DNA Worm Tying Tutorial

[@flickingfeathers]

That's a blast from the past! a near identical pattern was very popular in Scotland probably mid 1990s, more for winter grayling (pre-squirmy) and on stillwaters before the Apps worm came along. Nice tie.

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Oh interesting. Happy tying!

[@WildernessGrandpa]

The first 76 seconds were great! Very cinematic!

[@naturalverities]

I use a similar furling technique with more bulky yarns to make something shaped similar to a mop fly but with much more visual interest due to the multi colors and picking/combing out some fibers. I call it the Furly Worm. Haven't fished one yet as it's a recent brainchild, but I have high hopes for it.

[@wvlongshooter3912]

I tie a micro worm with a single strand of flexy floss on a size 18-20 hook and a very small tungsten bead for Stillwater fishing. It’s a killer. I’ll be tying this up !! Thanks!!

[@thedesertoutdoorsmen5166]

Man I have never thought about that for Stillwater! Would love to see that pattern!

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Bloodworms certainly work well on stillwater. I've done well on this pattern in lakes as well.

[@Rubo7]

Would you call stillwater fishing, like slow moving water where your flies are barley moving down stream?

[@wvlongshooter3912]

@@Rubo7 hello there. I’m referring to lake fishing. In lake fishing I use different weighted tungsten beads to give the nymph a certain fall rate or action. Thanks for asking.

[@tj6111]

just took this pattern to a small river in Utah and it absolutely crushed. Unlike other worm patterns, this one actually lasted me through 30 fish instead of just 1-2.

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Glad it worked for you

[@ericlong9085]

Really enjoying your flushing vids

[@ericlong9085]

Fishing

[@dalesheehan9404]

Love the intro! I think I’ll whip some of these up for the spring and see how the eastern trout like them. Thanks for the video!

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

I had a good laugh when Kramer showed me the intro. Nothing like a little cinematic drama for a worm pattern. :)

[@TJRainbowWarrior]

Great video Devin! I enjoyed your NM Trout tying seminar last Friday. Thanks for coming to the 505!

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for coming to the seminar. Happy tying and fishing!

[@komando8365]

This is hilarious haha. Nice fly Devin!

[@yomama9833]

Great video Devin!! I didn't have any of the sexy floss that you used here so I tried to tie this fly using yarn and guess what it works. You have to pull out 2 strands and twist them like you did. I added some lead for a heavier fly and used a different color for the collar and it looks great!! We can use a ton of colors to tie this worm. Natural colored ones should do very well in the high water streams and rivers we are having in northern California! Can't wait to try them out! Thanks again!!!!

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Glad it worked. Which specific yarn did you use?

[@yomama9833]

@@tacticalflyfisher3817 I don't know. I picked up some from yard sale a couple years ago.

[@btstrout2761]

Devin did well with this fly on the Bighorn River last June. Nice pattern!

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

I can't remember exactly Hale but that might have been its debut. It's done well for me since as well. I hope your show weekend in Denver went well.

[@RollinRollinReelin]

Dude! That is a cool fly! I've been looking for a fly that uses squirmy woormies!

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Thanks! We were looking for something similar with added durability.

[@WebbsFliesNLures]

Very nice, Looks like it will make a perfect squirmy worm material replacement.

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

So far so good

[@bethbookman9763]

Loved the intro!

[@blueridgeflyguy9551]

Can’t wait to tie this and see how it does in the Roanoke, VA area. Will try on freestone and tailwaters

[@owensmith8501]

I'm from Roanoke. All you need in that area is a cream mop fly...haha

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Feel free to report back.

[@outfaded34]

I made a brown one. I'll try it tomorrow in the North East

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Let me know how it works. I've done brown/red as a combo and had less success with it so far but I haven't tried it as much either.

[@scottnock5241]

Nice design Devin!!!

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Thanks

[@Toddcm]

Nice video Devin. A couple questions: Why did FIPS-MOUCHE ban the squirmy wormy? And how does the DNA worm compare in robustness to chenille worms?

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Todd, I'm sure there is a good reason here, or none at all as to why they won't allow it. We'd say that the DNA worm is as durable as a Chenille worm, but it's like asking how many licks it takes to get to the center of a tootsie-pop. We've never had one last long enough to know. All jokes aside, we love this fly for it's durability.

[@jagriesti95]

Great idea. Love the durability of the material. Have to tie squiry worms by the dozen since thy tend to get bitten up. Question: Any issue with using the Dohiku 303 and bead size to hook gap. Seems like the bead narrows that gap if its too far back. May try a larger hook with bigger gap since the bead is centered. Thoughts?

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

The 3030 has a pretty wide gape compared to a lot of other hooks. I haven’t seen any issues. I also will put the thread around the bottom of the bead to prop it up and away from the hook point.

