Saltwater Myakka Minnow

[mikemac1 0]

Materials List

Hook: Umpqua XS410-NI5X #1 or 1/0

Thread: Fine mono

Weight: 10-15 turns of .015 lead free wire

Tail: Polarflash (other suitable tailing material includes long furs like finn raccoon or arctic fox, bucktail or deceiver style hackle although they are not as durable as Polarflash or Flashabou)

Body:  Hairline Flat Diamond Braid

Back: Polarflash

Eyes: 8 or 10mm holographic eyes

Weed Guard: 30-40# Hard Mono (optional)

Throat: Dyed UV Resin (red or orange)

Coated with Thick UV resin (much cheaper generic hard jewelry resin)

Create a thread base with fine mono thread.

Wrap 10-15 turns of lead free wire mid shank.

For the bottom section of the tail select 5-10 full length strands of Polarflash.  Fold in half and tie in the hank at the hook been at a point that creates the tail length you want (~1.5-2”).  Fold the remaining hank back over the tail, tie in and trim to length.

For the top section of the tail, repeat the above process with a darker color of Polarflash but do not trim the upper section of the Polarflash hank.

Using the flat diamond braid tie in at the hook bend just over the tail tie in.  Wind the mono thread forward to the hook eye and secure with a couple of half hitches.

Using a bobbin hanger to keep your bobbin away from the body slowly rotate your vise and wrap the flat braid forward to the hook eye then back and forth to create a minnow shape.  The body near the hook eye should be at least twice the diameter of the body at the tail.  Secure the braid by taking one wrap behind the braid, pulling the brain back along the side the body and secure with multiple thread wraps.  Trim.

Create the back by pulling the upper section of tailing Polarflash forward along the top of the body.  Secure with a couple of tight wraps at the hook eye then fold the remaining flash back toward the hook bend.  Secure with tight wrap around the entire body from the tail to the hook eye.  Trim any extra flash beyond the hook bend.  Secure the thread at the hook eye with a couple of half hitches.  Cement with a small amount of UV resin before trimming the mono thread.

Using 8 or 10mm Holographic Stick-on Eyes, place the eyes on each side of the body at the thickest portion of the body behind the hook eye.  Use a small amount of UV resin between the top of the eyes to secure.

Mix a small amount of red or orange dyed UV resin and coat the space between the eyes on the bottom of the body and cure.

[Optional] If a weed guard is desired, add it immediately after creating the throat.  Take of 2” piece of 30-40# hard mono and flatten one end ~1/8” with a pilers and bend 45 degrees.  Using forceps or pilers, hold the flattened end of the mono along the bottom of the throat.  Add a drop of UV resin and cure.  Trim the mono to the desired length.

Start coating the entire body with small amounts of UV resin and cure.  Ensure some resin covers the entire surface of the eyes.  Once the entire fly is covered in resin and cured, coat with a thin coating of Sally Hansen nail finish.

[DarrellP 0]

Nice job!

[feathers5 0]

Very nice job.

 

[ksevigny 0]

That looks great!! 

[WWKimba 0]

Ever tie one's with glow-in-the-dark coatings/materials?  They work great in dim light/night fishing situations as well a muddy/heavy colored water situations.  Just add the glow on BEFORE the epoxy/UV coat.

Kim