Predator Mouse Question

[fishing n autograph]

Evenin' everyone,

 

I got a quick question. I have just finished tying my first 5 predator mice. Tail's and whiskers and all, but what I'm missing is the ears. Is is necessary to have them, or will a hungry bass or trout really notice that they're missing?

 

Any thoughts?

 

Dave

[danc]

Dave. I think that people are putting too much thought into detail these days. I think that the way that you present your mouse patterns are much more important than the fact that it has no ears. I think that you'll be fine. Let us know your success. By the way, mouse patterns are awesome for Brook Trout. Let me know if you could manage to tie a few on a 1/4 oz jig head. I could be interested.

[Greencoachdog]

I thought you were talkin' about the this Mouse:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eLt9Ng-LDE

[fishing n autograph]

Dave. I think that people are putting too much thought into detail these days. I think that the way that you present your mouse patterns are much more important than the fact that it has no ears. I think that you'll be fine. Let us know your success. By the way, mouse patterns are awesome for Brook Trout. Let me know if you could manage to tie a few on a 1/4 oz jig head. I could be interested.

 

 

Thanks Dan, I know brookies love mice, but I'm afraid there aren't too many brookies big enough around southern ontario that'll take mice.....

 

nothing on a jig head yet, i do have them on 4x, 2x and 4 and 6 streamer hooks

[danc]

Well if you ever feel like experimenting Dave, let me know. I'd be happy to pay you for your time to create such a thing. I'm very interested in a mouse jig.

[MJL]

Thanks Dan, I know brookies love mice, but I'm afraid there aren't too many brookies big enough around southern ontario that'll take mice.....

 

Forget about the brookies...Go for the big double digit resident browns...The ones that prefer to eat a chunky steak instead of a sausage roll.

 

I don't fly fish much for anything other than steelhead, lake-run browns, carp and salmon. My friends never had much luck with mice patterns for brookies in Ontario...Labrador and northern BC/Alaska is another story - Even small fish take them there. Perhaps it has something to do with availability of the food source or the fact that a lot of our really big brookies live in large lakes where voles and other rodents usually don't get washed into the water or cross big bodies of water to get to the other side. It's of course, only speculation...Would love to see some of your flies though...Currently working on a surface pattern to get some of the local steelhead off the top.

[pameladallaire]

Ears don't matter to fish, if the bait is floating all they see is the underbelly.

 

Now, if you are looking to tie one that will be displayed, then use deer hair and leave the area long where the ears will be and sculpt them at the end to look like ears.

 

 

Pam

[Sherriff]

What?

[Guidofisherman]

I tied up a mouse pattern last night for a guy who wants to fish inland brookies so I made it a little smaller than the ones I tie for the Nipigon. Mind you, I never caught a brookie on one yet. I still think they would work great. Dan is right...the details are not as important as the flat belly. I actually tie in light coloured deer hair for the belly and trim it flat so the mouse rides on the surface. For the ears, I use tan 1/8th foam sheets from the craft store. I have never tied a jig head mouse but I think that has real potential.

[fishing n autograph]

does it matter what u use for a tail?? i used leather cord (looks like a thin shoe lace) for my tails b/c it was all i could find....

 

what did u use for the weed guard???

[Guidofisherman]

The leather cord is probably better, but I used a strip of deer hide left after cutting the hair off. I tied one mouse with a weed guard in case I wanted to run it through some cover.

Alan

[fishing n autograph]

Hey Guido,

 

How do you tie the weed guard? What do you use?

[lew]

Guido, those 2 flies you tied in the picture are incredible !!

 

VERY nice work indeed !!

[Fang]

weed gaurds like the one on the flies posted are usually tied with 20lb or heavier mono. I tie mine with Flouro just for an added touch. Take a 4-6 inch length of heavy mono and tie it on the body as if you wanted to make it a long tailwith it. Then tie the fly as per normal and finish up to the head. Before cutting the thread bring the tag end of the mono (sticking out as the long tasil piece) up to the eye of the hook and secure with a few more wraps of thread. Cut thread and expoxy the head wrappings

 

I usually wrap the mono weed gaurd further down the bend in the hook so the line gets pointed in the right direction to follow the hook.

[Guidofisherman]

I didn't have any 20 lb mono or flouro so I used 20 lb amnesia. Fang has a good description to tie in the weed guard.

Sometimes I kink the mono about a 1/4" from the end and put it through the eye of the hook temporarily then bend the mono around the curve of the hook and up to the tie in spot on the hook shaft. I let go of the eye end and tie in the shaft end This gives the length of the weed guard with the eye tie-in done last at the kink. I use this method when there is a lot of material or detail at the head of the fly that may be getting in the way.

Alan

[irishfield]

This is the best I can do with my talents! I seriously envy your ablities to tie these magnificent looking flys guys. Something I'd never have the patience, or talent, for.

[Fang]

Nice Wayne

 

can you open its mouth and blast a little foam sealant inside.

 

Would make a heck of a top water bait

[pikeie]

ive been tying up mouse patterns for a while this winter, they work great on bass, pike, and ive heard browns love them too. for the ears i use a piece or rabbit hide cut to shape and i do the same for the tail. the picture i have was taken with my cell phone so the quality is really bad but it gives u an idea, i just finished this one.

Edited December 6, 2007 by pikeie

[brickNblock]

I'm with Lew....probably many others too.

Guido...them some nice looking pieces of art there Bud.

 

Mostly mine are In-line models (Not mouse patterns)..but recently ive turned to using 30lb PP for the wraps.

They're for fish with teeth........just a thought.

[pameladallaire]

Very nice, all of them.

 

Pam