White Bellied Mouse

[tommytubular]

I seen this pattern in the summer issue of Fly Tyer Magazine... I just thought is was too cool not to tie a few.

This mouse pattern was created by Tommy Lynch who guides on the PM river. As luck would have it... I will be fishing the PM for a couple nights real soon.

I didn't follow the pattern exact... I used ultra chenille for the tail opposed to a rubber band (I've never had luck with rubber bands lasting) and I used white zonker opposed to the cross cut zonker for the belly.

If there is interest... I will type up a recipe. However... I would suggest you buy up an issue of the summer Fly Tyer mag... Chris Helm has an article on his panfish bugs and there are a couple Hex patterns that are gonna find there way into my fly box too.

Also... snip off the front hook when the fly is completed. It was left intact for the picture only.

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/552/medium/white_bellied_mouse1.jpg

[rld]

I tried this pattern out a couple weeks ago. It worked out pretty good. I also replaced the tail (used a bunch of centipede legs like used on the body).

[Chromedoggy]

Great Tie Tommy.
Tommy Lynch caught a 30" (yes 30" ) pig brown on this pattern the other night on the PM.

[tommytubular]

rld... not sure why I didn't think of using a few legs for the tail. That sounds like a better alternative then what I used. If I tie anymore... I'll be using the leg material myself:).

Thanks chrome doggy... I'd settle for a fish around the 20 mark. A 30 inch fish would certainly leave me with perma-grin:D

[lyrick]

My bigest brown came off that fly last year.

[TheDuke33]

This pattern rocks. I have proof.

http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs094.snc1/4954_515353650529_53802781_30721206_6576755_n.jpg

http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs094.snc1/4954_515353820189_53802781_30721212_5106546_n.jpg

http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs114.snc1/4954_515353660509_53802781_30721208_4594801_n.jpg

http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs114.snc1/4954_515353665499_53802781_30721209_2769895_n.jpg

http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs116.snc1/4971_664084971455_22422297_40279231_354296_n.jpg

I tie mine with rubber bands for the tail and legs. It's cheaper and works just fine.

[Shoeman]

Nice fish!

And a nice pattern, Tommy (I guess quite productive as well :lol:)

[tommytubular]

Nice fish!

And a nice pattern, Tommy (I guess quite productive as well :lol:)

I didn't have much feedback before i tied these... I just seen it and had to have a few in my box. The proof on this thread just makes it a little rougher to wait.

The trouble I've had with rubber bands... they tend to dry rot and fall off after a year sitting in the fly box. But I think i will wrap a few more with rubber bands before I go. By the looks of things... these mice will probably see some serious abuse!

[TheDuke33]

I didn't have much feedback before i tied these... I just seen it and had to have a few in my box. The proof on this thread just makes it a little rougher to wait.

The trouble I've had with rubber bands... they tend to dry rot and fall off after a year sitting in the fly box. But I think i will wrap a few more with rubber bands before I go. By the looks of things... these mice will probably see some serious abuse!

Yeah the tails would definitely start to crack and break apart after a while, but whipping those mice around at night on the PM especially, it's best not to get too attached to one particular fly, lol. I don't know how many of these we have stuck in trees up here. Rubber bands are just so cheap and have a ton of action in the water.

And Tommy, about when you said about abuse, you are correct. After using one mouse for a long period of time and having many many fish smack it, we would see teeth marks all over the foam, and rubber bands chomped in half.

[cruncher]

At a craft store, I picked up some leather fringey stuff that looked real sweet, even though I haven't had a chance to tie any mice up yet. Leather boot laces would work for a tail as well.

[Shoeman]

I've tried leather laces, but they're pretty stiff even when wet. Now cotton on the other hand...

[MT406]

nice browns, fun stuff right there. Chromedoggy, you can't say that and not post a picture. it never happened :p

[tommytubular]

Why do I have this strange feeling there are several of you guys/girls sitting at your vises tying this pattern?

Duke... wanted to say thanks for sharing your pictures. Made my heart pump a little faster. Are your flies articuated? Looking at the pictures... kinda hard for me to tell. I was just about to tie a few more and was thinking I'd do a couple on one hook only.

[Northern Steel]

nice browns, fun stuff right there. Chromedoggy, you can't say that and not post a picture. it never happened :p


I believe this would be the one. What a pig.

http://thefishwhisperer.com/images/report1.jpg

I'm not sure if it will show up but here's a link to his report if not.
http://thefishwhisperer.com/reports.php

[MT406]

HOLY $#!+ :dizzy: That is a monster slab. looks like a triploid. thanks for the link NS.

