Member Fly Patterns

This fly was created by Ken W, and is a very simple pattern to tie.  

You can catch all sorts of different fish 

with this fly.  

 Materials

;
Hook: Sz. 8 Streamer
Thread: UNI 6/0 Red 
Tail: Red fish hair material
Body: Medium Yellow Chenille 

 This is a simple but infinitely variable fly that should have a place in your carp box.  It takes the buggy/impressionistic qualities of a soft hackle, and adds some rubber legs and some weight to get it right down to the carp's dinner plate.  Vary the colors to imitate damsel fly nymphs, mayfly larvae, immature crayfish, or even freshwater clams!  This pattern is influenced by the Black Betty originated by Mr. P (Got Backing), and J.P. Lipton's Carp Crack (Roughfisher.com). 

 Materials:
Hook: Size 12 - 6 Glo-Bug style hook (Tiemco 105) or Gamakatsu SL-45 Bonefish Hook
Thread: Black 70 Denier UTC
Eyes/Weight: Black bead chain, brass, or lead eyes depending on the sink rate you need
Legs: Red or Black Silicone or V-Rib
Body:  Black or Peacock colored nymph dubbing:
Collar: Black or Grizzly soft hackle. Hen saddles are great.  Pheasant rump feathers are another favorite. 

  Fly Pattern, Photographs, and Instructions by Larry Dostal

 Carp go absolutely crazy for ripe mulberries — especially when they’re dropping into the water in mid-to-late June. This simple K.I.S.S. pattern is designed to perfectly imitate that summer “plop” under overhanging mulberry trees, calling in every carp within earshot. The fly sinks slowly like the real fruit, but can also be fished as a surface treat with floatant or paired as a dropper beneath a buoyant foam mulberry. Durable, easy to tie, and insanely effective when the berries are falling — just don’t give away your secret tree!

Target Species: Carp
Difficulty: Easy
Best Season: Mulberry drop (June–July)

Materials:

• Hook: Size 4–8 Saltwater Live Bait hook or Glo-Bug style (e.g., Tiemco 105) 
• Thread: White or Purple — 140 Denier UTC 
• Stem/Stem Support: Single Chartreuse Silicone Leg
• Berry Body: Thick Purple Chenille — Patons “Bohemian Yarn” in Peaceful Plum (favorite choice) 
• Optional Tool: Purple Sharpie (for coloring thread if not using purple)

Instructions, and photographs by Larry Dostal

Big, streamer-style fly designed for 8-weight (or similar) setups — a “larger” streamer.
 

Very versatile: responds well to different retrieve styles (standard stripping, steady two-handed, or jerk-bait-like snap-retrieves), putting lot of movement into tail materials.
 

The synthetic “bulky head” of the fly creates turbulence in the water, which gives the tail a lively, erratic action — excellent for imitating baitfish and triggering predatory strikes.
 

Can be fished as a slow sinker (short leader + sink tip or full-sink line), or even in shallow water with a floating line.
 

Highly adaptable — you can tie it in bright “attract” colors or natural baitfish tones (shad, alewife, bluegill), and scale up or down depending on the species (freshwater or saltwater predators). 

 Materials:

• Hook: Size 2/0 — e.g. Eagle Claw L256, TMC 600SP, Owner Aki, or an equivalent stout/short-shank hook. 
• Thread: White 210 Denier UTC. 
• Tail (Base): Short-cut pearl krystal flash or white bucktail fibers (to build base and prevent material fouling). 
• Tail (Mid): Pearl Crystal Web Fiber or Kreelex Flash. 
• Tail (Top): Congo Hair — “Dirty Water Baitfish” color, or substitute with synthetic fibers like EP, Synthetic Yak, SF Flash Blend, Fuzzy Fiber, Neer Hair, etc., depending on the action and sink rate you want. Long saddle feathers or rubber legs can also be used to vary action. 
• Body (Top): Same synthetic fiber as used on top of tail (optionally blended with fine flash materials like “Angelina” fiber or Ice Dub for added sheen). 
• Body (Bottom): White Congo Hair or another preferred synthetic fiber. 
• Eyes: Large eyes matching natural baitfish size — or use larger than natural for added attractor effect. 
• Adhesives (“Goops”): For durability — e.g. a glue such as fabric-fusion or tear-mender type adhesive after tying. 

