I love this fly for summer. Next to the hexagenia bilentiatta at sunset, this is the most effective summer fly in my arsenal. It floats, it moves at the slightest water motion, and it drives the fish into a snit, even in summer when the oxygen content of the surface water is quite low.
Face it. Fish in the summer move out of shallow water to where there is more oxygen. They will move to the shallows for two reasons. One is a mayfly hatch, and that is generally confined to the twilight of evening, since the mayflies don't like the direct UV of sunlight. The other is the presence of a natural enemy. And there is no enemy that will get the dander of a bass into a rage than a water snake. Even better is a baby water snake. This fly will immitate a baby water snake quite well in all its nuances.
Hook: Mustad 9671, #4 to #8
Head: Spun deer hair
Tail: Spiral cut chamois strip (natural or artificial)
Swivel: #12
Thread: Kevlar, brown
Start with the head, first wrapping a very short foundation at the rear of the hook and securing the swivel very thoroughly. Once it is secure, facing rearward so that the free end of the swivel can rotate without hindrance, spin the head with deer hair. (Consult any reputable fly tying manual for the technique. I also explained how in the last issue when I described deer hair divers.) Trim a wider than taller profife, and scoop the nose so that it's easier to pick up off of the water for easier casting. With a tail this long, you'll need all the help that you can get. Black deer hair or melted monofilament eyes can be added to the head for an extra touch of realism. (The fish won't notice.) Apply a wrap knot and finish off with head cement.
What the fish will be eyeing is the chamois tail. The tail is simple, and any kid who's ever cut a spiral out of construction paper can cut this tail. Cut out a rough circle and spiral cut it. It actually does a little better if it's lopsided and little rough on the cut. Just don't get too far off from round. Varying the thickness of the sprial cut gives the tail a unique character. Just don't get over twice as wide as your narrowest point.
When the tail is cut, sew a fast snap onto the interior end of the spiral cut. Make four or five of these for every head you tie. Short striking is a problem with smaller fish, and they will grab hold of the tail and tug it loose eventually. The larger fish will naturally go for the head first, so don't fret. But it will eventually get yanked loose, so you will want some replacements. Snap the tail onto the free end of the swivel and go fishing.
This is a long fly that runs wet, and it can be a pain to cast with a lighter weight rod. Eight weight with a bug taper is the minimum by my experience. Also use a good stout tippet, because the strikes from the fish here are meant to be fatal. You won't get a nibble on this fly, except from undersized fish.
This fly is a structure fly, best used around stumps and weed edges, since small snakes tend not to take to open water for a good reason. They don't survive to grow larger if they do. But this is over time, generally not within the timeframe of an angler's patience. For that, they should presented where baby snakes congregate. In the heat of summer, look for structure next to deep water drop offs for the highest percentage. Belly boating is a nice way to keep the body temperature down in the heat of summer while getting to the choicest spots to fish this fly.
This is a slow fly, meant for twiches and short retrieves with long pauses in between. The average speed should be dead in the water. Any breeze on the surface will animate the tail more than is needed to convince the fish. But if you'd rather see the tail spin, give in to your impatience and give it a slow pull. But the longer it sits in the same place, the chamois dancing in place, the more willing the bass will be to come up from the depths to snatch it with a fury. You have to decide whether you came to fish or to play with your flies.