The “Purple Passion”
Capt. David Edens
www.flycastcharters.com
St. Simons Island, GA

The Purple Passion

This fly is an evolution of the St. Simons Scampi. While the St. Simons Scampi was developed for clear water, the Purple Passion was developed to imitate small shrimp and to be fished in stained water. This is what you find in the summer fishing low tide flats for red fish. I always like dark colored flies when the water is dingy, and purple and black are go to colors for salt water fishing. I imagine it would work well with other colored zonker strips in different water conditions and in larger sizes when the shrimp are bigger. You could also palmer the body with Copper UV polar chenille to give it additional flash, but it works well as is and is easy to tie. Please register or log in to view complete material list and tying instructions. When you register, you will be put on our mailing list and receive our newsletter every four to six weeks. I think that is a fair trade for tying instructions for this great fly.

 

Materials:
Size 4 Mustad Signature Fly Series 34007 or equivalent
Small red lead eyes
Orange barred rubber legs
Copper K-flash
Black Bucktail
Purple or Purple/Black Barred Zonker Strip
Red Tying thread—I like to use Size A rod wrapping thread for my clouser style flies.
20 lb Mason hard mono for weed guard if desired

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Step 1: Attach lead eyes 1/3 of the way down the hook shand, behind hook eye. Make a thread body, tie in rubber legs so they are about 3X the length of the hook shank.
Purple Passion, Eyes, flash and legs attached

Purple Passion, Eyes, flash and legs attached

Take three to four strands of K flash, fold it over the thread and tie in in front of rubber legs on either side of the hook shank. Trim unevenly so the K flash is slightly shorter than the rubber legs.

Purple Passion, Eyes, flash and legs attached

Step 2: Attach black buck tail in front of and behind the lead eyes, clouser style. Do not bind the buck tail to the hook shank beyond the initial tie in point of just behind the lead eyes. I like the buck tail to roll and flair on both sides of the hook shank.

Purple Passion with bucktail attached

Step 3: Flip the hook over. Take about a two inch zonker strip. Measure so the fibers extend just to the end of the buck tail. Pierce the zonker strip with the hook point and slide down to the fly body.

Purple Passion, piercing zonker strip

Step 4: Stretch the zonker strip along the hook shank, and tie off in front of the eye. Trim zonker strip.

Step 5: Tie in V shaped mono weed guard if desired, cement head and go fishing.

Purple Passion, zonker strip attached

Red Fish Tailing in the Grass

Spring Fishing Report and Special Announcement

Fly Fishing Film Festival is coming to Brunswick on April 12

A full day of fly-fishing goodness is planned on April 12.  Special fly tying with Blane Choclett, Vendor Tents and a skiff show with the Film Festival starting at 6:00.  This is the major fundraiser for the Georgia Saltwater Anglers Association.  This is one of the few organizations pushing for red fish and general fisheries conservation.  Make plans today to attend.

We are in the Spring pattern for fishing.  The big winter schools of reds seem to have broken up.  On good wind days, we can find these fish on the flats or at the backs of creeks.  However, they are not everywhere, and it is necessary to actively seek them out.  As the Spring progresses, the weather will become more stable, with light Southerly winds in the morning changing to the sea breeze in the afternoon

Trout are coming back shallow and are being found on Oyster bars and at creek mouths.  You must move around during this season.  We find them one here and one there.

The Triple Tail are back.  This is a unique fishery where these fish free float in front of Jekyll Island.  It is also a spotty fishery.  Sometimes they pop up and other times they don’t.  Look at my blog on Triple Tail fishing on my Captain’s Musings Page. You must have light, westerly winds to hunt these fish in the ocean.  At this time of year, if the conditions are right, I like to combine shallow water sight fishing for reds with sight fishing for Triple Tail.  Catching your first Triple Tail on the fly is an exhilarating experience.

At the water approaches 70 degrees, the May flood tide fishing should be excellent.  We have good tides for tailing reds on the evenings of May 23-25 and June 14, then June 21-23.  Call if you are interested in booking one of these days.

I have lots of availability for the flood tides of September and October.  There are some excellent tide dates still available.  Call, text or email to enjoy this Classic Southern Fly Fishing to tailing redfish in the flooded marsh.

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Call, text or Email for more information:  706.430.1276 or Flycastcharters@gmail.com