Two More Sculpin Patterns

As previously mentioned, upon returning from the Mad River after Christmas, I had a few new ideas in my head for sculpin patterns.  For starters, here is a look at the beat-up pattern I typically fish over at the Mad, which has a really healthy sculpin population that the brown trout enjoy.  I tie this pattern inverted (point up) on a size 6 DaiRiki 700B, which is a 20 degree bent shank "craw" hook.  The recipe is as follows:

Hook - DairRiki 700B size 6
Tail - zonker strip
Body - Arizona Diamond Dub (spun in a loop, then picked out)
Collar - deer body hair (on the sides and top of the hook only, none on the belly)
Fins - Laser Dub or Bruiser Blend streamer dubbing
Head - powder painted Sculpin Helmet, size small

This pattern fishes well and has caught several Mad River browns for me, but I wanted to see if I could come up with a new version of a compact sculpin that would drop faster in the water column for the deeper water.  For those unfamiliar with the Mad, it's a strange river.  There are stretches with 2-3' of water, then small depth changes to slightly deeper water, and those depth changes tend to hold trout.  My thought was to use mostly synthetic materials and a more streamlined head to get the fly to drop a little quicker.  The result is what I am calling the Popcorn Sculpin.

Popcorn Sculpin

Hook - DairRiki 700B size 6

Weight - 13 wraps of .020 lead

Eyes - medium size dumbbells

Tail - rubber legs

Body - Arizona Diamond Dub

Gills - red hackle

Collar - deer body hair

Head - Arizona Diamond Dub

In tank testing, this little streamer drops pretty fast, as intended.  I really like the rubber legs for the tail.  In the water, in current, they streamline much like a zonker type tail, but will retain no water and sink a little better.  I sacrificed the flat, broad head of a typical sculpin in order to reduce some surface area and water resistance.  

For the other pattern, I wanted to blend the Game Changer concept with a small sculpin pattern.  In order to accomplish this, I used a "chassis" of two articulated shanks (cannibalized from a pack of Fish Spines) that I believe are 15mm and 20mm in size combined with a size 4 Gamakatsu B10S hook.  I am nicknaming this pattern the HD Sculpin, cousin to the HD Craw.

HD Sculpin

Shanks/Hooks - 15mm and 20mm shanks, Gamakatsu B10S size 4

Tail - Arizona Diamond Dub smeared with UV resin, trimmed to shape

Body - Arizona Diamond Dub (dubbing loop or brush, trimmed to shape on middle shank)

Gills - red hackle

Collar - deer body hair

Pec Fins - India Hen back feathers

Dubbed Head - Arizona Diamond Dub (for the Helmet to seat onto)

Head - powder painted Sculpin Helmet size small

The HD Sculpin might seem a little complex, but it really isn't that difficult of a tie.  At  glance it might seem like there's more going on then there really is.  After my first trial, I discovered the key to getting a good profile was picking/brushing the middle shank body out really well, then trimming it to a tapered shape towards the rear.  Otherwise, it was just a clump for a body that bled a little too much into the tail.  To speed things up and minimize how many dubbing loops I have to do for this pattern (and others), I made a few dubbing brushes from Diamond Dub.  

If you have never used this material, I would highly recommend it.  This dubbing simply seems destined for dubbing loops and brushes.  It works ridiculously well in those applications.  It's a great mix of spiky, buddy fiber and a strong hint of flash.  The 3 colors I use the most, as seen abovein the dubbing brush pic, are copper/olive, black/blue, and ice blue/brown.  I use this material on pretty much all of my sculpin and craw patterns now.  Give it a shot! 

As for these two sculpin patterns, I really can't wait to give them a real world test on fish.  In the tank, they both swim like champs, so I know they are going to produce.  I do not make it over to the Mad River often, and I know I can't wait until next December.  I'm going to keep an eye on the weather and find another day this winter I can sneak over and give these streamers a thorough test.