pack a scissors with your flies.)