Moal leeches and the Bull Run River

[Irishrover]

A while back there was a thread on bunny leeches and moal leeches. I decided to tie a few up and give them a try. The bunny leech was OK to cast but that moal leech wow that thing soaks up some water. I was using my spey rod and it was an effort to launch that fly. I was at Dodge Park for a while but there were too many folks there to accommodate a spey fisherman. I walked over to the Bull Run River and had the place to myself. After a while I gave up on the moal leech and went to a lighter weight fly to fish the low gin clear water. I really like that Bull Run River I just wish it had some fish in it. Back to the moal leech, I tied them without any weight, they were about four inches long. I think that bunny hair just soaks up a lot of water making them hard to cast.

 

[skunk]

You are correct on the bunny hair soaking water. They are tougher to get out there for sure. I tried mine and got it to work ok, but I think I'm heading a diff. direction now. Maybe some tube flies without the rabbit hair. I did notice that a short one hook bunny leech with a wt'd head worked out just as well as the longer patterns. Easier to cast also.

 

[eggs]

give Bull Run some time.. The fish will come ;-)

 

[ninja2010]

I was using my spey rod and it was an effort to launch that fly. I think that bunny hair just soaks up a lot of water making them hard to cast.

they are definitely challenging, but not undoable... 2 things i've learned...

1) make sure your sink tip has enough mass to pull and turn over a wet moal. the tip should have at least twice the weight of a wet moal.

2) on the cast, put a kick into your d-loop and keep an eye on the sink tip while you're setting up for the forward stroke... when the d-loop is at its apex, the sink tip should be half out of the water (make sure you don't blow the anchor) before you launch that big sloshy fly. might take a few tries to get the right amount of energy on the sweep.

 

[Irishrover]

Ninja....thanks I'll give it a try. After tying those flies up I do want to use them. I also think like Skunk mentions I'll try some tube flies or maybe some intruders like you have. The tube and intruders have that big look without the bulk. But I will head back to the river with those moal leeches and get them to work. I want to be ready to land fish on the Bull Run River I have confidence they will show up someday Eggs is going to make it happen!

 

[brandon4455]

moal leeches are the best.. hard to cast? yes but they work.you can catch just about anything with them.

 

[markasd]

A while back there was a thread on bunny leeches and moal leeches. I decided to tie a few up and give them a try. The bunny leech was OK to cast but that moal leech wow that thing soaks up some water. I was using my spey rod and it was an effort to launch that fly. I was at Dodge Park for a while but there were too many folks there to accommodate a spey fisherman. I walked over to the Bull Run River and had the place to myself. After a while I gave up on the moal leech and went to a lighter weight fly to fish the low gin clear water. I really like that Bull Run River I just wish it had some fish in it. Back to the moal leech, I tied them without any weight, they were about four inches long. I think that bunny hair just soaks up a lot of water making them hard to cast.

Ya need to tie em without the Hyde, tied in a dubbing loop... Tell ya what, gimme a mailing address and I'll ship ya something to test fer me since I don't really get to fish anymore!

 

[Irishrover]

Getting rid of the leather sure would lighten them up. Leather does soak up water. PM sent.

 

[Irishrover]

moal leeches are the best.. hard to cast? yes but they work.you can catch just about anything with them.

Oh great now you got me thinking about using them in the salt for lings and sea bass.

 

[brandon4455]

Oh great now you got me thinking about using them in the salt for lings and sea bass.

that sounds fun.. ill have to try it out myself sometime.. an olive colored one would probably do the trick, or maybe a mulitcolor one that represents a small rockfish

 

[Irishrover]

markasd......those flies were great. It took very little effort to launch them across the river. Once they hit the water the material filled out and trippled there size (body width). Nice looking flies in the water. I was using T-11 sink tips and it took those flies right down.

Ninja I shorted up my leader and put more excelleration into the D loop. It worked and lifted that heavey fly. It is funny to watch because it moves almost in slow motion. What really got that thing to move was using a snake roll cast. That cast would zing that heavey wet fir with no problem. I think the difference is the snake roll is an airborne cast. All the sink tip and fly are out of the water then when that fly makes that initial splash.....boom hit the forward stoke and that bug takes off. Of course using the flies maskasd tied is a lot easier all the way around.

 

[markasd]

Glad to hear ya like em... I know how big of difference it makes with a single handed rod, so with a two-hander its really gotta be sweet!!

Now lets see ya post a pic of a fish with one in its face.