Skitter Skipper



     Well, if you have a little spare time at the vice, this is a gadget fly that will pay off later in the year when the fish start hitting the surface in the spring and throughout the year. It's a little complex, but not dreadfully so.

Hook: Mustad 3665A (6XL wet fly hook) 2-10
Tail: Filo or marabou tip feathers
Body: Rabbit fur dubbing (or alternative)
Underbody (optional): Closed cell foam sheet
Wing: Bucktail or fishhair
Skipping plane: Plastic from a 2 liter soft drink bottle (clear)
Thread: Monocord

     The color scheme can vary on this fly, according to taste. It can natural, blended, or flashy. The action and balance of the fly are far more important than the color, since it is a surface fly with a lot of action. Color doesn't play that big of a role, as long as the angle has confidence in it.
     The first step in tying this fly is the preparation of the functional materials, namely the underbody and skipping plane. If the closed cell foam is used to give the fly a little added boyancy, it should match the color scheme as closely as possible. Prepare a strip as long as the tying area of the shank and wide enough to wrap around it once. Cut enough of these ahead of time for all the flies you're going to make.

     The skipping plane is the heart and soul of this fly, and the degree of care given to its construction will make or break the individual fly. It needs to be carefully cut and bent in the shape shown above (shown larger than lifesize). It should have a total length of half the length of the hook being used. Length to width is a 3:2 ratio, including the tie down tab. The angle of the wing should be as close to 45° as possible, ending at midpoint. The flaps should be about 25% of the total length, and the bend of the flaps needs to be equal (balanced) between 60° and 70° to the shank. Failure to make this plane properly will result in very poor results on the water.
     A hot dull knife blade and an angle preset form (made from a block of wood with a clamp and small sheet of metal to hold the main body flat and securely in place) will increase accuracy and consistency greatly. Heat the line along the bend just enough to get a premanent crease without actually cutting into the softened plastic. This technique is not necessary, as patient and persistent bending along a straightedge to stress the plastic will also produce the required bend, though it is more work. But it does have the advantage of being less likely to cause burns.
     Once the functional materials have been prepped, tying can proceed at the vice. Set a solid foundation, cement fully. Tie in the tail, making it rather fluffy for a lot of action, then cement the body again and apply the underbody (if used), wrapping it with thread to the eye and back. Apply the dubbing to the thread, apply more cement, and wrap forward to the eye. Lay on the skipping plane, being very careful to balance it exactly perpendicular to the hook bend, and ty down very securely. Tie in the wing above the plane, and if desired, add a throat of hackle fibers to cover the wrap of the plane tab. Finish with a wrap knot, cement the head, allow to dry thoroughly.



     On the water, this fly will prove a bit wind-resistant and unruly to cast, so be sure to use a heavy line and heavy tippet. This is an action fly, nothing subtle about it at all. False cast as little as possible to reduce wind knots and tippet twisting. Cast the fly to the water, give it a few moments to come to rest, as theweight of the bend in the hook will assure that the fly does not rest upside down (with the flaps pointing upward). Take up the slack in the line as it is doing this, pointing the rod to the fly. Once you are set, retrieve fairly quickly in short bursts, using the sweep of the rod if you like to skitter it across the surface of the water. Allow to rest and take take up the slack for the next skitter. Do note that the plane, which makes it wind-resistant, also makes it very easy to pick it up from the water when starting a new cast.
     On still water, use a long tippet and cast to structure where fish might be holding. Skitter it past the structure and be ready for a strike both immediately and shortly after the pause. Continue working it toward you for some distance, as some fish will follow along and investigate a bit before giving into the urge to strike.
     In moving water, his fly can be cast to the current and floated downstream, but the real action comes from playing the fly on the current with the rod. When downstream the fly can be skipped forward by raising the rod, then relaxed to float back into place for another skitter. The speed of the current determines the best pace.
     This is also a good trolling fly, using it much the same way as moving water, using it on a long line well behind the boat. Here a flat line is sufficient, as casting is not a factor. Use it in the same retrieve and relax method as playing it on the currrent.

     Try to lose too many of these flies, as they are a pain to construct properly. At the same time, use them often when fish are striking on the top in an aggressive mood.