Tying The Swimmy Jimmy with Kelly Galloup

The Swimmy Jimmy (also referred to as the Swimmin' Jimmy) was created by Andy Sobota while trying to improve upon my T&A Bunker pattern. Andy worked for me for five years, and is one of the finest fly tiers I have ever met. Andy’s dad was an avid bass tournament angler and fished a lot of mid-level body baits like the Zara Spook. Andy wanted something that would ride just below the surface and then pop back up like an injured minnow, and this fly does exactly that. We have caught almost every gamefish in North America with the swimmin jimmy, including carp. This may be the granddaddy of all trigger flies when fished properly. Like the banjo minnow, they don’t want to eat it, they have to eat it.
You can purchase individual Swimmy Jimmy flies here: www.slideinn.com/product/sobo...
Sobota's Swimmy Jimmy Recipe in the Original Rainbow Color:
Thread: GSP 100 White - www.slideinn.com/product/ultr...
Rear Hook: Daiichi X452 #6 Or Daiichi 2450 #6 - www.slideinn.com/product/daii...
Tail: White and Olive Marabou - www.slideinn.com/product/stru...
Connection: 19 Strand AFW Surflon Micro ultra wire in 26 or 17 lb - www.slideinn.com/product/afw-...
3 Red 6/0 Glass Beads - www.slideinn.com/product/kill...
Front Hook: Daiichi X472 #2 - www.slideinn.com/product/daii...
Skirt: Pearl Magnum Flashabou
Body: White and Olive Marabou
Stripe: Pink Marabou
Head (Top): Olive Deer Hair - www.slideinn.com/product/natu...
Head (Bottom): White Deer Belly Hair - www.slideinn.com/product/natu...
Eyes: 6 mm eyes - www.slideinn.com/product/fish...

[@Madriveroutfitters]

Can you please do all of the different colors next? Thanks.

[@justin1979ify]

Mad River Outfitters 😂😂😂

[@alexhendrick8288]

Lol Brian is funny

[@flyingunicycle]

Nice jab Brian !

[@blazetimothy8974]

i dont mean to be so off topic but does someone know a trick to get back into an instagram account? I somehow lost the account password. I love any tricks you can offer me!

[@blazetimothy8974]

@Alonso Canaan I really appreciate your reply. I got to the site through google and im in the hacking process atm. I see it takes a while so I will reply here later with my results.

[@frankmonroe8320]

Hey Man don't apologize for talking about the fly, the history or the art. It's why I watch and everybody else. I agree with you about the virus. Tying everyday. Here in Mass the state is out stocking half a million fish. I'll be out there keeping my social distance. Tie on Kelly.

[@undertoeoutdoors8317]

Great stuff as always, Kelly! Keep the videos coming!

[@mthompson]

These videos get me every time...during the intro, I check to see if my computer is on mute or the volume is down.

[@downstreamup8897]

Kelly, you are wealth of information. You may talk a lot, but what you are saying is worth hearing. Thank you for all the detail.

[@RGRIMOWEN]

I was worrying...springs here in the UK and I was thinking your videos would dry up, thanks for being there...

[@MDF999999]

Thanks Kelly ! Been waiting for this one !

[@FlyBeard007]

Awesome, I've been waiting for this thanks. I was really looking forward to meeting you at the trout unlimited event in Syracuse NY next week, but that's unfortunately been cancelled hopefully you'll make it up here at some point

[@nicolelewis1828]

Thanks for this video, Kelly!

[@SigmaWolfOutdoors]

I am challenging myself and tying skills to dedicate more time to streamer fishing ... hats off your one of the greats 👍

[@raymondpoff5824]

Thanks for a great, detailed, tying video! Was surprised that Kelly didn't use more half hitches along the way, but I guess when you've got skills you don't need as many half hitches to save you :). As some others have mentioned, I would love to see a short video on the hook bending process.

[@tmarkk99]

Hmmm. Nothing to do but tie flies. I will give this one a go. Should have all I need in my stockpile. Thanks Kelly. I love your videos!

