The #10 Tussle Spider was based on the Tussle Bug and developed specifically for the Texas Hill Country panfish.
First, its designed to be REALLY tough. We found that 100+ fish days on the Blanco and Guadalupe rivers would have us going through handfuls of other flies because of all the panfish bite damage. You will definitely lose this fly to a fish or a snag long before it even shows any wear.
Second, this fly is made to fish the zone right next to the bank very quickly allowing you to cover a lot of river fast. The fly should be treated like an underwater popper, you cast it as close as possible to the edge of the shore, let it sink then twitch it a few times as you strip it is a foot or so. Then lift it and lay it down a couple of feet further down the shore, repeat until you hook a fish.
Lastly, this fly is a dream to cast. It is very light but has moderate wind resistance that makes for beautiful tight leader roll outs for casting under trees and gentle presentations.
Also, don’t think that you will only catch panfish with this fly, we’ve caught fish up to 23″ in length on this fly.
Material List:
#10 Nymph Hook, 2X long
200 Denier UTC Ultra GSP thread, Yellow
Krystal Flash, Gold
Chain Bead Eyes, Gold
Embroidery Thread, Olive & Yellow
I would love to see catches from anyone who ties this fly, please post your photos!
Great looking fly! Probably represents a damselfly nymph most closely. . I’m going to tie some of these very soon. Thanks.
P.S. A good way to measure with scissors is to open the blades and use the tips to measure and then transfer the measurement. Very precise.
I never know what the fish think they are eating, if they are thinking at all that is. Thanks for the tip on measuring!
Dave
I enjoy your blog and glad to find a fellow Texas fly fishing bum. I look forward to sharing stories. You can find me at http://austinanglersjournal.blogspot.com/.
Coming your way with a friend from Bertram toward the middle of Apriil. Your country is beautiful and I look forward to fishing it. I will be ordering some flies from you to help me in that endeavour…
Chuck
Chuck, mid-April is a magical time for Hill Country rivers, what exactly do you plan to fish?