CLUB ANNOUNCEMENTS for FLY TIERS:

Looking to learn about fly tying or want to spend time tying with others? Join the "Liars Club" group every Tuesday night from 6:30-9 PM at 2628 Constitution Avenue (near Swift Road). Ask Craig Smothers for more details. To reach Craig Smothers, call 941-266-5209, or send e-mail to: thefishdoc@comcast.net.

Fly of the Month: The Crystal Minnow- Submitted by Craig Smothers

The crystal minnow represents the larger glass minnows seen in the bay and on the beach in the later summer. Change the color and the size and it represents finger mullet. Deadly fly and easy to tie.

Materials:
Hook: Mustad 34007 sizes #4 - #1/0
Tail: White and Olive or Gray bucktail. Pearl or Opal Mirage Flashabou
Eyes: Mini to XSmall lead eyes, painted if you wish
Body: Pearl Estaz in the normal or Grande size.
Thread: White Flymaster+
Misc: Dave’s Fleximent, Pantone marker in olive or light gray, Red sharpie marker.

1) Start with the hook in the vice point down. Thread back from the hook eye all the way to the hook bend. Thread forward again and tie in the lead eye leaving about 1/8” to the hook eye.

2) Since the hook will ride point-up, tie in a small bundle of colored bucktail first. This will keep the color on the top. Tie it in behind the eye and thread all the way back to the hook bend. Thread forward to the lead eye again and tie in a similar bundle of white bucktail. Next, take 3 stands of Flashabou and cut them in half making 6. Fold the Flashabou in half (making 12) over the thread and tie it in along the back of the hook along side the bucktail.

3) Tie in the Estaz at the back of the hook. Tie your thread forward to the hook eye. Now glue everything down thoroughly with well thinned Dave’s Fleximent. Palmer the Estaz forward to the hook eye. With each forward wrap, stroke the Estaz towards the back of the hook so you don’t overwrap any of the material. Tie the Estaz off at the hook eye and trim off the end. Build a head taking care to trim off any loose Estaz fibers. Keep them out of the hook eye. Whip finish, cut the thread and glue the finished head.

4) With the pantone marker, brush along the back of the Estaz coloring it along the hook point side to match the colored bucktail. With the red sharpie marker, paint gills in along the side of the fly behind the lead eyes

5) Go fish it!!!

Fly Of The Month - Arctic Fox—The New Marabou
by Craig Smothers
My first experience using arctic fox was in the early ‗90‘s for Roy String‘s String Bean. The original (hi-tie) pat-tern was tied with artic fox tail hair. This is still a great looking pattern which works well for night time and beach snook fishing. The tail hair is great for string beans and smaller bonefish (redfish) clouser minnows. It‘s coarse ,but still breaths well in the water. But the arctic fox‘s tail hair isn‘t what I want to talk about here.

More recently, the shops and catalogs have made artic fox body hair available. It usually comes cut in 2"X2"-3" patches. It is a bunch of hair for smaller flies for a decent price. I was so impressed with this stuff that I ended up buying entire fox pelts in white, chartreuse, orange, red, root beer, and a red fox. The first thing I did was tie the String Bean with the body hair. It completely changed the character of the fly—it moved differently in the water. It was much more animated even sitting still. I looked back at all of the flies which I had tied with marabou and recreated them with fox. I quickly discovered it was much easier to work with fox, it was much more durable, and it took very little material to recreate a bunch of marabou. If a fly pattern calls for marabou, and if that pattern has any weight added (or is a larger fly), try using artic fox body hair

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SAND SHRIMP
During this time of year the larger shrimp disappear from inshore. Shrimp as well as smaller baitfish make up the primary diet of the local redfish and trout. The sand shrimp represents most of the smaller shrimp. Here is a fly which is quick to tie and easy to fish anywhere.

Materials:
HOOK: Mustad 34007 #4
EYES: XSmall 5/32 lead eyes painted red.
TAIL: Orange Arctic Fox Body Hair wrapped with 4 strands of orange Krystal Flash
BODY: Root Beer Estaz
WING: Brown Arctic Fox Body Hair
THREAD: Burnt Orange Flymaster+
MISC: Dave‘s Fleximent

1) Start with the hook in the point down position in the vice. Thread back from the eye to the beginning of the bend in the hook. Tie in a decent sized clump of orange fox hair at the back extending it back about half of the length of the hook. Tie in 4 strands of orange Krystal Flash on either side of the tail.

2) Tie in the end of the root beer Estaz just in front of the tail. Move the thread forward toward the eye. Tie in the lead eye on top leaving yourself room for the wing. Glue down the length of the hook. Wrap the Estaz forward to just behind the eye. Tie it off and trim the tag end.

3) Flip the hook over in the vice. Tie in a decent clump of brown arctic fox hair in front of the eye. It should extend back about half the length of the tail. Whip finish and glue the head.

Past Fly Of The Month - Double Hare Tarpon Mullet
Submitted By Craig Smothers

This month is a continuation of last month’s use of rabbit fur (see more below) in a slightly different format to build effective tarpon flies. As you might remember I introduced you to Tear Mender, a glue made to bind leather together. Again, this stuff is great. It’s a liquid form of latex which dries in minutes, and can be used to repair leaky waders in the field. It’s cheap, and can be found at the local Ace Hardware stores.

I remember that one of the most effective large (F.W.) trout flies used out west is the Double Bunny, basically a deceiver. With the increased popularity of the Enrico tarpon sized deceivers commonly used now, I was dreaming of a similar natural version of it. Last year I came up with the Double Hare Mullet as a natural material substitute for the Enrico flies. Good quality magnum rabbit strips are a must, but the fly is extremely simple to build, and is very effective on the local tarpon.

Materials
HOOK: Gamakatsu SC15-2H or Owner Flyliner in size 3/0 or 4/0
THREAD: 3/0 Flymaster+ in white or gray
BODY/TAIL: ¼” Magnum Rabbit Strips in a Gray Chinchilla
EYES: 10mm Doll Eyes (Michaels Craft) white/black
MISC: Tear Mender, Fletch-Tite , and Dave’s Fleximent glues. A sharp bodkin or large pin

Instructions:
1) Start with the hook in the vice point down. Build a good thread base over the shank back to the bend of the hook.

2) Poke a hole in the rabbit strip just longer than the length of the thread base you just built. Thread the hook point through that hole and draw the rabbit strip up to the back of the thread base. This strip will be the bottom or hook point side of the fly. Make sure the thread is near the hook eye. Wet the underside of the thread base with the Tear Mender glue. Pull the rabbit strip forward and tie it down to the hook. Be sure not to pull it too far forward. The rabbit strip should be level with the shank at the back of the hook at the bend. Allow this to dry for a few minutes (maybe start another one).

3) The top layer of rabbit is a bit trickier to lie in. Tie in the top rabbit strip right on top of the hook up at the eye. Whip finish and glue with Dave’s Fleximent. Fold the top strip out of the way. Now rewet the hook thread with Tear Mender, continuing to glue along the leather side of the bottom strip to the back.I use my bodkin to spread the glue along the leather. Now carefully marry the top strip to the bottom, pressing the two strips together. Pop it out of the vice and allow it to dry for a few minutes.

4) Lastly, stick two 10mm doll eyes, centering them on the hook shank with Fletch Tite.

Random Thoughts on using Rabbit fur for Tarpon flies
After my Enrico fiber primer last month, I thought I would follow up with some observation on the use of rabbit fur for Tarpon flies. Rabbit fur is about as easy to work with as any other material. Tarpon flies tyed from it are quick and impossible to screw up. Rabbit sinks well, comes in a myriad of colors, and adds a great deal of movement without ever striping the fly.

A traditional rabbit tarpon fly consists of a zonker strip tail, and a cross-cut strip palmered around the hook for the body. Zonker strips are cut along the length of the body; cross-cut strips are cut across the body. There are two width grades of zonker strips, most are a 1/8” wide, and magnum strips are ¼” wide. I would recommend the wider strips for the tail. Cross-cut strips are typically cut 1/8” wide, which work well for palmering. Watch how thick the leather is on cross-cuts. If it gets thick, it can be difficult to palmer. The thickness of the leather on zonker strips is unimportant, thicker is fine.

The color of the fly is a matter of what time of day it is, and personal choice (oh, and what the tarpon feels like eating in the morning). There are rabbit strips in many different color choices, including a bar dying process, and a triple dying process, to further increase the (confusion) number of choices. Given a choice, you can’t go wrong buying black/purple, and black/red, or purple/purple, especially for early in the morning. Bar dyed strips give the illusion of movement much like grizzly feathers do, always a good thing.

Hook choice for tarpon flies is always debatable. I use Gamakatsu SC-15 2H in size 3/0. The shank of this hook is slightly longer than most of the other hook brands and types. It suits my tying. It’s 2X strong, small barbed, and damn sharp. I like Owner Flyliners as well, but they’re quite pricey.

Thread choice is simple: Flymaster + 3/0 to build the fly, Flymaster gold 6/0 to build the head (eye). Flymaster + has the strength to really wrap down the rabbit hide to the hook. Unfortunately, building up the head of the fly with such large thread makes it difficult to get a smooth looking head. I drop back to the thinner 6/0 after the fly is tyed to build the head.

