Friday Fly Day - Swingin' Stingers, it's what we do...

I had a message from a mate just the other day reading: "I've just bought some stinger style flies. How does the hook up rate go on them in your experience?"

Well thanks mate, I needed an idea for this Friday Fly Day!

Often in winter our trout aren't actively feeding, so we look to cover water and incite an aggression strike by swinging often bright, 'come get me' flies across the current. In this style of fishing most takes come from behind the fly as fish chase them in, and so the tail of the fly is where our hook should be. With standard patterns, particularly with longer marabou or rabbit style tails designed for movement, unless the fish really wants to engulf your fly the result is often just a 'pluck', another opportunity gone...

Another benefit of a stinger is that smaller / shorter hooks can be used on longer flies. You still retain the benefit of that long shanked #2 leech, but avoid the associated problems of hooking a fish on a long shank hook. In short, you will lose far fewer fish following the hook up on short stinger hooks.

Another handy benefit of a stinger hook is that dull hooks can often be switched out.

So let me introduce a couple of my faves from the Manic Fly Collection...

Vokeys Sugar Pop

AJ's Prom Dress

Chou's Fortune Cookie

Angelis Foxy Swinger