A fly tyer on the west coast sent me a string of bead chains that are 1/3" for tying Dan Blanton's Flash tail Whistler. These bead chains are enormous. I plan to use this fly with a lead core shooting head from a boat. I chose colors to give it a spring herring look.

http://www.panix.com/~pg/flyfishing/flwhstlr.jpg

OL PAJAMAS, havent see whistlers around in a while, about 15 years ago a fellow I know on the cape use to tie them an sell'em, he taught me, I believe T.U. is having a dinner for him this month, MR. Al Brewster. nice looking, do you know (WHY) they called them WHISTLERS ???????????
GOOD LUCK GOOD TYIN:D
P.S. I have a couple of his around here, Ill find them a post'em

The holes in the beads whistle when the air enters them during casting.

OL PAJAMAS, VERY GOOD:kewl:
nice to see knowledgeable fly tier
GOOD LUCK GOOD TYIN:D

It's a great fly. I used it in it's original pattern dressing last year quite a bit. Some nights, it knocked 'em dead. Sure is nice bass are non-dsicriminatory. Left coast, right coast. A good fly just plain works.

I too used the original last year and it was the most consistant fly from the boat. So I'm focusing in on this type of streamer for drifting in the boat.

I was using it from shore in the estuaries. Would love to see it in action from a boat. I'm amazed at how well some of the classics perform. I used the old Honey and Platinum Blonde flies last year quite a bit and had a great success with them, along with the Gibbs Fly. Then there's always Lefty's Deceiver. As it was originally tied (very sparse), it makes a great sand eel pattern.

There's a great book written by Jim Bay, called Saltwater Flies (published in 1970), that if you can find it is a great read and has many of the early sw patterns form the 50's and 60's, with origins and history.

I guess I rambled a bit....

BTW: Eye is fine. I can see again! Had an awful reaction to the anesthesia. Sicker than a dog...

Sounds like you need a nice striper.