Brandon's Panther Branch Hopper

The internet, along with the many forms of social media, are amazing platforms to build an audience with and I've been impressed with the vise work of Brandon Bailes of Panther Branch Bugs for some time now.

A few weeks ago a package arrived from Brandon with a dozen "T.F.M. Glass Hoppers" built off the idea of his Panther Branch Hopper pattern.  These flies float like a cork and certainly have the looks to go with them.  It's also not surprising that this pattern will be available through Orvis next year.

I asked Brandon if he'd mind putting together a step by step tutorial and he obliged.  Follow this post all the way to the end for an Instagram giveaway with Panther Branch Bugs and Tacky Fly Fishing.

Brandon wrote...  "As for the birth of the Panther Branch Hopper, I started using terrestrials instead of poppers a few years ago.  I fish small creeks and streams and in the summer these waters are normally low and super clear and of course the fish get super spooky.  

After fishing my favorite smallie stream one morning, and getting skunked, I sat on a rock and watched a smallie torpedo up a riffle to inhale a grasshopper that had landed near the bank!  I couldn’t believe it as this fish almost beached itself to eat one of these bugs.  

So naturally I went home and hit the vise to come up with a nice profile hopper.  I went with a #6 hook and it proved to work but over time I began adding stuff to the pattern for a number of reasons…

1. I wanted the fly to sit low in the water to show off the full profile 

2. I added the antennae for additional profile and movement, without imparting. 

The end result has been well received and so far this lil hopper has caught smallies, bucketmouths, carp, rainbow trout, brown trout, brookies, and a few of the elusive bluegill."

BRANDON'S PANTHER BRANCH HOPPER

Hook- Allen D202

Body- 2mm Foam x2

Underbody- Laser dub

Wing- Deer Belly Hair

Legs/ Antennae- Sili Legs

Eyes- MFC Hopperize 3.5mm

Thread- UTC 140

Here's the step by step on how to tie the Panther Branch Hopper...

Do yourself a favor and buy a set of River Road Creations tapered body cutters and start stamping out some 2mm foam in whatever color you dig.

Take 2 of the bodies and put a dab of superglue gel on the butt end only……start building a small army!

Next grab some quality hooks in appropriate size ( I use the Allen D202 because they are heavy enough to keep the fly keeled over correctly)

Put a hook in the vise and dub the shank to match the foam

Next apply a tad of superglue gel to the shank (where the hook bend starts) and tie on the body making the butt segment and then dub over the thread wraps before continuing forward.

Now lift the foam and advance the thread to about 3 hook eye lengths from the end. Add some more gel and wrap the thread to make the body/head segment. Trim the top foam piece even with hook eye.

Poke 2 holes in the bottom foam for antennae. Its best to fold the foam over the top piece to center the holes with the top foam. Then thread the sili legs through the holes.

Cut a few small clumps of deer belly hair and shuffle it in your hand to mix. Use a hair stack to align everything and tie on top of the head/body segment. Trim excess off

Then grab a pair of sili legs and tie a set on each side and trim to the desired length, add an indicator( optional), add some eyes, and dub the thread wraps before advancing to the hook eye and whip finish.

Finally….grab a glass rod and hit the water!!

INSTAGRAM GIVEAWAY

Brandon of Panther Branch Bugs was very generous and sent a half dozen of each T.F.M. color scheme of the Panther Branch Hoppers to giveaway.  I am keeping one of each for my personal stash and the other ten are housed in a new Tacky Big Bug Box to give away on Instagram.

To participate in this excellent giveaway, please go to the T.F.M. Instagram page and leave a comment on the above image of where you'd fish these tasty looking foam hoppers.

A winner will be chosen by random number generator on Wednesday morning.  Good luck.

PANTHER BRANCH BUGS - How to Tie the Hatchling Craw

If all goes as planned, this time next Saturday I'll be on Beaver Island with Captain Kevin Morlock of Indigo Guide Service beginning day one of several on the water.  That means I've been stocking the carp, smallmouth, and pike fly boxes with flies which are always heavy on crayfish patterns.

Recently, I ordered up a dozen of Hatchling Craws from Brandon Bailes of Panther Branch Bugs to stash in the fly box and also asked if he would put together a step-by-step tutorial on how to tie up this tasty pattern.

Brandon wrote...  "I came up with the Hatchling Craw to use on the creeks and streams I fish. I always needed a small non-threatening crawfish that any and all fish would find appealing. This little fly has been great for that from high elevation brook trout in the Smokies to redbreast sunfish and even low water smallmouth. 

I fish it dead drift, active retrieve, under an indicator or hopper and this might be a surprise but I fish it year-round. Fish of all sorts have a hard time turning down such an easy meal!"

HATCHLING CRAW RECIPE:

HOOK - Gamakatsu B10 - Size 10-14

WEIGHT - Brass Dumbbell Eyes - Size Small -X-Small

UNDERBODY - Frankenfly Nymph Dub

BACK - MFC Skinny Skin

ANTENNA - MFC Centipede Legs - Size Mini

CLAWS - Pine Squirrel Zonker 

RIB - 3X Tippet

STEP 1:  Create thread base that runs into the bend slightly.

STEP 2: Attach dumbbell a hook eye length back from the hook eye itself.

STEP 3: Align dubbing and tie in at the bend and fold over to create a bump for the mouthparts of the craw. I find it easy to reposition the hook for this step.

STEP 4: Add a centipede leg to each side of the dubbing bump.

STEP 5: With the fly inverted, tie in a 1/8" strip of skinny skin and pierce it onto the hook to keep it out of the way.

STEP 6: Create a dubbing ball for the claws to rest against and to make a full head.

STEP 7: Next trim some pine squirrel zonker, only leaving the tips to act as pinchers. And then tie in on each side of body.

STEP 8: Now dub a small portion behind the claws to complete the "thorax".

STEP 9: Tie in ribbing and taper dub the remainder of the body as well as figure 8 around the dumbbell eyes.

STEP 10: Fold the skinny skin over the body and use the rib to begin making 3 equally spaced segments. Once you reach the hook eye simply tie off both the skin and ribbing.

STEP 11: Finally whip-finish, color the thread head, add some UV for durability. And brush out to give the fly "legs".

STEP 12:  And, DONE.

Brandon keeps it simple with just the Panther Branch Bugs Instagram page and he's a great follow as he's always posting imaginative new fly designs.  If you'd rather not tie your own, reach out for a custom order of bugs.  He does that too.

Panther Branch Bugs - The Bloody Fanged Bat

I know that last night was Halloween but I didn't have internet service while camping for the weekend to get Brandon Bailes, of Panther Branch Bugs, spooky good spun deer hair bat step by step fly tutorial up that's complete with bloody fangs. 

Brandon wrote...  "After tying streamers and all things foam for so long I have branched out into the world of stacking deer hair.  Thanks to Pat Cohen.  What better way to show have some Halloween fun than by taking the deer hair mouse platform and transforming it into a bloody fanged bat!"

Brandon, spooky good work and thanks for putting it together.  If you would like the narrative of how the Bloody Fanged Bat is tied, please send me an email. 

Jump on Instagram and follow Panther Branch Bugs page for more vise goodness.