[Chromedoggy]

I believe this would be the one. What a pig.

http://thefishwhisperer.com/images/report1.jpg

I'm not sure if it will show up but here's a link to his report if not.
http://thefishwhisperer.com/reports.php

Thank god someone bailed me out!! I have several pics of that fish, and still have no idea how to post them.

[DHise]

Nice rodent. Good one Tommy. Any fish that eats land mammals is good in my book.

[goemado]

So you inspired me with the photos. Great looking fly and the big browns seem to like it! I already had the magazine on my bench, so I turned to the white mouse section and began tying.

I only made it through two examples before stopping - mostly because of a couple of issues between mine and either the photos above or the example in the magazine that I would appreciate any suggestions for improvement anyone may have. My biggest issues with my flies were lack of bulkiness and body consistency (mine were more of an "hourglass" shape from one hook to the other).

First the thickness issue. If I look at the photos (with fish) in the thread, the wraps around the foam appear to be much wider than I could accomplish indicating a far thicker "body" than my flies. I wrapped a lot of the white zonker around the hook to get a thicker body, but couldn't equal what the photos show. I even cut 1/2"+ zonkers out of some natural rabbit hide and couldn't duplicate the mass.

Secondly, I was not able to hide the joint between the hooks as well as I think it should be. Proportionally this should be the thickest part of the mouse. My fly had a distinct hour glass shape. Part of the problem is this is where the back part of the foam is tied on. I was not able to tie it and maintain any thickness at this point - even with carefully separating the fur and brushing it back as much as possible. Must be a trick or two that I'm missing (or practice).

I'm going to try bulking up the shaft of the hook with some material (either some yarn or chennille) before palmering the white bunny strip. I think this should help the body thickness.

Wondered if any of the "mouse experts" out there have ideas as to what I'm doing wrong. Suggestions would be appreciated. I'm going to continue practicing as well. Hoping to try out a good example some dark night.

Regards,

[TheDuke33]

Goemado-

I didn't read the article in the magazine, so I'm not sure how Tommy ties his exactly. I ran in to the same problem with getting the body bulkier which is kind of essential in getting the fly to push more water, so I did what you plan to do; just added more material to the hook shank (thick chennille works fine) before wrapping the rabbit strips.

As for hiding the joint between hooks, I'm not really sure what you mean; does the article call for adding a stinger hook or something?

I will add, don't worry too much about how perfect this fly looks. I can guarantee that if the fly floats, and you swing it right, it WILL roll fish. These big browns really aren't that selective to these mouse patterns. I swear you could catch fish swinging a wine bottle cork on a hook. The wake is pretty much all that matters. The hair and rubber tails/legs just add a little more action.

Here are a couple pics from this weekend. Landed 4 Browns over 15 inches in just a couple hours of mousing. Obviously Tommy's fish could EAT these fish though...

http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs135.snc1/5800_516399025589_53802781_30761101_830825_n.jpg

http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs135.snc1/5800_516399030579_53802781_30761102_2460921_n.jpg

http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs135.snc1/5800_516399035569_53802781_30761103_3048149_n.jpg

Good luck with your mice and don't be afraid of the dark!

-Duke

[tommytubular]

Duke... Tommy Lynch's published pattern is an articulated mouse... This photo shows the two hooks better...

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/552/medium/white_bellied_mouse.jpg

I had asked awhie back if your flies were articulated.... you must have missed that post. Looking at the last picture you posted it appears to be a single hook mouse.... and nothing wrong there... you seem to be in the fish with it!

Goemado...

I tied mine just like it said... with my exceptions stated earlier. I did really crowd the eye of the rear hook with the (standard) white zonker... that helped hide the joint a bit. I used a magnum strip for the back... and before I pulled it over the white body... I parted the white fur evenly to the sides... pulled the magnum strip over and tied it down. This seemed to help the bulk of the fly. I also left the brown magnum strip intact the entire length of the mouse (as stated in the article). I just pushed a small hump in the strip over the connection point of the two hooks before tying it to the front hook. Part to sides again of the white fur... before pulling the magnum strip over the front of the mouse.... part and push the sides the brown magnum strip before pulling the foam over the back.