A mono loop must be tyed at the back of the hook to prevent the tail from fouling around the hook. It must be a stiff mono with a break strength of 20#-40#. Mason is perfect for this. Use a pair of pliers to mash the ends of the mono flat for better strength at the tye in point. Form a loop extending ½” behind the hook right on top. Tye the tail in right on top of the mono loop. Glue that stage down to the hook with Crazy Glue (brushable) so it won’t twist around the hook.

The next step is to tye in the collar. This will be cross-cut hair. Make sure the hair is pointing toward the back of the hook. Attach it right in on top of the tails’ tye in point. Gluing the thread with Fleximent before wrapping the hook will also add to the fly’s strength. Palmering the hair over the hook and away from you, make three to four wrap around the hook. Wrap the thread over the collar tightly. Trim the excess rabbit strip and give the collar a few more tight wraps. Whip finish the thread and glue the head with Fleximent. Now tye in the Flymaster 6/0 thread and build a nice smooth head. Whip finish the thread and reglue with Fleximent. Top coating the thread can be done with epoxy, or my new favorite, Sally Hansen’s Mega Shine fingernail polish (in the chrome bottle at CVS or Wal-Mart).

New Thoughts on using Rabbit Fur for Tarpon Flies.
Last Year I was building the traditional “Tarpon Bunny” flies. This year I’ve taken the traditional and kicked it up a notch. Enrico’s tarpon flies are all primarily deceiver-like. I join Enrico’s vision, but again using a non-synthetic rabbit fur which is easy to handle and dead-simple to tie with.

So how do you blend colors of rabbit fur which is attached to a hide (skin)? Take two different colors of magnum rabbit zonker strips and glue them together. Last year I discovered “Tear Mender Fabric & Leather Repair Adhesive” (available at Ace Hardware and I’d bet fabric stores). This stuff will bond the two hides together. No more need for that loop of Mason mono at the back of the fly. Tear Mender will also repair your waders. Bonds in three minutes, fishable flies in 20 minutes. Come and join me both this month and next, use this adhesive to build some interesting tarpon bunny flies.


Fly Of The Month - Nite-Brite Deceiver
Submitted By Craig Smothers

This is a simple and small calf tail deceiver. I used this fly for years under the lights for snook down towards Albee Road. Larger than the typical bay anchovy patterns, it represents smaller sand perch you find in the spring season. I tie it with and without lead wire along the shank of the hook in order to cover a range of depths. I also tie it in several colors, backed with gray, chartreuse, and baby blue. It also works well for trout above deep grass in the spring. My instructions will demonstrate the baby blue pattern.

Materials:
- Hook: Mustad 34007 #4
- Thread: Flymaster + 3/0 in white
- Body: White Calf Tail (kip tail), black Krystal Flash (lateral line)
- Wing (or back): Baby Blue Calf Tail, Blue Pearl Lite Bright
- Throat: Red Rabbit Fur
- Misc: Dave’s Fleximent, Painted Eyes (black and white)

Start with the hook in the vice point down. Thread back from the eye of the hook to where the hook begins to bend downwards. Tie in a small amount of white calf tail along the top of the hook extending back as the tail. Glue along the length of the hook shank. The tail should be at least one and half time the length of the hook.

Now, flip the hook in the vice. The thread should be close to the eye. Tie in a larger amount of white calf tail along the underside of the hook. This hair should extend from the hook eye to the middle of the tails’ length. Glue this up around the eye.

Flip the hook back upright again. All of the white hair just tied in should be below the hook shank (about). Take one or two strand of black Krystal Flash and tie it in on either side of the hook’s shank. Now tie in on top a small amount of baby blue calf tail (about half as much as the white on the bottom). Glue it again.

Now the tricky part. Take the package of Lite Brite out and tease out a strand about as large as a piece of white string. As you tease it out, twist it into a string of material. I roll it out on top of my thigh.

Once you have a continuous strand, cut off a piece about twice the length of the fly. Fold that strand across the thread and tie it in on top of the blue calf tail. Flip the hook again and tie in a very small tuft of red rabbit hair ahead of the white calf tail as the gill. Glue one final time.

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Another Fly of the Month - Unknown Shrimp
Submitted By Craig Smothers

I was handed an interesting shrimp pattern at the last meeting. It looks as though it might be an Umpqua pattern, a mass production item. There are a few odd materials from which it‘s made, but I thought I might modify it to things which I already have and frequently use. It‘s tied a bit like a wooly bugger with a dubbed antron body, however I‘m using yarn.

Materials:
HOOK: 4X long down eye F.W. #2 hook (Substitute 3X Mustad 34011 #2)
ANTENNA: Black and Tan Grizzly silicone legs, 2 strands of pearl Krystal Flash
EYES: Orange Paint (Substitute burnt mono eyes painted red)
CLAWS: Tan dyed Grizzly Hen Neck Hackle (Substitute Olive Ring neck Pheasant flank feathers) with tan rabbit hair in between
BODY: Olive Aunt Lydia‘s Rug Yarn and Olive Grizzly Cross cut Rabbit strips.
OTHER: 6/32 lead eyes painted red/black, Dave‘s Fleximent, Olive Flymaster + 3/0 thread.

The fly in the photo is the original—you‘ll have to come and see how mine turns out…

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The Merkin - Submitted By Craig Smothers

Preston Jones asked for instructions on this fly, so I figured it would be a good one for this month’s pattern. The Merkin was originally designed for permit fishing. The requirements were for a crab pattern which sunk to the bottom quickly. If you need a good grin, look the word Merkin up in the dictionary.

This version of the fly is a great pattern for sight fishing for redfish. The colors can vary dependent on the bottom color. The actual size of the finished crab body is between a nickel and quarter.

It will sink rapidly, so the size of the lead eyes can be reduced in size if this isn’t needed. It is quite simple to tye, but does take some time.

Materials:
HOOK: Mustad 34007 #2 or #1
EYES: 5/32 (small) lead eyes
BODY: Two colors of Aunt Lydia’s Rug Yarn—tan/brown, Lt. olive/Dk. Olive, rubber or silicone legs
TAIL: Small tuft of marabou, 2 Hen or Rooster neck feathers (pins), like colored krystal flash.
THREAD: Chartreuse Flymaster+
MISC: Brushable Krazy Glue, Very fine comb (flea, mustache), curved scissors

1) Start with the hook point down in the vice. Cover the hook in thread from the eye to 1/3 up the bend of the hook. Attach the lead eye as close to the hook eye as you can, keeping it on top of the shank. Thread back to the bend of the hook and attach a small amount of marabou down the bend. On either side of the marabou, attach the neck feathers, splayed out. Outsidethe feathers, attach 3-4 strands of Krystal Flash.

2) Turn the hook over in the vice, point up. Attach the first strand of the rug yarn at the bend of the hook. Cross the yarn in an “X” pattern over the hook. Make sure that the yarn is right on top of the hook shank (not angled toward or away from you). Now put two to three wraps of thread right in front of the yarn. Now’s the time to glue with the crazy glue. With an overhand knot, tye the rubber leg in just in front of the thread. Pulling the legs down and rearward, place two to three wraps of thread over the rubber legs. Glue with krazy glue. Repeat the process about 5-6 more times.

If you are careful, and you wrap the thread tightly, you only need a single “X” wrap over each set of yarn. When building forward on the hook, don’t try and crowd things together. You really need to leave room.

3) Now you have completed the fly. You have glued all along the way. You have whip finished the thread. Grab all of the legs and pull them down out of the way. Comb out the yarn, unfurling the twist in the yarn and blending the colors a bit. Release the fly from the vice maintaining you grip on the legs. Cut a rough coin shape, and then slowly work it into a tighter coin shape. Remember it’s easier to trim a bit at a time rather than hack too much off. Cut the legs about ¼” longer than the body. Finished!

Try casting this fly in front of tailing redfish. It also works well on cruisers. Remember, it does plop into the water. Lead them. Don’t strip the fly too fast; wiggling it in place is much more effective. A crab doesn’t move like a baitfish—it will try to hunker down in the cover.

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Previous Month's Fly Of The Month - TAMPA BAY CLOUSER
Submitted By Craig Smothers

This fly really will turn the redfish on. It's the classic "DOWN AND BROWN” (Olive) most of us use on redfish. Adding gold flashabou just clenches it. One drawback however is the survivability of the fly isn't as good as a normal Clouser Minnow.

HOCK: Mustad 34007 #2 or #4
THREAD: Olive or Brown Flymaster Plus
EYES: Brass 5/32 or 3/16"
WING: Olive or Dark Brown Bucktail, Gold Flashabou, Peacock herl
MISC: Dave's Fleximent

Lock the hook in the vice, point down. Tie in the thread and overwrap the shank back to where hanging it would touch the hook point. Thread half way back to the hook eye and tie in the brass eyes. Glue. Thread forward and tie in a clump of bucktail first ahead then behind the eyes. Be sure to wrap the bucktail all the way back to the hook point as it reduces the chance of it fouling later. Thread forward to the hook eye. Flip the hook in the vice, point up. Tie in about 15-20 strands of gold flasabou just foreword ,of the eyes. This may seem 1 like too much, but it isn't on this fly. Next, tie in 20 strands of peacock hurl foreword of the eye. Build the head, whip finish, trim and glue. After it’s dry, coat the head with epoxy with a small amount of gold glitter mixed in. If not, coat the head with Loon Hard Head (water base).

