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Material Help ?

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Hello All

 

I am getting ready to order my son a new vise for his birthday. I am looking at the Peak from J. Stockard (site sponsor) on the "up grade you bench" event. They have a promo for 25$ of credit towards material. My son would like to do some saltwater patterns for the up coming stripper season. So my question is What do I spend my credit on ? I was thinking about minnows, deceivers and shrimp.

 

Thanks Yall

Craig

NE North Carolina

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Well you won't go far wrong with any of the synthetic hairs. Pink and chartreuse are good salt colours. Also sounds obvious but salt water hooks are really a must. The trout hooks will not last in the salt long at all.

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buck tails

 

peacock herl

 

hooks

 

strung hackles

 

marabou

 

flat waxed nylon thread

 

lead dumbell or chain eyes

 

fish skulls

 

flashabou or krystal flash

 

fleye foils

 

foam for crease flies

 

angel hair

 

ep sparkle fibers

 

polar fibre

 

craft fur

 

e-z body tubing

 

braided mylar tubing

 

bills body braid

 

estaz

 

etc etc etc

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As other have said, stainless steel hooks would be my choice. I'd ask around to see what the standard size of flies for what species are in your area. A local shop could provide that information. If he is just starting out, I'd focus on one versatile pattern and have him begin by learning that one fly. Clouser would be my choice for your part of the country, so you would need: hooks (Mustad Signature S71SZ-34007 or Daiichi 2546), dumbell eyes (lead or brass), bucktail (charteruse & white are popular combinations), Danville Flymaster+ Thread (white), and maybe some krystal flash (silver or pearl). Again as mentioned, you'll find that $25 won't go all that far, but it is a start.

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For stripers, I'd recommend Mustad S71sz for a good affordable all-around hook in sizes #2, #1, and #1/0. For your $25, you'll get 75 hooks that will cover most striper fishing situations. As far as tying materials go, marabou, bucktail, saddle hackle, and some kind of crystal chenille will make a lot of very effective striper patterns. Blue, olive, chartreuse, and white are indispensable as far as colors go. I'd definitely go with the hooks if it were up to me - the other stuff he can add as he goes along.

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I prefer to used bronzed, carbon steel hooks for saltwater fishing. I read an article one time that talked about the possibility of needing to cut off a hook that was too difficult to remove. The theory is that a stainless hook would take much longer to break down, and had greater potential to harm the fish simply by being in the fish's body for longer. Makes sense to me.

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SS bead chain makes excellent eyes for clousers that are to be used in the salt. Just ask for it in your local hardware store. (If you really want to get the salesperson's attention, tell them that you want "X" ft, and to be sure there are an EVEN number of beads in the portion to be cut off!)

 

FYI, you CAN use bronzed hooks quite effectively in saltwater and they will last IF you make it a habit to thoroughly soak AND rinse them in freshwater when you get home. Doing so obviates the need for the more expensive SS hooks.

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Great advise already given. Although I tie many flies for Striped bass on stainless hooks, you can extend your hook budget a little by buying plated hooks instead of stainless. There are several good plated hooks by various manufacturers that are suitable for Stripers. Tinned would be the next best thing to stainless as far as corrosion resistance, and even nickel or black nickel will last longer than bronze. Plus, carbon steel hooks are generally stronger than comparable size & type stainless, and if properly sharpened may penetrate easier, again comparing sizes, as stainless hooks are often heavier wire. A properly sharp carbon steel hook might also stay sharper longer, but that could depend on many variables. Stick either hook in a chunk of rip rap & neither will likely stay sharp! <_< However, there are some very strong & sharp stainless hooks being produced, but will be higher priced.

 

The theory is that a stainless hook would take much longer to break down, and had greater potential to harm the fish simply by being in the fish's body for longer.

 

Nothing wrong with trying to keep the welfare of the fish in mind, but IMO, it really depends more on where they're hooked. A gut hooked fish is probably better off with the stainless, because the finish on other hooks may become a toxin in the belly as it breaks down. Stainless hooks will break down eventually, and faster than most folks realize. Gill hooked fish are in jeopardy no matter what the hook is made of. A lip hooked Striper will usually rub that hook out & it won't matter what type of hook it is. A foul hooked fish will usually survive, again depending on where it's hooked, and the hook will eventually corrode to the point of falling out, often with no additional ill effects.

 

As far as mortality, circle hooks would be better choice overall, as 99% of the time the fish will be hooked in the corner of the mouth but not always the best choice for tying all types of flies. (They can be used with good results!)

 

Some good, and often cheap hooks (compared to stainless): Eagle Claw 254 tinned, Eagle Claw 253N (nickel), Mustad 3407 (old), VMC/Rapala 9255

Eagle Claw 254SS (stainless) are good hooks too when found at a cheap price.

 

One of the cheapest things a Striped Bass angler can do is use tippets & leaders that are heavy enough to reduce the likelihood of break-offs, and check it often for nicks or abrasion. For the fishing I do, & the size fish I'll often hook, I'll use 20lb test tippets most of the time. Overkill, but better than having to worry too much about inadvertently killing fish because of the hook material.

 

Breaking off is going to happen no matter how well we try to prepare. :(

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flytyersdungeon.com for all of your Synthetic Hairs ... they have a Christmas box and it will be the best money you can spend on material

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Thanks Again

It is great to have a place for us beginners to turn for help. We can get hooks fairly local so I think we us our little bit of credit for some body material that we can't just find any where.

SC we have signed up for flytyersdungeon's newsletter and will be ordering a Christmas box and a Batifish box.

Thanks

Craig

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Real good advice so far. If I had only $25 to spend and start with, I would get bucktail (white and chartreuse), strung saddle hackles ( white, chartruese and maybe grizzly), krystal flash or flashabou in pearl (this can blend well with any color fly) and lead dumbell eyes size depending on the current, depth, etc where you fish. Start with deceivers, clousers and half n' half flies in chartruese over white and all white. On the next round of buying I would then go for marabou, rabbit, and synthetics like craft fur and polar fiber. Fly Tyer's Dungeon is great for synthetics but there are other products you will want for the salt like Super Hair and maybe SF Flashblend which are very tough and can stand up to the abuse of toothy fish like bluefish and mackerel.

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