[@ArcticFlies56]

I know the feeling of having allergies when tying flies. I get stuffed up for hours after tying. It’s the dander. Great fly tying!

[@willperryman4559]

This is the way to quarantine, and laugh a bit while tying one on 🎣🤷🏻‍♂️😂😂😂🙌 thanks

[@robhaase6810]

Thanks so much for this fly Kelly, as you said Brian talks highly of it. Can’t wait to try it out on your old stomping grounds here in Michigan.

[@rshoemaker61]

Another great video Kelly. I had just bought some from you; however no green/chartreuse were available. Thanks as always for the education. ATB Randy

[@TheSlideinn]

Thanks Randy. The rainbow variety has been out of stock for months but we should have more chartreuse/white arriving by Tuesday or Wednesday. Thanks again for watching.

[@stevemd8947]

Kelly - Thank you for the excellent explanation and tie process. Can you describe or show the bent hook process - I believe you stated that bending the hook is a two step process.

[@jamesgaravet5832]

Great informative video.

[@jebar01]

excellent fly!

[@charlieboutin3341]

As soon as I read the title I thought of Brian. Thanks for showing us how to tie.. (since he wouldn’t)!😂 Hope all is well in your parts. Take care! God Bless

[@kellygalloup6073]

Charlie, they are great guys and they have a great store. They are closed currently for the virus, but should be open here pretty soon. KG

[@kellygalloup6073]

Whoops that was to Brian, but thanks for anyway man

[@charlieboutin3341]

Thanks for the reply. I’ve ordered a few things from Mad River. Going to order some things from SlideInn soon. Brians videos have helped me immensely with my casting, instructors have asked where I learned and I tell them MRO videos! Thank you also for tying instructions..tied my first articulated this morning and came out great! More tying to come! Thanks again for all y’all do!👍👍

[@zachconner7715]

Just tied up my first one of these, yeah it's a bit tricky keeping the hair from mixing!

[@joeszymanski6936]

Great looking fly. I’m going to tie a few of these for Lake Erie small mouth bass. What is that hair stacker you are using?

[@dominiqueleblanc2193]

Super nice pattern. Remember to watch out when you hold the eyes when you set the uv resin. Don't put any on your fingers cuz it will hurt.

[@johnbenkovic7684]

On the lead hook,is the bend,30deg down and in the vertical plane or the horizontal plane.

[@bevanflyfishnz665]

Peachy Orange Marabou? Come on Kelly! Its called Coral or Salmon like your best shirts... I done a bunch of these in yellow/ black/ Gold that went to Bolivia before Christmas. Worked a treat. Yes I gave Brian S#%t too, to tie this up on their channel . Ha I call this fly 'The T & A with a back ache'. All the best lads..

[@operationNOBO]

Is the other version you compare this fly to have glue on eyes or dumbbells?

[@Belbivdevoe]

I bought 2 of these from a fly shop and I never fished them because they always just floated. Now I will give them a shot now that I know they are supposed to be top water 🤣

[@N2theBlue1]

This is a delayed response but fish them on a sink tip

[@beardnj]

I bought one at the troutsman, still have it I think though it’s beat up. It’s tied on a stinger; thin wire.

[@davehepp8969]

what is that hair cleaner thing on your bench you keep running the deer hair through

[@dannymiller105]

How do you bend the hook

[@chriswalport2979]

Great video . Could you make Fl pink / peach Top / bottom have very good Luck with that color combo

[@christianbielefeld2754]

There's Flies you tie and there's flies you buy

[@bugbiteflytying]

The maribou seems to be super high quality. I never seem to get ones that are that full and long. Obviously Strung yes?

[@kellygalloup6073]

Eric, Yes strung. Have to ort thru a lot to get good stuff. thanks for watching. Kelly

[@graemebrown1191]

Very nice✌

[@randyroper8828]

can you fish this with a full sinking line just off the bottom, short leader to catch those big trout laying on the bottom?

