Published Feb 24. 2010 - 14 years ago
Updated or edited Jun 3. 2018

Das Cephalopod

Spring is near and the Cephalopod parade is about to begin. Blue Fish will soon arrive to partake in the high protein seafood buffet and there is also a gathering of Stripers to make it all worthwhile and goal oriented...

Large fly - Das Cephalopod is by no means a small fly, but it's lightweight and easy to cast
Das Cephalopod
Pete Gray

Spring...
Early on...
Commercial squid boats can be seen off the south coasts of Rhode Island and Taxachusetts...

The Cephalopod Parade

has begun and big Toothy Yellow Eyed Devil Fly Shredders [Blue Fish] soon arrive to partake in the high protein seafood buffet...
There is also a gathering of Stripers to make it all worthwhile and goal oriented...
The squid and predators work their way inshore and soon recreational fishermen from shore and boat realize the game is on...
Fly patterns should include large herring and no kit is complete without a few squid to match the hatch...
The fish are generally hungry and obliging and wire bite tippets are not a bad idea... flyz will be utterly destroyed but fantastic stories of epic proportion will live on...
Long live das Cephalopod... 'Let the show begin!!!

About a year ago

a local shop [Bear's Den, Taunton, MA] put on a great mid-winter show... [This years show was even better, if that's possible...]
Wonderful talent, lots of gear, and some very relevant seminars...
A marvelous day it was!
The BUZZZ was infectious.

Nelsonesque dashboard - The inspiration: David Nelson's fly in the dashboard
Eye of the cephalopod - The Jungle Cock feather mimics the large eyes of the squid
Inspiration
Pete Gray

I got to spend some quality time

up close and personal, watching David Nelson spin straw into gold...
He has his own very elegant and distinctive style and has incorporated classic techniques with brilliant material management...
David presented to me a special "sample" and it's been on the dashboard of my car for me to fully ponder and appreciate... It's been there for a year and I still find it inspiring.

My Natural insinuation

employs what I have come to refer to as a Nelsonesque approach... I've borrowed some of David's insight and added some of my own...
The full profile and undulating hackles are well suited to dead drifting and slow retrieves with a floating line [intermediate line works too...]

Das Brown/Yellow Cephalopod -
Das Brown/White Cephalopod -
Das Pink Cephalopod -
Every time I'm in das bunker, I hear the LAW calling to me.
Pete Gray

The basic tie

is very similar to my other Naturals...
Long hackles move nicely even when the fly is left to it's own devices... and the design form and function is well suited for contemporary tube tying methods!

Step 1: thread base

Step 2: hackles

Step 3: flash

Step 4: flash done

Step 5: JC

Step 6: bucktail

Step 7: more bucktail

Step 8: and even more

Step 9: done!

Ultimately

, the fast approaching Striped Phocus Group will have the final say but, from observations made from the test tank, my confidence is high and I'm ready to annoy some big fish!!!
Spring can't come too soon!

Toothy Yellow Eyed Devil Fly Shredder - Blue Fish
Toothy Yellow Eyed Devil Fly Shredder
Pete Gray
The squid - The Cephalopod (literally head-foot) is no match for a good featherbender. The arms are very feather-like.
Feather like
Ernst Haeckel (drawn 1904)

Comments

once again the phlym...

once again the phlymaster crafts another phishcatcher!!!
the phortyinchers don't stand a chance.....,Great job, Sir Penquin.
Da Rooster!

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