I've spent a lot of time at the vice in my basement tying up a number of flies and jigs in anticipation of the upcoming season. Here is a list of some of the stuff I have been making that should catch a lot of fish next year.
Teasers- These are really flies that are rigged as teasers. Two of them have been hot in recent years. The first is a shrimp fly teaser that is deadly for early season stripers and hickory shad. My other fly/teaser that has been very effective in recent years is the black Deceiver. That is a great fly/teaser to use when small bait, especially sandeels, are around at night. All black is always best if you are fishing after dark for stripers.
Albie Deceiver fly- I have a great fly that I use as an albie catcher. It is a blue tailed Deceiver, and it was really effective last year when used with a float and casted with spinning gear. The problem with this fly is that the bluefish really love it too. I must have tied at least two dozen of them for next year. Watch The Fisherman magazine as they will be running a feature soon on exactly how to tie this fly.
Bucktail Jigs- These are always hot when small bait is around. I have been tying a bunch of flathead jigs in 3/8 oz. and 1/2 oz. sizes. These jigs work real well when small bait like bay anchovies are around. They are real good for stripers and blues on light tackle, and they are also very effective for fluke and black sea bass. I like to tie mine with red thread and white bucktail. The head of the jig is painted with white powder paint.
If you don't tie your own stuff, consider starting. It's easy to do and there are many books and Internet resources that will get you started. It will save you a bundle and will get you some lures that are impossible to find in stores and tackle shops (like shrimp fly teasers). Winter is a great time to tie.