[@HalfInsaneOutdoorGuy]

So....about the fly fishing team. What is it? How does ine join? Is it fun? Is there a chance for compensation? Who di i bribe, sleep with, or kill to do it?

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Check out the two podcasts I did on the Newb and the Knower. They will tell you all about it. You can also check out the team site at flyfishingteamusa.com and the site where the competitions are posted at flycomps.com

[@Trunk-Monkey]

Works great in the Smokies!

[@francoisa5928]

cool videos as always! could you show how you make ceramic nymphs ?

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

I don’t make ceramic nymphs myself but I’m sure there are some other videos out there them.

[@rhabdob3895]

Cool bead trick. Not sure where you got your opening music, but give the poor Romanian family my condolences.

[@ryantherock7664]

Hi Devin is it true that ALL beads and ALL hooks ride hook point up regardless if they're jig hooks or not?

[@coreystoner4129]

Great video Devin. I quit using the squirmy when I gave comps a break but seeing this I’m going to tie sone because squirmed catch fish but they fall apart. This I think will be my new favorite work pattern. Thanks bud

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Happy tying!

[@coreystoner4129]

@@tacticalflyfisher3817 I will enjoy tying this. Question any good hooks to use as a substitute instead of the dohiko 303

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

@@coreystoner4129 it’s a pretty unique hook. You can use whichever nymph hook you prefer but the 303 has been very good for me at hooking and holding fish as well as resisting bending and point rolling.

[@johnkinsfather6369]

Micro leader. When you say 15’ of 4x sighter are you talking about actual colored sighter material? Or could one just use 15’ of 4x Fluorocarbon?

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Colored sighter material.

[@brooktroutangler5917]

Why the copper bead and not a metallic pink or fl. pink? You prefer the contrast?

[@brooktroutangler5917]

good talk....

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Metallic pink would be fine as well. Copper is just a confidence color for me after a lot of years of fishing various colors and fishing with excellent anglers who use a lot of copper as well.

[@brooktroutangler5917]

@@tacticalflyfisher3817 thank you

[@markkuautio7831]

Thank you to good model. What tying vise you use?

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Stonfo Elite

[@OnTheFlyNZ]

Nice fly but it does seem very borderline regarding the rules. While it may be less that 0.53mm I think it would be very hard to argue that it is a leg imitation. Is there something I'm missing? 29.10. Appendages that alter the original concept of an artificial fly or bodies made of moulded/shaped plastic, moulded/shaped silicone or moulded/shaped rubber are banned (moulded/shaped imitations of worms, eggs, baitfish, maggots, twisters…). Rubber or extruded round material, exceeding the bend, shank or eye of the hook is not allowed with exception of maximal diameter 0,53 mm used for leg imitations (diameter shall be checked with measuring gauge unstretched).

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Thanks for your comment. Honestly, I hadn't read the rule since they banned the squirmy a few years ago. I remembered the part about the diameter restriction but not the other specifics. I guess I'll be pulling this pattern out of my comp boxes from here on out.

[@OnTheFlyNZ]

@@tacticalflyfisher3817 Fair enough, only reason I mention it is not to be that guy but have spent a lot of time trying to think of squirmy workarounds. I think the closest I've found is tying red flexi floss (similar material) in the thorax area of a red or black "nymph" but I haven't ever gotten round to using it. Also I've found my flexi floss to be surprisingly close to exceeding the 0.53mm, had to cut some in half which is a very difficult task.

[@Asdf-789]

I have to ask - what is the intro music please? I know it but can’t remember what it is or who wrote it.

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

That is a good question. Kramer, the former manager, selected this music, but I don't know what it is other than pretty epic for a worm fly tying video...

[@michaelwalker4920]

Looks like durable pattern, but why is this legal and the sqirmmy isn’t?

[@michaelwalker4920]

Thanks

[@TheJeffro396]

how long before than ban this fly? lol

[@patches152]

There will be a point where "No flies allowed for fly fishing competitions" is a thing

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

They're certainly good at deciding successful flies, rigging, etc. aren't allowed so I wouldn't put it past them :)

[@michaelwimberly7561]

If chenille is not banned why not use San Juan worm? Looks like there is a Troutline competition San Juan red jig worm made with chenille that has a core which is very mobile in water.

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Chenille worms certainly work too. As with any fly tying material, each has different properties and one can fish better than another depending on the day.

[@clipperguysays]

Xlnt. Thx!

[@stevenkemp5387]

That intro though!!!

[@tacticalflyfisher3817]

Haha! Kramer was hoping folks would enjoy a little cinematic joke for a worm pattern. 🙂

[@stevenkemp5387]

Awesome work! 😂