Previous Fly Of The Month - The Bay Whistler
By Craig Smothers
I hate tying Seaducers. They never turn out. The back end is easy enough, but the collar is too short, too coarse, or doesn’t look quite right. And then, try and find the correct collar feathers. Finally you get a fairly good looking one. You put it in your fly box. You open the box later, and it’s mashed beyond recognition…

Seaducers are great for fishing slowly. The best part is if you see/feel a short strike—just stop striping. The fly suspends in the water. The whistler started as a tarpon fly. It was a full tyed seaducer with a bead chain eye. The name came from the sound the large bead chain eye made when it was cast. It was made to suspend in the water. It was also made to push water so the fish could feel the fly if the visibility was poor.

The Bay Whistler is a variation on both the whistler and the seaducer. It has a synthetic (durable) collar material and mini lead eyes. It can be fished quickly, or dragged along the bottom. It doesn’t quite suspend, but it sinks slowly and horizontally like a true seaducer. It’s quick to tye, and uses easily acquired materials.

HOOK: Mustad 34007 size #2 or #4
EYES: Mini (4/32) lead eyes
THREAD: Flymaster 6/0 in chartreuse or white
TAIL: two matched pairs of chartreuse grizzly or white neck feathers, splayed
FLASH: chartreuse or opal Flashabou Mirage Accent
BODY: chartreuse, white, or light dun Body Fur
COLLAR: Red Fleximent, Loon water base Hard Head Finish

STEPS:
With the hook point down in the vice, thread back from the hook eye to the beginning of the bend in the hook. Tye in the two sets of splayed neck feathers on the top of the hook. Tye in three to six strands of Flashabou outside the feathers. Glue with Fleximent.

Tye in the Body Fur just in front of the feathers. Make sure that the Body Fur is oriented towards the rear of the hook.

Begin palmering the material forward taking care not to cross over the previous wraps. Use caution not to twist the belt of Body Fur as you go, it will get unrulely. I stroke the material towards the back as I palmer it. About four to five wraps will do the trick. Thread wrap the material down to the hook in front and trim off the excess. Glue with Fleximent.

Tye in the mini lead eyes on the top of the hook shank. Thread forward to the hook eye and whip finish. Soak the thread wraps and the lead eyes with Fleximent.

Tye the metallic red thread in just behind the lead eyes. Whip finish, and reglue with Fleximent.

Allow to dry, and then apply a coat of Hard Head Fly Finish—it looks just like epoxy without turning it.

Craig Smothers

Previous FLY OF THE MONTH - Furry Foam Crab
Submitted by Craig Smothers

Crab flies are typically used exclusively for sight fishing. This is similar to the Turnoff Island Crab of which I’ve seen dozens of variations. Mine is different in that it stands up in the back (hook side) in a defensive posture a crab takes when being attacked. It also uses mono eyes as a weed guard. This fly will work equally well for reds and bones. With cooler water and shallower tides coming soon, tye a few of these for your fly box.

Crab flies are best suited for shallow water sight fishing as I’ve said. Once cast into position, you really don’t move it much, perhaps a short twitch or two. Although I’ve had one occasion where I knocked off the leads eyes to float it, this fly needs to be dead on the bottom.

Don’t attempt to tye this fly without a bit of prep work. First, the foam needs to be pre-cut into squares. The size of those squares needs to have an equivalent length to the length of the thread wraps. Confused? See the photo. Second, burn a bunch of mono eye stalks. One-off mono eyes are a pain, and usually don’t match. Use a stiff mono (Mason, Ande) in 10#-16#. Any higher and they become fish-guards. Color the eyeballs with a permanent black marker or dip them in black lacquer paint.

Materials:
HOOK: Mustad 34007 (or equivalent) size #2 or #4
THREAD: black or olive Flymaster +
EYES: XS lead eyes, mono stalk eyes
BODY: olive furry foam, olive-grizzly silicone legs, black dry fly saddle feather
TAIL: 2 olive-grizzly neck pins (rooster or hen), dark calf tail (short and curly), olive Krystal Flash
MISC: Hackle pliers, Dave’s Fleximent

1) Start with the hook in the vice point down. Tye the lead eyes in on top as close to the hook eye as you can. Glue.

2) Thread back just past where the hook begins to bend up. Tye in some calf tail right on that bend. On either side, tye in a single neck feather splayed outward, with just two to three stands of Krystal Flash. Glue. See photo.

3) Now flip the hook in the vice. Tye in the base of the black saddle hackle. I tye a corner of the foam square right on top of that. Glue. I stick the foam square up on the hook to keep it out of the way. Tye in three legs acrossing the hook leaving the thread in front of the lead. Palmer the feather down the hook shank and between the legs. Keep the palmered feather much fuller in the back. Tye it down just behind the lead eyes and trim the excess. Glue. See photo.

4) Un-stick the foam square from the hook point and tye the corner down in front of the lead eyes. Trim and tye in the mono eyes so the ends are just over the hook point. Glue one final time. Done… See Photos.
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Last month's FLY OF THE MONTH - The Prince of Tides
Submitted by Craig Smothers

This is one of my favorite fall redfish flies. This fly is perfect for shallow, soft presentations. The colors are ideal to represent shallow water fodder. The bendback style of the fly makes it ideal to toss into thick cover and not hang in the sea grass.

Although I really like the fly, they’re a bit of pain to tye. Building mono bodies on a bendback takes patients and time. I really recommend that you build several of the bodies first. Once you have several bodies built, and then add the wing to all of them. I’ll show you the step-by-step method to make the process of building mono bodies on these flies as simple as it gets.


Materials List:
Hook: Mustad 34007 #1/0 or #2/0
Thread: Light Olive Flymaster + 3/0
Body: Medium Gold Holographic Tinsel (or Flashabou), #20-#30 Berkley Big Game Monofilament (clear)
Wing: White, (grass) Green, and Brown or Olive-Brown Bucktail, Gold Krystal Flash and Gold Holographic Flashabou
Eyes: Painted Yellow and Black
Glue: Dave’s Fleximent, Sally Hansen’s Mega Shine (top coat).

1. Start off with a #2/0 Mustad 34007 bend-back style in the vice with the hook point down. Tye in a layer of thread from where you’ve bent it to 1/3 of the way down the bend of the hook. Return the thread to your bend in the hook near the eye. Thread down a piece of mono approximately four feet long right along the top of the hook shank. Again tye it down about 1/3 of the way down the hook point.

2. Next, tye in the medium gold holographic tinsel at the back

3. Wrap the tinsel around the hook shank in a barber pole style, allowing the thread color to show through. This is a great chance for those of you with a rotary vice to use that feature! Tye the tinsel down at the forward bend and trim off the excess.

4. Wrapping the mono is a bit more difficult. Start by wetting the thread with Fleximent. Be sure to keep the thread wraps tight to the hook shank, as well as the previous mono wrap. Here’s your chance to use that rotary feature. Tye down the mono at the bend and trim the excess with a pair of clippers (wire cutters), not your scissors!

5. The next step is to add the white, green and olive hair. Follow this with three strands of gold Krystal flash and gold holographic flash (folded across the thread makes six stands).

6. It’s nearly done. The final steps are adding the eyes. And lastly, top coat the thread wraps and eyes with a couple coats of Sally Hansen’s Diamond Shine.

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Past Month's FLY OF THE MONTH ARTICLE
A very effective fly designed by Capt. Rick Grassett
as offered in the Orvis fly catalogue

Grassett’s Grass (Snook) Minnow
Submitted by Capt. Rick Grassett

I developed this fly, also known as Grassett’s Snook Minnow in the spring 2008 Orvis catalog, mainly for snook fishing around lighted docks and bridge fenders at night, but have also used it successfully for false albacore, Spanish mackerel, bluefish, trout and ladyfish. It is sort of ½ shrimp and ½ glass minnow with some weight to get it down in a fast current. It is available locally at
CB’s Saltwater Outfitters.

Materials
- #4 Mustad 34007 hook (can also be tied on size 2 and 6 hooks)
- Medium bead chain eyes (other options are small bead chain eyes for # 6 hook or x-tra small 1/50 oz. lead eyes for # 2 hook)
- Chartreuse thread
- Polar Bear or white EP (Enrico Puglisi) Fiber
- Pearl Flash-a-bou (or night glow)
- White or Pearl Estaz or Ice Chenille (Medium size)
- 20# Hard Mason mono for weed guard, if desired (this fly rides hook down and is usually fished in deeper water but a weed guard will make it easier to get off of docks without snagging them).

Tying Instructions
1) Tie bead chain eyes on top of hook just behind the eye of the hook. Lead eyes should be tied on the bottom. Lead eyes are used in very fast currents or following cold snaps when fish may be deeper. This fly rides hook down and lead eyes tied on top will turn it on its side.

2) Wrap thread back to bend of the hook and tie on tail, kind of sparse. Tail should be about 1” long (total length of fly will be 2”). Put 6 or 8 strands of flash-a-bou, either pearl or night glow in tail

3) Tie on Estaz or Ice Chenille at base of tail and wrap forward to just behind eyes and tie off.