[@TheSlideinn]

It’s really hard to get this thing on the bottom and was intended to fish the upper 4 feet of the water column

[@sdonthefly]

Do yall think this fly would work well in the Salt for fish that never come up to the surface? Like 15 feet down? Or would that kill the action?

[@2xtremefishing]

What hackle pliers are these? Nice pattern

[@hawleygriffin1800]

So I fished an olive one (the version Kelly just tied here) Saturday night from 7:45 until 9:15 and caught 8 smallmouth just working the shore. 3 biggest 14 -16 " He's right. They work !

[@ericbruni536]

is there an advantage to using wire to connect the two as opposed to mono?

[@TheSlideinn]

Eric, Wire is smaller and stronger but that's all, with Mono it can have memory so it can be a little tricky tying in but you get used to it. Thanks ,KG

[@claytonhummel311]

Do you use sinking or floating line for this?

[@TheSlideinn]

Sinking line is a definite must for this fly

[@kurzhaarguy]

Jelly: dang, got white in there. Me: here comes the marker. Where have you been, man? Know any particular color combos for Lake Superior Coho? I must have my head in the sand. First time I’ve seen this one. Very nice.

[@kurzhaarguy]

Kelly. . . Darn spell check. Marmalade, whatever.

[@kurzhaarguy]

Could envision something smelt-like.

[@HerbertClement-rs8vu]

I have a question for you I bought the White River fly tying kit and I don't like it I'm having difficulty would it moving on me all the time I'm thinking of getting a super double a bears 360 degree rotation do you think that that's a good it's on sale for less than 20 bucks at Amazon

[@matthewstrakna1537]

Finally! A Rainbow Trout imitation that doesn't just look like a Bluegill with a pink throat!

[@alexhendrick8288]

Does t he original have a lead eye head?

[@TheSlideinn]

No, it’s always been tied unweighted

[@jscancella]

Ever use this on smaller fish like crappie or bluegill?

[@TheSlideinn]

John, never have but I am sure the would crush it. KG

[@jscancella]

@@TheSlideinn What size hooks would you recommend for small fish like that? I see mad river outfitters have a "mini" in size 8, do you think that is small enough?

[@alanduncan3710]

2 years later, we've got the bird flu too!

[@chuckgurley4048]

Do you sell the swimming Jimmies?

[@nathananthony2174]

Hey Chuck! We do indeed sell the Swimmin' Jimmy, here is the link for ya: www.slideinn.com/product/sobotas-swimmin-jimmy/

[@helpmehelp3009]

This is a copy of a Nomad, it started as a sea fly. I've used it on rainbows, browns and even salmon.

[@TheSlideinn]

@helpmehelp3009 You have to be more specific. Everything I’ve found on the internet with regard to a nomad fly looks like a clouser minnow with oversized chenille. This fly is around 18 years old since its inception and the first streamer pattern in fly fishing with a bent hook that ensures erratic action on every strip. We will give credit where credit is due but please post a link and prove your point before claiming that a fly of this caliber is a rip off.

[@stephangray2436]

What do you think of adding a deceiver tail to this fly??

[@TheSlideinn]

It looks great. We’ve seen these with deceiver tails for a few years and Andy tied a 12” one with rabbit strips for the tail about 15 years ago for a guy headed to Mongolia.

[@TheSlideinn]

Don't think it would hurt anything and might give it a good little kick but have not done it to one yet. KG

[@jamesshanley913]

If Kelly put a hat on, he and Brian could be twins separated at birth. 😆

[@OlExtraRegularBass]

Uh. No.

[@arthurskim7898]

Bravo Zulu

[@jeffreyhildebrand4867]

I tied one today and it looks terrible. Deer hair takes practice.

[@gregsage1605]

Spend more time showing the fly's!

[@TheSlideinn]

We do already...there’s always a fast forward button

[@dm9103]

GPS 😂

[@brianamado4366]

I live about 2.5hrs away from Mad River Outfitters, never made the trip down to go visit them. Now that I heard the God Father mention them looks like I gotta go.

[@kellygalloup6073]

Brian, they are great guys and they have a great store. They are closed currently for the virus, but should be open here pretty soon. KG