Tropical Saltwater Fishing

Umpqua Fly Gummy Minnow’s
SKU: NFD9699

And the beat goes on for this amazingly realistic creation. Warm mid–summer waters, smallmouth aggressively attacked soft plastic baits, like Bass Assassins, and began to frequently ignore fly offerings. So it was to soft plastic resins that Blane turned to create a new style of fly that would have the realistic look and feel of these successful spin baits. The result was a very soft, flexible — and self–sticking – plastic called SiliSkin. Once mastered it is very easy to work with. Flies can be “assembled” quickly, with the end result being a very realistic baitfish imitation, one that has both color and translucency, is soft and decidedly realistic and finally, amazingly durable. (**A Gummy trick: sacrifice one fly and pull the tail right off. Now, push the broken ends back together, work it around with fingers, Voila! Re–attached. Now slowly pull on the tail end. It will still stretch a long way even though once broken.) Initially created in a clear color at the request of noted Carolina guides, Brian Horsley and Sarah Gardner. The effectiveness of this size and see–through color was proven for False Albacore when they fed heavily on micro–baits, what they call “jelly with eyes”. It became their secret weapon and kept them always in the hunt. In other colors such as blue and chartreuse, this diminutive size should find success for many other fishy predators: stripers busting micro–baits of anchovy and silversides in late summer and even panfish.

Sizes 2 and 6
Colours: Blue, Green, Brown, Pearl and Chartreuse

Umpqua Fly Mayhem Crab Chicone
SKU: NFD9738

“My Mayhem Mole Crab pattern has two monofilament keels weighted heavily with tungsten beads. This helps get the fly down to the sand quickly. The added weight also aids in creating a disturbance in the sand when the fly is stripped.

This puff of sand is crucial when imitating the crab’s defense mechanism of burying itself in the sand.

The females of the species are larger in size, approximately the size of your thumb, and have a bright orange egg sac that is located on the underside of their rounded gray body.

For predators, like birds and fish within eyeshot, this pronounced pop of orange is a dead giveaway to their location.

For this pattern, I used a small tuft of bonefish pink Finnish raccoon to represent the egg sac.

I like to use natural materials like fur whenever possible because they bring not only vivid color as well as some movement to the fly.”

– Signature Tyer Drew Chicone

Size: 2
Colours: Ghost, Ghost/pink, Olive, Tan