4) Add weed guard of 20# Hard Mason mono (if desired). Cut about 2” long, flatten ends and twist ½ turn before tying each end on sides of head. Then cut to the proper length so it extends just past the point of the hook.

5) Finish fly by making the head of the fly and coat with Flexament.

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Previous Month's FLY OF THE MONTH ARTICLE from Craig Smothers

Random Thoughts on using Rabbit fur for Tarpon flies

After my Enrico fiber primer last month, I thought I would follow up with some observation on the use of rabbit fur for Tarpon flies. Rabbit fur is about as easy to work with as any other material. Tarpon flies tyed from it are quick and impossible to screw up. Rabbit sinks well, comes in a myriad of colors, and adds a great deal of movement without ever striping the fly.

A traditional rabbit tarpon fly consists of a zonker strip tail, and a cross-cut strip palmered around the hook for the body. Zonker strips are cut along the length of the body; cross-cut strips are cut across the body. There are two width grades of zonker strips, most are a 1/8” wide, and magnum strips are ¼” wide. I would recommend the wider strips for the tail. Cross-cut strips are typically cut 1/8” wide, which work well for palmering. Watch how thick the leather is on cross-cuts. If it gets thick, it can be difficult to palmer. The thickness of the leather on zonker strips is unimportant, thicker is fine.

The color of the fly is a matter of what time of day it is, and personal choice (oh, and what the tarpon feels like eating in the morning). There are rabbit strips in many different color choices, including a bar dying process, and a triple dying process, to further increase the (confusion) number of choices. Given a choice, you can’t go wrong buying black/purple, and black/red, or purple/purple, especially for early in the morning. Bar dyed strips give the illusion of movement much like grizzly feathers do, always a good thing.

Hook choice for tarpon flies is always debatable. I use Gamakatsu SC-15 2H in size 3/0. The shank of this hook is slightly longer than most of the other hook brands and types. It suits my tying. It’s 2X strong, small barbed, and damn sharp. I like Owner Flyliners as well, but they’re quite pricey.

Thread choice is simple: Flymaster + 3/0 to build the fly, Flymaster gold 6/0 to build the head (eye). Flymaster + has the strength to really wrap down the rabbit hide to the hook. Unfortunately, building up the head of the fly with such large thread makes it difficult to get a smooth looking head. I drop back to the thinner 6/0 after the fly is tyed to build the head.

A mono loop must be tyed at the back of the hook to prevent the tail from fouling around the hook. It must be a stiff mono with a break strength of 20#-40#. Mason is perfect for this. Use a pair of pliers to mash the ends of the mono flat for better strength at the tye in point. Form a loop extending ½” behind the hook right on top. Tye the tail in right on top of the mono loop. Glue that stage down to the hook with Crazy Glue (brushable) so it won’t twist around the hook.

The next step is to tye in the collar. This will be cross-cut hair. Make sure the hair is pointing toward the back of the hook. Attach it right in on top of the tails’ tye in point. Gluing the thread with Fleximent before wrapping the hook will also add to the fly’s strength. Palmering the hair over the hook and away from you, make three to four wrap around the hook. Wrap the thread over the collar tightly. Trim the excess rabbit strip and give the collar a few more tight wraps. Whip finish the thread and glue the head with Fleximent. Now tye in the Flymaster 6/0 thread and build a nice smooth head. Whip finish the thread and reglue with Fleximent. Top coating the thread can be done with epoxy, or my new favorite, Sally Hansen’s Mega Shine fingernail polish (in the chrome bottle at CVS or Wal-Mart).

Previous Month's FLY OF THE MONTH
Craig’s Enrico Fiber Sardine
Recipe from Craig Smothers

Most of the Enrico flies you find in the shop have a "Pinfish" profile. By adjusting the way this material is tyed, different profile can be had which looks much more like the typical "Sardine." While Pinfish have an elliptic shape, with a high back, a Sardine has a much lower slope long the backbone. The Pinfish‘s belly is again, elliptic; the Sardine‘s belly has a longer profile, and is deeper near the front. None of this seems very important until the predators‘‘ are keyed in on schools of Sardines along the beach or in the passes.

Materials:
Hook: Gamakatsu SC-15 #1/0
Gills: Enrico Silky Fibers reddish brown
Body: Enrico Sea Fibers in White, Light Olive, Olive
Thread: Flymaster (gold) 6/0 in white
Eyes: 5mm Stalk eyes (white/black)
Glue: brushable Krazy Glue, Fletch-Tite
Flash: pearl green and chartreuse Angel Hair

Let me start by saying that this fly is tyed much like a "hi-tye" fly. The fly has three tye in point along the shank of the hook. Each of those tye in points has one clump (olive) of material on the top of the hook, and two clumps (white) of material on the bottom of the hook. In addition, there is one small clump of red at the back to represent the gills. Don‘t use too much of any of the fi-bers. It‘s very easy to over-dress the hook with these materials. Use half as much as you think it needs.

The hook goes in the vice point down. Thread back from the hook eye to the beginning of the downward bend. Fold a small bundle of the red Silky Fibers across the thread and tye it down on top of the hook. Trim this bundle even with the back of the hook (about 1/8th inch long). Fold a small bundle of light olive Sea Fiber over the thread, tying it in on top of the previous. Tye in a small amount of the chartreuse Angel Hair along either side of the light olive Sea Fiber. Now the white. Fold a small bundle across the thread then wrap the thread once just forward of the tye in point. Now pull the fibers downward to the rear of the hook at a 45 degree angle. As you do this, wrap the materials down to the hook. Add a small amount of the pearl-green Angel Hair on either side of the white. Now repeat the process again with white, this time drawing the material down at a larger angel, and adding the pearl-green. Now soak the tye in point with brushable Krazy Glue.

All of the material you have just tyed in should have a common tye in point. One is tyed in on top the other.

Again, this process should be repeated along the hook‘s length a total of three times (minus the red).
You have now finished tying the fly. The head has been built up, whip finished, and everything has been glued down. Take the hook out of the vice and lay it flat on the bench. I use a (hard) adult sized toothbrush to comb the material out towards the rear on both sides.

Now it‘s time to trim. I use a pair of 10" scissors, short ones just won‘t work. Trim just a bit at a time, you can always cut away more. Refer to my drawings as to how it should be trimmed.
Lastly, the eyes. Use the 5mm stalk eyes. Trim the stalk with a pair of sharp wire cutters. There shouldn‘t be any of the stalk remaining on the back. If you can‘t get that close, place the eye on an emery board (fingernail) and sand it off. Using Fletch-Tite glue, place a small amount against the hook‘s shank, a small amount on the back of the eye, and then stick it together. Do the same for the other side. Now squeeze the two together. It will be fishable in twenty minutes.
Craig’s Enrico Fiber Sardine

Basic Training in the use of Enrico Fibers
Let me begin by saying that I am far from the master in the use of this synthetic. I generally abhor synthetic fibers. However, I needed to get with the program and learn to use this stuff. After tying about a half dozen flies, I enlisted the help of Capt. Bobby Hillbruner. He‘s has tyed scads of these flies, and learned to use the fibers from Enrico himself. I‘ve watched Enrico as well. Needless to say, these techniques are best demonstrated rather than written down. Don‘t plan to tye just one fly—think half a dozen or more. It‘s not worth the time otherwise.

I plan to pass along as much information I‘ve gathered with working with Enrico fibers. Some of it might seem obvious, but bear with me.

Purchase the following: 1) A pair of sharp 8"+ shears. 2) Crazy Glue brushable. 3) A strip of ¾" Velcro with a sticky back. 4) A small white ruler. It needs to be 6" or so, and can be sticky backed. 5) A magnum sized tooth brush with stiff (hard) bristles.

First, after purchasing a package of this stuff, remove it carefully from the package. Fold the material open, thinning it out into a long belt. Separate about 2" of it away from the gob for use. Next, place the rest of it into a large Ziploc bag, keeping the material as straight and flat as possible. This stuff will knot up in a ball if not very well treated, rendering it to the can.

Stick that 2" slice to the Velcro strip (the loop side) you‘ve attached to your vice base or fly bench. It‘s all a matter of maintaining com-plete control of your materials. This stuff is unruly, trust me. I have several strips of Velcro on my bench to control the various colors I‘m working with, plus on the vice to control the small pieces I‘m actually tying to the hook.

After every stage (group of pieces) which is tyed to the hook, GLUE THEM DOWN. The brushable Crazy Glue is very thin and will soak through the thread (or mono thread) down to the hooks shank. This is one of the only times I don‘t recommend using Dave‘s Fleximent as the primary glue.

It is impossible to trim an Enrico baitfish pattern with standard tying scissors. Big scissors are where it‘s at. Go for a pair at least 8" long. The tarpon patterns need a pair at least 10? long.

A ruler comes in very handy for portion control. Pay attention to the lengths‘ of the materials you are tying in at the various stages of tying the pattern. That short piece of material might come in handy for another stage of the fly. It also helps to keep the fly from becoming way too bulky.

After the fly is tyed it‘s nearly time to trim it. Brush the fibers out with your toothbrush. I have tried my poodle brush (wire brissles). I have tried my fly (mustache) comb. A hard toothbrush or the like seems to work the best to prep the raw fly for trimming.

