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Brassie
Brassie
Tying Instructions
1. Attach the bead to the hook and secure the hook into the vise.
2. Attach the thread just behind the bead. Then, attach a copper wire to the top of the hook shank just behind the bead.
3. Secure the wire along the top of the hook shank to the middle of the bend of the hook with thread wraps. Wrap the thread back to the bead, keeping the thread foundation smooth and even.
4. Wrap the copper wire forward to the bead and secure with thread wraps. Notice that the wraps are tight together.
5. Attach 3 Peacock herls by the tips behind the bead. Twist the herls into a chenille. Twisting around the thread will help strengthen the chenille.
6. Wrap the herl 2-3 times for a full head and secure behind the eye with thread wraps.Whip Finish.
| Materials
to Order Material, click the link |
|
|---|---|
| Hook | TMC 2457 #14-20 |
| Thread | Uni-thread 8/0 Black |
| Head | Brass Bead |
| Body | Medium Copper Wire |
| Collar | Peacock Herl |
Brassie
The Brassie has it’s origins in the 1960’s along the shores of the South Platte River in Colorado. A number of tiers such as Ken Chandler, Tug Davenport, and Gene Lynch were known to have experimented with copper wire bodies. The name “Brassie” is due to the first flies being tied with Brass plated wire. However, the material became obsolete and copper was substituted.
Weighted Segmentation
The fly has the advantaqe of being heavy to get down to the bottom of the stream quickly due to the weight of the wire and the thin profile. The copper wraps also gives the appearance of segmentation . With the availability of different wire colors, many color variations are possible to match a particular midge. Wapsi makes a number of colors within it’s Ultra Wire line.
Bead mimics Gas Bubble
Using two colors is usually referred to as a Two-Tone Brassie. Wapsi has a “Brassie” thickness that is between small and medium for sizes 18-22. The medium thickness works better for larger sizes 12-16. Peacock Herl is usually used to represent the gills and head of a midge. Metal or Glass Beads have been adapted to this pattern to provide some additional attraction. A white bead or a silver-lined crystal bead is often used to mimic the gas bubble prior to emergence. Some feel that the fly represents a small caddis pupa or midge pupa, others just think it’s an attractor.
Underbody dubbing
Another variation worth noting, is the use of an underbody beneath the wire wraps of either floss or a spikey dubbing. This will give a translucent coloration as well as resemblance to emerging appendages. Many Brassies were originally tied using a TMC 200R or TMC 3761 hook in sizes 12-18 which represented caddis pupa. These are used within stream or river situations. There has been a trend to tie the pattern onto scud-type hooks such as Daiichi 1260 or TMC 2457 in smaller sizes, 16-22, to mimic midge pupa.
A Searching Pattern
These patterns can act as a dropper within a river nymph rig or within stillwater applications. Ian Colin James designed a popular pattern called the Brass Ass Buzzer. According to the fly’s orginator,”The Brass Ass was developed for fishing off the breakwalls along the Gt Lakes for steelhead in 1993″. Ian considers the fly to be a searching pattern that will catch a dynamic range of fish. An important element of the Brass Ass is the epoxy thorax and illuminated cheeks.
Variations
Brassie, Copper
| Hook | TMC 200R #14-20 |
| Thread | Uni-thread 8/0 Black |
| Head | Peacock Herl |
| Underbody | Creamy Gray Haretron Dubbing |
| Body | Medium Copper Wire |
Brassie, Red
| Hook | TMC 200R #14-20 |
| Thread | Uni-thread 8/0 Black |
| Head | Gold Bead |
| Body | Red colored Medium Copper Wire |
| Collar | Peacock Herl |
Snocone Brassie, Red
| Hook | TMC 2499sp-bl #16-18 |
| Thread | Uni-thread 8/0 Black |
| Head | White Glass Bead |
| Body | Red colored Small Copper Wire |
Two-tone Brassie, Olive & Gray
| Hook | TMC 2487 #16-20 |
| Thread | Uni-thread 8/0 Black |
| Head | Copper Bead |
| Body | Olive & Gray Small Copper Wire |
| Collar | Peacock Herl |
Mercury Brassie, Copper & Gold
| Hook | TMC 2487 #16-20 |
| Thread | Uni-thread 8/0 Black |
| Head | Silver-Lined Silver Glass Bead |
| Body | Copper & Gold Medium Copper Wire |
| Collar | Peacock Herl |
CDC Bubble Brassie
| Hook | Daiichi 1260 #16-20 |
| Thread | Uni-thread 8/0 Black |
| Head | Crystal Glass Bead |
| Body | Medium Copper Wire |
| Collar | Peacock Herl |
| Bubble | CDC, white |
Brass Ass Buzzer
| Hook | TMC 200R #16-20 |
| Thread | Uni-thread 8/0 Black |
| Thorax | Uni-thread 8/0 Black |
| Body | Medium Copper Wire |
| Cheeks | Veevus Holographic Tinsel, Small |
| Coating | Loons Fly Finish, Thin |