Finally got around to tying some baitfish flies. I have plenty of shrimp imitations between redfish crack and more realistic style patterns but have been lacking in the baitfish department. Tied these up with a little saddle hackle (wish I had some better stuff) a little white and grey lazer dub and two turns of chartreuse foxy brush on a #1 hook.

They will get ate! WTG Bones72

Looking great! I bet a largemouth would eat one, too.

Looking good!

I really like the whiting American rooster capes for streamer hackle. They’re a lot more expensive than the strung stuff, but you get nearly 100% usable feathers in every conceivable size. Worth it in a few key colors, IMO.

I have a mess of rooster capes but they are all the dry fly type hackle. Coming from Colorado that's what I was set up for. Never had much need for streamers other than a few for pike and or big browns. Bought one "saltwater" cape but the feathers look about the same as what I have on hand. That's the problem with online ordering,

These were fun. My iteration of the Gartside Muddled Soft Hackle Deceiver. Looked great wet and moving.

All those flies look great.

Nice baits!

Heck Karstopo they look good dry. Not sure I could do those with all that marabou and not tear up trimming deer hair.

I buy the astra double sided old style razor blades from the big river, Jeff Bezos’ site. It’s too hard for my 57 year old fingers to trim the deer hair cleanly, or clean enough, with tying scissors. Those ultra thin razors flex into a concave or convex shape when called upon.

I think I tie by faith. The marabou is just gets wrapped on and it somehow works out. I do fuss over selecting the right feathers The deer body or belly hair gets flared or spun and I pack it hard or not so hard with my fingers. No combing, no stacker, no fuggly packer, no careful measures, slap, dap, get ur done, move on. That’s the beauty of spun deer body or belly hair. All the sins get trimmed away. I’ve never bothered with those combs, stackers, packers with the deer hair divers or borski sliders I do and both catch fish plenty. Why change that up now?

I do fuss a bit about trimming the spun deer hair. It takes time and I do it in little incremental cuts, especially towards the final cuts.

When you just tie for yourself, you can do what you want. Commercial tyers have to obey the rules about being uniform and standardized.

Nice work.
A piece of paper or card will help to avoid trimming too much

Tried out a couple of the new Gartside Muddled Deceivers out in the lake. Got a few bass walking the shoreline including this 5+# one on the olive version, plus a crappie

Very nice!