Enrico fibers color well with permanent markers. In addition to the normal black barring, I found a metallic silver marker. By brushing the marker across the white fibers, it gives the fly a new dimension of color and depth.
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Previous Month's FLY OF THE MONTH - Rattling Rose
Recipe from Craig Smothers

On a recent fishing outing with the Sarasota Fly Tyers, a few of the members were using “rattle flies” with great success. It made me recall one of the past great tyers, George Rose. George was the first tyer I ever saw to use worm rattles in a fly. Although the “Rattling Rose” has hundreds of variations, I felt I should revisit the original rattle fly.

Most of the current variations of the rattle fly use braided mylar tubing to cover the rattle. George had a sweet tooth. He carefully unwrapped the foil from a Hershey’s Kiss (with almonds). He used this foil to cover the rattle for the body of the fly.

The Rattling Rose is a two stage fly. Stage one consists of building the body and applying epoxy. I recommend building several bodies prior to moving on. Stage two is simply winging the fly and painting the eyes on.

Materials:
HOOK: Mustad 34011 (3X long shank) #1/0 bendback style
THREAD: Brown or Burnt Orange Flymaster + 3/0
BODY: Gold Hershey’s Kiss wrapper, 3mm Glass Worm Rattle
WING: Orange and Brown Bucktail, Gold Krystal Flash
EYES: Yellow and Black Paint
MISC: 5 Minute Epoxy, Dave’s Fleximent, Zap-A-Gap

Stage 1

STEP 1
Eat a few Hershey’s Kisses with almonds (the best part). Carefully remove the foil without tearing it.

STEP 2
The hook is bendback style. PLEASE refer to my primer “A Proper Bendback” on the MCFF website. Place the hook in the vice with the point down. Thread from the hook eye all the way past where the hook curves up to the point, building a good thread base. The rattle is tyed in with the pointed end towards the front of the hook. The rattle will end up below the hook’s shank, as the fly rides hook point up. Glue the rattle and thread along the hook shank using Zap-A-Gap or brushable instant glue.

STEP 3
Carefully wrap the gold foil over the rattle twisting the ends down. Mix up a small batch of 5 minute epoxy. Coat the entire foil cover and turn the body. (5 minute epoxy yellows with age, however the body is gold and it shouldn’t matter).

STAGE 2

STEP 1
After the body has completely dried, place the hook in the vice with the point up. Tye the thread in at the eye of the hook. Tye in a small bundle of orange bucktail extending the hair 1 ½ times the hook’s length. Next, tye in 8-12 strands of gold krystal flash. Top that with a small bundle of brown bucktail again extending it 1 ½ times the hook’s length. Build a smooth head with thread and whip finish the fly. Soak the head with fleximent.

STEP 2
After the thread has dried, paint the yellow and black eyes.

This fly should be allowed to sink to depth. It works well attached to a monocore line. Retrieve the fly in short abrupt stokes to make the rattle work its magic. And when you catch a redfish—Say “Thanks George” for me…

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PREVIOUS MONTH's FLY OF THE MONTH - The UV “Ghost” Minnow
By Evan Jones

OK, so you’ve probably seen some very similar minnow patterns tied with Puglisi fibers. This one really isn’t much different, but it does have a few custom features that I find particularly effective, especially at night around dock lights. When tied sparsely on a small hook, this fly lands silently and is remarkably transparent in the water. Give it a few short, quick strips when it lands and then allow it to slowly sink through the water column before stripping again. Even the most discerning fish will look twice...

Materials for Tying:
#2-#6 saltwater hook of your choice
Danville’s Fine monofilament thread
Hareline UV Minnow Belly (or regular flash, but the UV is better)
Enrico Puglisi Fibers: White and “Minnow Gray”
Spirit River Silicone Grizzy Legs: “crystal clear”
Superglue or epoxy

Instructions for Tying:

Before you begin, remember that LESS IS MORE when tying this pattern. Too much material will reduce the fly’s action and make it more opaque, both of which will “turn off” selective fish.

1) Begin thread a few turns from the eye; wrap thread back to hook bend

2) Tie in UV Minnow Belly flash for tail [Photo 1]

3) Take a SPARSE bit (about a dozen strands) of the white Puglisi fibers, fold in half, and tie onto the topside of the hook shank, just in front of the tail. [Photo 2]

4) Holding the material in place (the thread is still between the tied-in halves) wrap the thread forward a few turns to widen the contact point between the material and the hook from a “V” shape to a “U” shape. This sounds weird, but it’s important to space the material out evenly along the hook shank.

5) Turn the hook upside down in your rotary vice, and tie in the gray Puglisi fibers to the bottom of the hook shank, repeating steps 3 and 4 above. Try to align them with the fibers at the top of the hook shank to achieve a nice, symmetrical shape. [photo 3]

6) Turn the hook rightside up again, and repeat steps 3 through 5 until you have covered the entire shank with fibers. For the last bunch right behind the eye, use double the amount of fibers previously used to give the fly a better profile. [photo 4]

7) Tie in the silicone legs (grizzly) at the head, one on each side. Trim them to approx. ¾ of the body length.

8) Whip-finish, then trim the body to the desired size and shape using either curved scissors or a careful hand.

9) Apply super glue (or epoxy if you have time) to the body, pinning the rubber legs to the side of the hook shank in the process. This will help to make the fly more durable. You can also color the head with a red permanent marker if you like. [photo 5 - See Above at beginning of this recipe]

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Previous Month's FLY OF THE MONTH:
A Quick Shrimp Bendback by Craig Smothers

Materials:
Hook: Mustad 30007 size #2-#1/0
Body: Olive/black variegated chenille
Eyes: Gold beadchain or weight with .10-.25 lead wire
Thread: Brown Flymaster+ 3/0
Wing: yellow, olive, and brown bucktail
Flash: gold flashabou
Misc: Dave’s Fleximent

The only hard part of this fly is properly bending the hook. DO NOT OVERBEND! Start with the hook in the vice bend up, hook point down. Thread the entire shank of the hook going one-third of the way up the hook’s gape. Now thread back to the bend you have created. Just behind the bend, tie in the beadchain eyes or lead wire.

In the case of the wire, tie it back all the way along the back of the shank to one-third up the gape of the hook. Starting with the thread in the back of the gape, tie in the chenille. Thread forward to just ahead of the hook’s bend. Lay a glue base all along the thread to the bend. Wrap the chenille forward (away from yourself over the top) until you have covered the shank to the hook’s bend. X-wrap the beadchain if you have them. Tie off the chenille and trim. You now have a completed fly body.

The wing is a blend of colors. Turn the fly over in the vice, attaching it at the middle of the hook’s gape above the chenille. Start with the yellow bucktail (not too much—go sparse). Tie in the yellow bucktail extending it beyond the hook about one and a half times. Next, tie in the olive bucktail just a bit shorter than the yellow (again—sparse). Next, top the other colors with brown bucktail, again slightly shorter (and again—sparse). Finish the wing with eight to ten strands of gold flashabou doubled over the thread. Whip finish and glue. Done!

There are a million variations!

Previous Month's FLY OF THE MONTH:
Craig’s Beach Deceiver by Craig Smothers

Being in the fish business, I know a great deal about how fish react to different conditions. Some of you might have noticed the difference in color between a beach caught and back-county caught fish. The bait is no different. This is one of the reasons small white colored flies work so well in the shallow surf conditions.

For those of you who hate working with feathers, you’re in luck. This is a simple hair-only deceiver. But I’m going to step it up a notch. This is going to have blended colors to optimize it for summer beach conditions.

Hook: Mustad 34007 #4 or #2
Tail-Body-Head: White, Gray, and Olive Calftail (kiptail)
Throat: Red Rabbit hair
Flash: Lavender, Olive Krystal Flash, Opal Flashabou Mirage
Thread: white Flymaster 6/0
Misc: Fleximent glue, Sally Hansen’s Gloss Coat, black and white paint for eyes

1. Start with the hook in the vice with the point down. Cover the entire shank to the bend with thread. At the back, tye in a small bundle of white calftail extending back one to one and a half times the hook length. This will be the tail. On top of the tail add 6-12 strands of opal flashabou mirage. Thread forward to the hook eye.

2. I generally flip the hook over at this point. Leave yourself some room at the front to build your head. Tye in 6-12 strands of opal mirage accent (pearl krystal flash) splitting it to either side of the shank. Now tye in a bundle of white calftail on the bottom of the hook extending back ¾ of the tails’ length.

3. Flip the hook back to point down. Tye in a very small bundle of white calftail on top matching the length of the bottom bundle. Now add a bundle of olive calftail extending its’ length to slightly longer than the white of the body. Add 6-12 strands of olive (peacock, pearl) krystal flash.

If you’re are using gray as the top color, use lavender (pearl, silver) krystal flash on top.

I really like calftail on small flies. First is its translucency. Second is how a small amount can still look very fully tyed. This is due to the slight, very tight kink in the hair. Be sure to not use too much hair on this—sparse is good. Only a very few bucktails I find have this quality, and I won’t waste them on a small fly.

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A Primer on Glues and Solvents - By Craig Smothers
I got a phone call the other day (no, I’m not picking on you). This person had been misinformed as to which solvent to use to thin their glue. It was a loss after the addition of the wrong solvent. Although I’ve written about this before, I felt it might need to be revisited. I have a few changes in what I use and what I use it for. Keep this around for a good reference.