I'm not sure what you're doing wrong... but I'm also not sure how you could wrap a 1/2 inch wide strip down the hook shank and not trap a bunch of fur under your wraps. Maybe you are trapping to much fur under the wraps when you plamer the zonker forward. Try a starnard width strip and pull all the fur out of the way and push it to the back before throwing the next wrap around the hook shank. I do remember the article saying not to make the joint between hooks to tight.... maybe your hour glass shape is coming from to much slack in the joint... mine I tied fairly close... but maintained good movement.The only other thing I can think of... which I didn't do to mine... was they stated to trim the white fur on the rear hook to form the belly of the fly. If you didn't trim any fur from the belly... that could be adding to the "hourglass" shape also.

[goemado]

Duke... Tommy Lynch's published pattern is an articulated mouse... This photo shows the two hooks better...

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/552/medium/white_bellied_mouse.jpg

I had asked awhie back if your flies were articulated.... you must have missed that post. Looking at the last picture you posted it appears to be a single hook mouse.... and nothing wrong there... you seem to be in the fish with it!

Goemado...

I tied mine just like it said... with my exceptions stated earlier. I did really crowd the eye of the rear hook with the (standard) white zonker... that helped hide the joint a bit. I used a magnum strip for the back... and before I pulled it over the white body... I parted the white fur evenly to the sides... pulled the magnum strip over and tied it down. This seemed to help the bulk of the fly. I also left the brown magnum strip intact the entire length of the mouse (as stated in the article). I just pushed a small hump in the strip over the connection point of the two hooks before tying it to the front hook. Part to sides again of the white fur... before pulling the magnum strip over the front of the mouse.... part and push the sides the brown magnum strip before pulling the foam over the back.


I'm not sure what you're doing wrong... but I'm also not sure how you could wrap a 1/2 inch wide strip down the hook shank and not trap a bunch of fur under your wraps. Maybe you are trapping to much fur under the wraps when you plamer the zonker forward. Try a starnard width strip and pull all the fur out of the way and push it to the back before throwing the next wrap around the hook shank. I do remember the article saying not to make the joint between hooks to tight.... maybe your hour glass shape is coming from to much slack in the joint... mine I tied fairly close... but maintained good movement.The only other thing I can think of... which I didn't do to mine... was they stated to trim the white fur on the rear hook to form the belly of the fly. If you didn't trim any fur from the belly... that could be adding to the "hourglass" shape also.


Thanks for the advice...I think you hit oin a couple of my issues.

1. I wasn't picking near enough fur after tying -- too much remained trapped. A buddy pointed that out this weekend as well.
2. Not bringing the white fur far enough forward to the rear hook eye.
3. Not starting the white fur for the front hook far enough back on the shank and wrapping it too far forward - only need to go half way at the most up the shank.
4. Not wrapping the tag end of the natural strip at the head of the mouse - this really improved the front end.

5. I did wrap yarn around both shanks - building them up to a little over "pencil thickness" - that really helped give the fly some bulk.

Three ties later -- I think I'm getting the hang of it. I tried both rubber bands for the tail and legs as well as some black 2mm elastic bead cord I found at the local craft store...both worked reasonably well. I liked the thickness of the elastic cord for the legs (and I burned the "feet" area which formed a bit of paddle effect). For the tail, I'm going to try a strip of naked zonker hide with a small patch of fur left at the tip to "paddle" around. Since I purchased whole hides and cut them myself, I have plenty of scrap hide pieces - I think this will add a ton of tail action.

I think the fly is coming along. Amazing how life like the little critter looks with the natural and white fur floating in the water. Not sure it needs to look as realistic as it does (what color is the fly at midnight with no moon?)...but it sure looks cool in the fly box.

Again, thanks for the advice. They've been a fun fly to tie -- nice change up from endless eggs, nymphs, and streamers.

Regards,

[TheDuke33]

Tommy, I must have missed your post about it being articulated. I never knew that this one was articulated, but it all makes sense now. I wish I would have picked up that magazine so I could try tying a few like that.

Oh well though, mousing season is kind of coming to a close for me with the stinkies invading my mousing water in a couple weeks (plus a wedding this weekend in Minneapolis).

Has anyone been out swinging this beast in the dark yet?

[zebramidge]

Spent 12 days tossing this pattern to rainbows on the Kisaralik River in Alaska. Took 4 flies, lost 3 to trees, and the last was nearly chewed to death. Overall, they couldn't stay off it. Pinched the barb, so my landing rate was about 50%. But great fun overall. Several grayling hit it too. It's a heavy fly when wet, but I used Sage's new smallmouth fly rod and was able to cast it all day pretty much like a baitcaster for bass. It's a winner and I can't wait to try it on some browns back home.