[captaincalmwate]

My life has recently been changed by coming across a website. Grabflies.com Jeff layton ties MOALS....mother of all leeches.....I have used every popular fly there is with what I thought was good success. I ordered some moals from grabflies and instantly did better with way more tugs by a bunch! He also gives private lessons and is free with advice on lines, rods and we have now fished together twice. He put me on my first OP steelhead. where we shared an awesome weekend using his fly's! He doesn't know I'm posting this but he is opening a retail shop in washougal WA in two weeks and think he deserves this blog from me for his kind and generous help. Because of him I have been more successful. I even occasionally catch fish behind other anglers with these fly's. Thank you for reading this. Jeff deserves any inquiries that this generates. I bought a fellow spey members loop 8130 cross two days ago and gave him three moals to try....the next day he sent me a picture of a 15# buck he caught. the next day I heard from Jeff at grabflies that he already called and ordered some moals. I know Jeff would not do this for himself so I am doing this for him as a testimonial. Thanks for reading. Captaincalmwater

 

[sinktip]

I'll be closely watching this thread :hihi:

 

[fredaevans]

Cool web site.

Thing that surprised me was the very reasonable price for custom flies. That will keep him occupied!

fae

 

[captaincalmwate]

Yes...quality.... I have a picture of one that I retired after several steelhead and was still catching strong! I was afraid I would lose it. So I sent it to Jeff framed in a picture for his shop for all his help. I think he posted it to his site somewhere.

 

[captaincalmwate]

Sure here is a few.

 

[captaincalmwate]

I know its not about seeing how may we can catch, but its the ultimate measure of how we are progressing with our craft.

 

[captaincalmwate]

Washington and Oregon on moals

 

[captaincalmwate]

Yes maybe all bunny leaches fish this good?! I haven't tried them all...but a lot of flys

 

[chumbum]

Rabbit strip flies just plain work. And they're not at all hard to cast, despite what you'll hear. Durable, cheap, fishy. I don't tie my flies quite like this guy, but similar. I have never paid for a rhea feather, a JC Nail, or an amhearst phez feather, and never bothered tying an intruder (too many steps!), but somehow the salmon and stellhead keep grabbing.

 

[fyshhead]

Rabbit strip flies just plain work. And they're not at all hard to cast, despite what you'll hear. Durable, cheap, fishy. I don't tie my flies quite like this guy, but similar.

So true, nothing swims like rabbit! I do like squirrel strips, reason being it is thinner and more streamline in the water. Rabbit strips will puff up quite a bit in water and sometimes a little to big for my liking, but then again you can always cut down the rabbit in thinner strips.

 

[fish0n4evr]

Both MOALs and Tandem Tubes leeches are very popular throughout western WA and The name Jeff Layton rings a bell.

 

[xgolfman]

I'll be closely watching this thread :hihi:

I like to tie roe bags to the back of my dead thing....upped my odds by 73% must have a little capt. in me!!!

 

[Honyuk96]

Wee dab of Lil Stinker tube bait will drive your percentages up even more. :hihi:
Jimmy knows.

 

[sinktip]

I have been having Sharp Steelie flashbacks all day. Only thing missing is the number off 20 pounders.

 

[captaincalmwate]

Thanks for your cunstructive comments

 

[kdt]

Moal believer

I'm in my first year Spey fishing for Steelhead and have only had a few tugs for many many many casts throughout the season. The very first day I tried the Moal I caught a nice Hatchery Buck. I've tried and tied a couple of fly boxes full of flys, different flys from intruders bunny leaches and traditional flys with only a sniff up until the Moal. I was out again today but no more fish. I'm hoping the Moal will come through once more. I've heard it said confidence in your fly will catch you fish. Catching a fish has brought me a whole lot of confidence. This fish I caught might have been caught on another pattern but I'm going to stick to a Moal for a while to find out if it's the fly.

 

[Marty]

but I'm going to stick to a Moal for a while to find out if it's the fly.

It's not the fly and as you spend more time on the water you will find out why. That fish that grabbed the moal did so because it was presented in a way which provoke a strike. A fly tied in marabou, craft fur or any other material matching the color and profile of the moal you were fishing more than likely would have got the grab as well. I have tied and fished all kinds of bunny flies in the past and depending on where I am fishing I still carry a few. The only problem with bunnies is they are hard to cast. You are right about the confidence factor, you do have to have confidence in the fly. The fly does matter, but only when it come to matching water conditions.

 

[Marty]

Guess it doesn't matter. Maybe someone who wants and is hungry for more knowledge can glean something from this post. Oh well nice try.... I'm going fishing

more knowledge on where to buy flies or how to have 20 fish weekends. The intent of your post is very clear and you will find some on this site are very protective of the sponsors that pay to advertise here. Just my .02

 

[kdt]

The amazing thing I see on the river is the vast difference in fishermen. Some are keen to help fellow anglers and some are not. I'm happy to know some good anglers that like to share their knowledge.

I would like to add that I totally get it that many anglers are happy to be out on the river and just get a tug every now and then. There are far too many Rambo fishermen out there with little respect for the gift we have.

I hope I don't loose that reverence for Steelhead.

Spread respect for these amazing fish. If we don't it won't matter how we present that special fly.

Thanks for starting this thread ... Cottage industry fishermen rule!

more knowledge on where to buy flies or how to have 20 fish weekends. The intent of your post is very clear and you will find some on this site are very protective of the sponsors that pay to advertise here. Just my .02

 

[underachiever]

I can't figure you guys out!? I thought it would be nice to share this as I have got so much info and gear off this forum....but your either the guys who cut the hook off the fly and just fish for the tug and are above everybody else.....or the guides who arrogantly turn their head away as they fish through my run? Guess it doesn't matter. Maybe someone who wants and is hungry for more knowledge can glean something from this post. Oh well nice try.... I'm going fishing

I don't think anyone doubts the effectiveness of bunny leeches for steelhead. Mostly, your post just reads a bit like an infomercial, and that's the cause for the reaction. Hang around long enough and you'll see the same sort of thing happen again (and again, and again).