Tying Cement:
Tying cement and “head” cement is not the same animal. Tying cement is used to keep the thread and materials glued to the hook. Head cement is to top coat the thread wraps AFTER you’ve finished.

There are a myriad of different types of tying cements. Mine is Dave’s Fleximent. Or rather, I make my own Dave’s Fleximent. If this stuff is kept water-thin and used throughout the tying process, you don’t even need to whip finish.

Fleximent is simply Household Goop (in the toothpaste tube) thinned with either Toluene or Xylene. Bye the way, if you’ve used Softex, It’s just a thick version of Fleximent. Go to Ace Hardware and get a quart of either solvent and a tube of Goop and you’re set for a lifetime. Enough said…

Head Cement:
This class of cements includes everything you put on top of the thread to Finish The Fly. This includes both water and solvent based cements. Sally Hansen’s Mega Shine nail polish (chrome bottle) is all most of you need. If it gets too thick, thin it with Acetone. Loon Hard Head water based fly finish is also really great stuff. As odd as it sounds, thin this with Denatured Alcohol or Vodka.

Epoxy’s also are included in this class. I use a great deal of Flexcoat Rod Wrap epoxy. This takes two hours to set and requires the use of a fly turner (modified BBQ rotisserie) to get a smooth, professional finish. On tarpon flies, two hour epoxy is too thin. I use Flexcoat Rod Building epoxy. This still requires a turner, however it sets in twenty minutes. If this seems too thick, a drop of Acetone or Alcohol will thin it slightly but increase the cure time. Five-minute epoxy has its place on everyone’s fly bench. I don’t like it much as it yellows quickly. Remember that the longer cure times equate to clearer finishes and reduced or no yellowing.

Other Glues:
There are other glues to attach 3-D eyes, but the best I’ve found is Fletch Tite (for fletching arrows). It is easy to use with the thin spout, and can be fished in twenty minutes. Great Stuff!

Cyanoacrylate (Crazy) glue is another one everyone should have on the bench. Fixing lead eyes to the hook comes to mind; there are many more uses. I like Zap A Gap. I’ve also recently seen a Super Glue with a brush top; this sets slightly slower and doesn’t dry out in the bottle like many do.

Bench Solvents:
Go to the pharmacy and get several dropper bottles. Get one for each solvent and label them. Solvents you should have are: Xylene or Toluene, Denatured Alcohol or Vodka, Acetone, and Lacquer Thinner (non fluorescent solvent based paints). Using a dropper in any case is a smart tip with any of these solvents. The fumes from these are dangerous and flammable. Use some common sense.

Bench Glues:
Household Goop, Sally Hansen’s Mega Shine, Softex (or equivalent), Dave’s Fleximent (or equivalent), five-minute epoxy, Loon Hard Head fly finish, Zap A Gap (or equivalent), and Fletch Tite.

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Previous Month's FLY OF THE MONTH:
Simple Tarpon Fly—Tarpon Bunny by Craig Smothers

Hook: Owner AKI or Flyliner, Gamakatsu SC-15 in sizes 2/0 or 3/0
Tail: 3/16” or ¼” (magnum) Rabbit Zonker Strips
Body: Crosscut Rabbit Strips
Thread: Flymaster + 3/0 thread
Misc: #20+ pound Mason Hard Mono, Dave's Fleximent glue, Head Cement or Epoxy, Lead Wire (.15 or .20 optional)

Cover the rear of the hook with thread. Cut a short ½” piece of mono. Tye in one side of the mono then fold it forward and tye it down. The idea is to create a small 1/4” loop of mono out the backside of the hook. This prevents the zonker strip from fouling around the hook, causing tracking problems on the retrieve.

Tye the zonker strip right on top of the mono extending about 1 ½”-2” beyond the rear of the hook. Add four strands of flash on top (optional, no more). Add three or four wraps of lead wire just in front of where you tyed in the zonker strip (optional). Glue everything in place with Fleximent.

Tye in the crosscut rabbit strip right on top of the zonker , then thread forward toward the eye of the hook. Lay some Fleximent on the thread, then palmer the rabbit forward on the hook three to five wraps. Tye the crosscut down with thread and reglue with Fleximent. Build the head of the fly with thread and whip finish. Glue again with Fleximent. One dry apply head cement (Sally Hansen’s Hard as Nails) or epoxy.

Color choices are entirely up to you. Dark colors are best in the morning: Black and purple, black and red, all purple, all black. Other combinations I've used and seen are: all white, white tail red collar, natural light brown.

Hook choices for tarpon flies are entirely up to you. My personal choice is Owner hooks, and never a circle hook (only my opinion). Just make sure the hook is razor sharp before you tye it on.

I leave the front of the hook shank open (no thread on it), covering it is again personal preference. I leave it open to allow the option of snelling the shock tipit rather than tying the hook on at the eye.

Adding lead wire helps to get it down faster. Rabbit does sink at a decent rate. Pool test your fly. I don't want it to sink a great deal faster than the flyline (be it a monocore or sink-tip).
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Last Month's FLY OF THE MONTH: CACTUS BUNNY
Courtesy of Craig Smothers

Hook: Mustad 34007 size #2 or #4
Thread: Flymaster Plus 3/0
Eyes: 6/32 or 7/32 (small or medium) lead barbell.
Body: Large Estaz Cactus Chenille (pearl, root beer, chartreuse)
Wing/Tail: Rabbit or Arctic Fox Zonker Strip (White, Crawfish Orange, Chartreuse)
Misc: Dave’s Fleximent, Fluorescent Red and Black Lacquer (paint eyes), #12 Hard Mason Mono (optional)

Tie the lead barbell on the top of the hook leaving approximately 1/8” between the hook eye and the lead. You need the room in order to tie off the zonker and add a weedgaurd. Paint the eyes now; it is impossible to paint the eyes later.

Flip the hook in the point up position in the vice. Tie in the thread and over-wrap the hook its entire length. Tie in the Estaz at the back.

Punch a hole in the middle of the Zonker strip about 2” from the back (the hair lies towards the back). Thread the Zonker strip over the hook point. Wrap the thread over the zonker two or three tight wraps, then move the thread to the hook eye. Tying the Zonker strip down will decrease the like hood of it fouling around the hook.

Fold the Zonker strip out of the way and overwrap the hook and eyes with the Estaz. Tease Estaz fibers rearward with each wrap to prevent any overwrapping. Tie the Estaz off with thread in front of the eyes and trim. Hit it with Fleximent.

Pull the Zonker forward, part the hair a bit, and tie it down to the hook. Trim the Zonker and build the head with thread. Hit it with Fleximent again.

Adding a weed guard is optional. Cut a 2” piece of #12 Hard Mason Mono. Crimp the center with a pair of fine nose pliers. “X” wrap the mono forming a “V” in front of the hook point. The mono should curve slightly rearward. Put a few wraps of thread behind the mono to support it.

Tie off the thread, whip finish, and soak the head with Fleximent. Trim the mono just a bit higher than the hook point (use clippers, not you scissors!).

I have used this fly nearly as much as a Clouser Minnow. It doesn’t sink quite as quickly, lands a bit softer, and the material breaths better. It’s very durable. Fish it slightly slower than a Clouser due its sink rate.

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Previous Months' FLIES OF THE MONTH...

ROPP'S REDFISH BENDBACK
Courtesy of Craig Smothers

The nature of Bendback Flies makes them weedless. The extra fold of hair in the front of this fly makes it nearly impossible to hook weeds. Fished with
soft 2"-3" strips, it will slide through the toughest weeds down where the Redfish are looking for lunch.

HOOK: Mustard 34011 size# 5/32
EYES: Gold Dazl Eyes/Orvis salt water eyes
THREAD: Brown Flymaster Plus/Uni thread 140
TAIL: Golden Brown Marabou
BODY: RootBeer Krystal Flash
WING: Aunt Lydia's Craft & Rug yarn-brown, Barred Ginger Saddle Feather
Center (Brown) poftion of a orange or yellow dyed bucktail
GLUE: Dave's Fleximent

RECIPE
1. Bend hook approximately 114" behind hook eye
2. Tie eye in just behind bend
3. The tail is a rather full puff of marabou tied on top of the hook, just under the length of the hook. Tie in six strands of Krystal Flash on both sides of the tail.
4. Tie in yarn just forward of the jam knot from the marabou. Over wrap forward to just behind the eyes, then back to the jam knot again. The idea here is to create a uniform diameter of the body. Tie the Saddle feather in atop the rear jam knot, then move your thread in front of the eyes. Soak with glue. I wrap one wrap of the yarn, one wrap (palmer) of the feather, another wrap of the yarn, and so on. This builds strength and durability in the body. Tie the feather down behind the eyes. Wrap eyes with yarn and tie down in front of eyes.
5. The wing should be full. Tie in the hair leaving the excess sticking out in front of the hook eye. Tie in six strands of Kystral Flash. Trim the excess hair to 1/2". Fold it back over and tie it down. Whip finish and glue.
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From Ron Whiteley - To see how to tie the Estaz Marabou fly, visit: www.fishbuzz.tv
and then select "Fly fishing"..."Flys"...then "Estaz marabou." It's a fly that works great in our local waters.

