Taking votes - Several Water Boatman flies that I concocted.

[reelman]

I would like to get some feed back on these, and if anyone wants I'll post some of the how-to pictures and instructions. Ultimately the final vote goes to the fish.

[buzz-man]

So what are you going to call your flys

[Marc Martyn]

Here is an article I wrote up on the Water Boatman.

http://www.washingtonlakes.com/ReadArticle.aspx?id=329

I also tied up another pattern where I used Clear Cure Goo to coat the shell back.

[reelman]

Your article on the boatman is the first article I read here on WL. It's a good read.
I though I would name the winning fly the M&M boatman in honor of my good friend Marc Martyn.
You haven't told me which one you like best. Click on the image and it'll expand enough to give you good deatil.
While you're deciding, I'll go ask some fish.

[Anglinarcher]

I'll go with # 1, then with # 5. Number 1 may ge a bit of a mess in the fly box.

My version has an antron ball dubbed at the back for a fuller air bubble look without adding weight.

[Marc Martyn]

From the boatman that I have seen in the waters around here, I would have top say #5.

#1 has good paddles, however, I think after one or two bites, they will be gone. You might try coating them with CCG, which is pretty durable and flexible. There are preformed legs with joints in them sold in the stores. Westslope Cutthroat Fly Shop has them. They look fairly durable. Check them out.

As far as the air bubble goes, I have never seen that. One afternoon when the fishing was absolutely dead, I sat in my boat quietly in the shallows and watched the boatman swim around. There were hundreds of them in a small area. I didn't notice any air bubbles.

From my experience, I have noticed that the fish are mainly attracted to the boatman because of their fast erratic swimming action. Seeing this may trigger the attack instinct of the fish. Get it now or miss it. Adding some silver, simulating an air bubble may catch their attention, but personally, I don't think it is that important. Maybe someone else has seen the air bubble, but I have never seen it.

[Marc Martyn]

While you're deciding, I'll go ask some fish.

Well, what did the fish say.....?:-k

[Anglinarcher]

From the boatman that I have seen in the waters around here, I would have top say #5.

#1 has good paddles, however, I think after one or two bites, they will be gone. You might try coating them with CCG, which is pretty durable and flexible. There are preformed legs with joints in them sold in the stores. Westslope Cutthroat Fly Shop has them. They look fairly durable. Check them out.

As far as the air bubble goes, I have never seen that. One afternoon when the fishing was absolutely dead, I sat in my boat quietly in the shallows and watched the boatman swim around. There were hundreds of them in a small area. I didn't notice any air bubbles.

From my experience, I have noticed that the fish are mainly attracted to the boatman because of their fast erratic swimming action. Seeing this may trigger the attack instinct of the fish. Get it now or miss it. Adding some silver, simulating an air bubble may catch their attention, but personally, I don't think it is that important. Maybe someone else has seen the air bubble, but I have never seen it.

Back in the day, on our farm, we had a pond full of them. I use to wade out to the limit of my hip waders and just watch them. At times, the air bubble was very prominent, at other times, it was not.

I not sure about the local area, I lived in Southern Idaho, but I would assume that the species are the same?????

[knotabassturd]

I kinda like the #3 air bubble idea. They dive sometimes so would hold air bubble obviously while submerged although air might surround most of the bug underwater. Hard to judge the flies from top view though from a fish perspectcive #1 looks most realistic to us humans IMO but lots of times they look difft from a fish's viewpoint. Might try cacthing one, putting it in a clear cup it won't jump out of (or fly out of? think they can fly but not sure), then put flashlight under bottom of cup to cast shadow on a whitish ceiling but put cup close to ceiling (or against ceiling with cup only half full) so don't get some monstrous distorted shadow. Well unless you have kids and then you can have fun playing that game . Very nicely done for realism!

[Anglinarcher]

Yes, they can fly, and they can bite. They can hurt like (edited before I got the message- LOL).

That was a lesson I learned the hard way.

[Jake Dogfish]

I have been bitten as well. I like #1 but like Marc said it might not be durable.

[Hank]

They all good enough to eat. Number 5 is my favorite.