  Fly Pattern, Photographs, and Instructions by Larry Dostal
 

 The Phantom Roo is a soft-hackle fly designed for spooky (or wary) carp and other fish that respond best to subtle, natural presentations. Its lightweight, unweighted construction means it lands softly and drifts or swims like real forage — whether emerging nymphs, spent mayflies, tiny baitfish, or midge clusters — making it especially effective in clear water or when fish are easily spooked. As a “soft-hackle weapon,” it works beautifully when fish are finicky, offering natural action and stealth rather than a flashy profile. 

Materials:

• Hook: Size 12 through 8 — Glo-Bug / Steelhead–style hook (e.g. Tiemco 105 or equivalent)  
• Thread: Olive or Black, 70 Denier UTC  
• Tail: 6–10 fibers of pheasant tail  
• Body: Black “Mr. Peacock” dubbing  
• Collar (Hackle): Grizzly hen saddle hackle feather 

  Fly Pattern, Photographs, and Instructions by Larry Dostal
 

 The Big Bottom is a heavy-sinking nymph designed to get down fast and hold right where fish are feeding — along deep weed edges, current seams, or rip-rap banks. Its slim body profile and wiggly, life-like collar make it a convincing imitation of crayfish, dragonfly nymphs, leeches or baitfish — depending on the color scheme. Whether targeting carp, drum, catfish or other bottom-feeding species, this fly is built to dive deep and stay in the strike zone with minimal fuss. 

 Materials:

• Hook: Size 6 Glo-Bug / Steelhead-style hook (e.g. Tiemco 105 or equivalent), or size 6 short-shank saltwater live-bait style hook, or Gamakatsu SL45 Bonefish hook
• Thread: Olive 70 or 140-Denier UTC  
• Eyes / Weight: Large brass dumbbell eyes or medium lead dumbbell eyes 
• Tail: Olive bunny fur 
• Body: Olive Ultra-Chenille 
• Wing / Collar / Hackle (Action Source): Olive “Sea Dragon” dubbing (or other rubber-legged dubbing such as “Cohen’s Carp Dub” for a “spectral,” lifelike effect) 
• Head (optional extra bulk): Olive bunny fur 

 Fly Pattern, Photographs, and Instructions by Larry Dostal

This is a K.I.S.S. fly of the highest order. This fly was originally designed as a quick/dirty damsel nymph imitation and earned a permanent spot in my fly box in short order.  Carp in my home waters frequently cruise in & out of shallow vegetation while munching on damsel nymphs.  This fly rides hook-point up, has a slim profile in the water, and has just enough buggy leg action from the brushed out dubbing body.  Simple tweaks to the pattern will bulk up the profile or vary the sink rate of the fly.

This is one of my top producing carp sight fishing patterns, but it catches everything that swims.  Slowly strip this fly along a weed edge of your favorite bass or sunfish pond. Or work it over the rip-rap of your favorite urban lake for some catfish or drum action!

• Materials: Hook: Size 8 Glo-Bug/Steelhead style hook (Tiemco 105 or equivalent)
• Thread: Olive 140 Denier UTC
• Eyes: Medium Black Bead-Chain (Sub Brass/Lead/Larger Bead-Chain for faster sink rate)
• Tail: Olive Ultra-Chenille (Standard or Small Size)
• Body: Peacock Color Mr. Peacock Dubbing (Fly Tyers Dungeon). Or use your favorite "buggy"/"shaggy" dubbing here. I also recommend using a dubbing that's made with a mix of colors (nothing in nature is one solid color). 

 Fly Pattern, Photographs, and Instructions by Larry Dostal

 This fly looks and acts like a tasty morsel of plant matter to a hungry Grass Carp.  The body is made of rabbit fur without the leather.  The rabbit fur is a dead ringer for a clump of algae/plant matter that gets dislodged from a rock up-stream.  The lack of leather and the addition of a small wing of foam make the fly neutral buoyant or sink very slowly.  The foam can be snipped off later to sink the fly if needed.  Varying the hook size will also change the sink rate of the fly.

Present this fly to grass (or common) carp holding in current and actively slurping up vegetation, and hold on!

Materials:

• Hook: Size 4-8 Saltwater Live Bait style hook or Glo-Bug style hook (Tiemco 105)
• Thread: Olive 140 Denier UTC
• Body: Olive Rabbit Strip (without leather/applied with dubbing loop)
• Wing: 1 inch strip of green craft foam (helps track the fly in moving water)
• **Special Equipment** A standard 2" Binder Clip (potato chip bag clip will work also) 

 Fly Pattern, Photographs, and Instructions by Larry Dostal