Unknown Origin Tarpon Crab
Submitted by Craig Smothers

PHOTOS: 2 different flys by 2 different tyers-neither of them me...CS

I have had no less than three local guides give me copies of variations of this unique spun-hair tarpon crab. I’ve even come up with my own variation, which has caught fish for me. Although I would never want to produce a bunch of these, they are at least a challenge to those of us who enjoy spinning some deer hair. They are also something to include in your arsenal of tarpon flies for “one of those days.”

Spinning deer hair is not that difficult. I find the difficulty in consistency. Perhaps this is why I’ve received so many different variations. It can be a great deal of fun.

Materials:
Thread: Flymaster + (this is important)
Hook: Gamakatsu SC15 2H or Owner 5170 AKI in #3/0 or #4/0 (I know this sounds large)
Tail: 6-8 Large Matched Grizzly(?) Neck hackles, a bit of calftail or bucktail
Body: Some decent quality (and length) deer body (back, not belly) hair
Eyes: #50 burnt mono (Stiff), build the eyeball with epoxy

Necessary Equipment:
A Vice that will hold a 3/0 hook securely.
Magnum hair stacker
Poodle wire brush of Mustache comb
Double edge razor blades
Curved scissors

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Tarpon Fly
Ingredients:
Hook:Gamakatsu SC15 Wide Gap 1/0-4/0
Rabbit Zonker strip natural
Crystal Flash:Pearl blue
Whitting Saddle hackle: Blue
Thread:Black

Step 1.
Start the thread about mid-way down the hook shank and tie in a mono loop to keep the tail from foiling around the hook.

Step 2
Tie in the rabbit strip.

Step 3
Tie in 4-strands of crystal flash.

Step 4
Tie in two saddle hackles and palmer forward and tie off.

Fly Tied by Capt. Justin Rea
tarponfishingkeywest.com

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Watch It Wiggle by Craig Smothers

Hook: Mustad 34011 #2
Tail: Arctic fox body hair dyed olive
Body: New Age chenille in olive
Legs: Round rubber leg in olive with sparkles
Eyes: 5/32 Brass barbell
Wing: Arctic fox in olive
Flash: olive or peacock Krystal Flash

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Saltwater Bunny

Hook – Mustad #34011 or similar hook, assorted sizes.
Thread – Clear monofilament or color to match fly.
Tail: Saddle feathers tied deceiver style or rabbit zonker strip. If a zonker strip is used for the tail, I suggest tying a mono loop off the bend of the hook to prevent entangling on hook bend.
Body – Cross cut rabbit strip wound up and to the eye of the hook.
Eyes – Dumb bell eyes are optional or reflective on a deceiver style head.
Head - (Optional) Chenille.
This pattern is one of the “classics” for striped bass. The rabbit presents life like movement in the water. It also compresses making the fly resemble many types of bait fish, shrimp, and small squid. As with all the classic patterns, there are times when this fly will out produce all others. Tie it with dumb bell eyes for increased action, and for times when you “have to get the fly down.” Tied in all white, not only is it an excellent bass pattern, but one of the best to use for false albacore. I caught my first “from shore” albacore with an all white bunny. Tied with a pink body it’s an excellent small squid pattern. Make sure you carry some in chartreuse, yellow, and black. It’s very easy and an inexpensive tie.

Zonker and cross-cut rabbit can be purchased already cut, but I prefer to purchase the entire rabbit pelt and custom cut what I need.

Paul Denice supplied the fly from the Housatonic Fly Fishers Fly of the Month.
If you have any questions about this fly Paul can be reached at 203 734-7879 or e-mail me at pdinice@snet.net.

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Furry Foam Crab
Fall and winter fishing sees many of the forage fish leaving town. Shrimp and crabs dominate the resident predators diets in the cooler months. Though most may think of the furry foam crab as a bonefish fly, it makes a great sight fishing fly on the clear cool flats. It lands softly. The legs add a great deal of movement with very short strips. The eyes are a functional weedgaurd. The palmered feather makes the fly stand hook point up in the back. Lastly, the squishy nature of the material keeps it in the fishes mouth the extra moment in which to set the hook.

Materials:
Hook: Mustad 34007 #2 or #4
Thread: Flymaster 6/0 Color to match.
Tail: Calftail in black, brown or olive, 2 Grizzly neck feathers, 4-8 strands
Krystal Flash
Body: Furry Foam in tan, brown or light olive, Grizzly silicone legs, saddle
Feather in grizzly or black
Eyes/Weight: 5/32 (xsmall) lead eyes, eyes stalks burnt from #12 Mason

RECIPE:
1) Put the hook in the vice point down. Tye the lead eyes on about one-eighth inch back. Thread back one quarter of the way past the hook shank’s bend. Tye in a small bundle of calf tail with the tips pointing down at 45* to the hook shank. On either side of this, tye in the two neck feathers splayed out. Top that with krystal flash. Tye in the base of the saddle feather right at the hook bend.

2) Flip the hook in the vice, point up. Cut a small ½” square of furry foam. Tye in a corner of the furry foam right over the saddle feather. This crab has three sets of legs. “X” on three strands of silicone legs spaced evenly between the lead eyes and the foam’s tye in point. Palmer two wraps of the saddle feather behind the foam. Pull the foam upward and impale it on the hook point. Now, palmer the majority of the feather towards the rear of the hook, between the legs. Tye the feather down just behind the lead eyes, trim, then wrap the thread forward to the hook eye.

3) Fold the foam down to the hook and tye in. Place one burnt mono eye stalk on either side of the hook eye and tye in. These should curve upward and forward protecting the hook’s point. Whip finish and glue with fleximent.

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Craig’s Nite Deceiver
This has to be one of my favorite summer-time flies for both inshore and offshore action. With a few variations in color and size it will cover everything from a pinfish to a sardine. It lands softly around spooky fish, is easy to cast. Being the generic baitfish, I’ve caught almost every type of fish on it including many baby tarpon and most of my largest snook.
Feather work intimidates a great number of tyers. With some practice, tying a razor-sharp tail section is not all that difficult. Craig Smothers

Hook: Gamakatsu Stinger in 1/0 or 2/0
Thread: Flymaster 6/0 white
Eyes: Silver Prismatic 5/16 eyes
Tail: 4-8 Matched white or bleached grizzly neck feathers
Throat: red rabbit hair
Cheek: 2 Mallard flank feathers
Body: fine white and light dun (gray) bucktail
Flash: Pearl and Gray Fire Fly Tye, Black and Lavender Crystal Flash, Opal Mirage Accent Flashabou
Misc: Dave’s Fleximent, 2-Hour epoxy (rod building), Ultra Fine Blue Violet glitter

Begin with the hook point down in the vice. Thread back to the bend of the hook and tye in the matched neck feathers on top[ of the hook. On either side of these tye in about 8 strands of opal flashabou. Glue.

Thread forward and flip the hook over in the vice. Tye in a decent amount of white bucktail on the bottom of the hook extending back to half of the tail feather length. Add 12 strand of pearl fire fly tye. Glue.

Flip the hook back over. Tye in 2 strands of black crystal flash the full length of the fly (lateral line). Tye in half as much gray bucktail on top of the hook. Glue. Add 10 strands of lavender crystal flash and 8 strands of gray fire fly tye.


The cheek feathers should be about the length of the hook. Tye one in on either side. Starch these feathers with some fleximent (maintains the large profile of the fly in the water). Once dry, stick on the eyes. Flip the hook back over and tye in a sparse amount of red rabbit on the throat. Glue again throughly.

The epoxy can be substituted with clear Loon Hard Head. The main reason to finish the fly with it is it helps keeps the eyes on the fly. Too often they pop off the flank feather. Overcoating the eyes and thread put a final professional look on the fly. Mixing in a bit of glitter adds even more appeal...

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The D.T. Special

The D.T. Special is one of the most versatile flies ever and should be an integral part of every fly fisher's arsenal. It's easy to tie and, most importantly very productive. I've caught a variety of fish on it: spotted seatrout, redfish, snook, jack crevalle ladyfish, tarpon, kingfish, Spanish mackerel, little tunny and dolphin. Just tie it on a hook to match the rod you're using.

Hook: Mustad 34007 or hook of choice
Thread: white monochord
Tail: Four white neck hackles (not splayed)
Flash: A few stands of pearl Flashabout
Collar: One palmered white neck hackle
Eyes: 3D Prismatic Stick-on eyes covered with Devcon Two-Ton Epoxy.

Steps:
1. Tie four white neck hackles at rear of hook and add sparse flash.

2. Palmer one white neck hackle and lay back.

3. Attach 3D Prismatic Stick-on eyes.

4. Coat with Devcon Two-Ton Epoxy and rotate until dry.

5. Hold on to rod.

This month's fly recipe was submitted by Steve Gibson
www.kayakfishingsarasota.com

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Ropp’s Redfish Magic


After my recent trip to the Bahamas, I thought this should be the fly of the month. John Ropp is responsible for teaching me more about fly tying than any other one person. Despite his typically horrible disposition, he taught me this fly. It’s damn effective for redfish, and bonefish. It can be best described as a bent-back wooly-bugger with a functional (weedless) wing.

PHOTO: Here is the original Ropp's Refish in Brown.

Hook: Mustad 34011 size #4 or #6 (presharpen-it’s tough later)
Tail: Tan or Tobacco Brown Marabou
Body: Tan or Brown Aunt Lydia’s (Sparkle) Rug Yarn, Barred Ginger Saddle Feather
Eyes: 5/32 (small) Brass Barbell Eye
Wing: Fine Tan, Crawfish Orange, or Natural Brown Buck tail.
Flash: Rootbeer Crystal Flash
Glue: Fleximent (lots of it)

The first step is bending the hook. Start the bend about ¼ “ back from the hook eye. Don’t over bend the hook! The flat portion should point directly back into the gape of the hook. Tye in the brass eye at the bend. Tye in one decent feathers worth of marabou with 6-8 strands of crystal flash on either side. Glue the jam knot and barbell eye.
Notice the large jam knot where you tyed in the marabou? The next step will fill in the hook shank to match the diameter of that jam knot.

Tie in the rug yarn just in front of the jam knot. Wrap the thread foreword toward the barbell over the top of the yard. Leave a bit space behind the barbell, then double the yarn back and over wrap it all the way back over the jam knot. As I’ve said, this is to even out the diameter of the fly’s body. Next, tie in the saddle feather at the back.

Now it time to build the body. Attach hackle pliers to the tip of the feather. Glue the jam knot and the base yarn thoroughly (durability). Palmer the feather two wraps right at the back of the jam knot. Now wrap the yarn one wrap forward. Then the feather, then the yarn, etc. By doing it this way you’re tucking the feather between the yarn rather than palmering it over the yarn. This dramatically increases the durability of the (feather) fly. Once the glue dries, it won’t come apart. Tie off the feather behind the barbell and trim. Next is to figure-eight the yarn over the barbell and tie it down in front of the eye. Glue it in front.

The body is finished. Now, on to the wing. Flip the fly over in the vice.

Notice that the buck tail is tied over the hook eye about 1/4”. Tie in three or four strands of crystal flash.

To finish, fold the buck tail back and tie it down. Whip finish and glue it the last time. Folding back the buck tail will really increase the fly’s weedless quality.

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Another Tarpon Fly by Craig Smothers

I was asked to write about my favorite Tarpon fly. Since most of us fish in the eerily morning, dark profile flies are best. Black, black and red, purple, all fit the bill. Despite all of the magazines showing bright, showy flies in the keys, our environment calls for flies which sink well in the deeper water.

Likely the easiest fit-the-requirement fly for around here would be the Death-By-Rabbit. A black zonker tied on the back of the hook, then collared with red and black crosscut rabbit strips. The other easy option is a black and purple Puglisi baitfish fly. Both of these flies sink well and provide a decent profile for early mornings.

FLIES ABOVE: Black Death, Purple People Eater, and the Ginger Roach fly.

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THE TOAD FLY
After reviewing the article in Flyfishing In Salt Water, I sat down and tied a few of the Toad flies. After speaking to Bobby Hillbruner at the following meeting, I realized I was tying the Toad incorrectly. In order to enlighten those of you who are curious about this fly, a bit of advice on the nuances of both tyign and fishing this fly.

My initial mistake in tying the Toad was just wrapping in a gob of marabou at the back of the hook. The proper selection of marabou and how it is tied in is what this fly is all about. One to two plumes of marabou are tied in perpendicular to the hook point. Be sure and under wrap those plumes to prevent the tail from fouling the hook. Choose shorter (length) marabou with a softer main shaft.

The article states that mono eyes are used to tie the frog. I’ve used both mono eyes and small bead chain. Anything heavier completely changes the characteristics of the fly.

Fishing the fly is simple. Cast the fly in front of the fish (it lands quite softly), and let the fly do the work. If you have to move it, a VERY slow draw, a rod tip twitch, or a Short quick strip. Let the fly do the bulk of the work.

Craig Smothers

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Ron's Estaz Marabou
This fly was developed by Ron Whiteley as a simple fly that anyone can tie. It takes five minutes or less to tie and at that rate you don't mind losing a few. The marabou has great action in the water and when you shake the rod tip it makes the fly come alive. Numerous size and color variations can be applied to imitate many different forage species, but plain white works just fine in most circumstances.

MATERIALS:
Hook: Size 1/0 Eagle Claw 254SS (Heavy Hook to provide sink rate.)
Tail: Two White Marabou Feathers
Body: White Estaz (crystal chenille), Large
Thread: Black, Flat Waxed
Flash: Crystal Flash

DIRECTIONS:
Step 1. Wrap the hook with a complete wrap of thread.

Step 2. Select two matching whole marabou feathers. Trim to the desired length, about two to three inches is good. Wrap the two feathers to the hook with the curved side in so that they fit together.

Step 3. Tie about 10 strands of crystal flash, the same length as the feathers, or slightly longer, on each side if the marabou.

Step 4. Wrap in the end of the estaz to the rear of the shaft. Use your fingers to fold it back as you wrap it

Step 5. Wrap the shaft solid so that no flash or feathers are showing.

Step 6. At this point soak the thread wrapped shaft with head cement, or if you want a fly that stands up to bluefish, use super glue.

Step 7. Start at the rear of the shaft to ensure all the black thread is covered and wrap the estaz close and very tightly into the wet cement. With each turn use your finger to fold the material toward the rear of the fly as you pull the next wrap. Use care with super glue. Wrap the estaz in this manner all the way to the eye of the hook.

Step 8. Use the black thread to tie off the estaz and trim it close. Continue wrapping the tread while holding the estaz to the rear. Use the thread wraps to make a black spot on the front of the fly to simulate an eye.

Step 9. Cement the head with head cement or super glue. Let dry and coat the head with clear nail polish

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MIRROLURE SLIDER

Hook: Gamakatsu 1/0 B10S Stinger
Thread: White Flymaster + 3/0
Tail: 4-6 large White Cape Feathers, matched deceiver style, Opal Mirage Flashabou
Rear Collar: White Arctic Fox Body Hair or White Marabou, Mirage Accent
Body: White Mule Deer Body Hair, Red White-tail Deer Body Hair
Eyes: 3-D, Silver and Black.
Glue: Dave’s Fleximent, Flech-Tite

Tying Instructions:

Step 1) Tye in 4-6 large matched neck hackles deceiver style. Tye in 8-10 strands of Opal Mirage Flashabou on either side.

Step 2) Tye in a large gob of either White arctic fox body hair of marabou on top of your jam knot. Tye 10 doubled strands of Mirage Accent down the sides of the fox hair.

Step 3) Stack the first of the spun white body hair. Extend it over the top of the fox hair about one inch.

Step 4) Continue to spin white hair forward, leaving room for one to two clumps of red hair.

Step 5) Carefully trim the bottom (hook side) flat down to the hook. Glue with Fleximent all along the hook shank (soak it down to the hook) along the flat side.

Step 6) Grab it by the hook point and shave it either in a conical or muddler shape.

Step 7) Glue on the 3-D eyes on the white hair using Fletch-Tite

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BILL’S GOTCHA

MATERIALS:

Hook: Gamagatsu SC-15 #2

Thread: Gotcha Pink Danville flat-waxed nylon

Eyes: 1/8” or 5/32” Bead chain or silver med Lead eyes or no eyes


Tail: Medium pearlescent Mylar tubing.

Body: Pearlescent Diamond Braid.
Underwing: Pearl Flashabou.

Wing: Rabbit strip, calf tail, or marabou. All in Honey
Blonde color.


Step 1:Tie in eyes, allowing enough room for an over
sized pink nose.

Step 2:Attach tail by tying in pearlescent Mylar tubing
behind the eyes and binding down onto shank as
an underbody. Mylar tubing should extend be
yond bend to form a tail that is one full shanklength
long. Brush out ends of the Mylar tail.

Step 3:Tie in pearlescent Diamond Braid behind eyes,
binding it down to the shank all the way to the
base of tail. Return thread forward to eyes, wind
ing as a pink hued underbody.

Step 4:Wind Diamond braid forward to eyes to form
body. Criscross into figure of eight at eyes if
used. Trim.

Step 5:Invert fly and tie in underwing to extend beyond
the end of the tail.

Step 6:Tie in wing of rabbit strip, calf tail, or marabou
to match length of underwing. Build up head
with pink thread and whip finish.

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The Greenan Redfish Fly

The fly was designed to sink fast and ride hook up so as to not get stuck in the grass. The color is representative of the crabs and shrimp in our local waters. I fish it with short strips allowing it to return to the bottom after each stroke. It is especially good in deep pot holes in the grass flats.

Materials:
Hook - #2 long shank ( bent slightly back)
Thread - flymaster - red
Body - medium olive chenille
Wing - dark live bucktail flash - red or pearl
crystal flash
Eyes - ex-small non-lead black

Cheeks - pheasant body feather head - olive chenille

Procedure:
Bend hook back slightly, de-barb and sharpen
Tie eyes on flat top of hook.
Wind chenille from back to hook bend (you may wrap lead for weight)
Tie in wing to cover hook
Add flash
Add cheeks to cover hook
Wind chenille through eyes and cover head
Whip finish
Designed and donated by Capt Pete Greenan