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AndrewP

Bendback patterns

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I have always liked the design of good bendback patterns. I never seem to tie with weedguards, so the few times I need a fly with the ability to be "slippery", I choose a bendback pattern.

 

Seeing if anyone else had any favorite bendback patterns they tie. This is a pretty standard tie that I do -- 1/0 hook, red wire, a stiffer fiber at the bottom, the EP fiber in different colors, a feather, flash, and a topping.

 

Anyone else have a favorite they'd share?

 

 

AP

 

bendback11_zpsa367741d.jpg

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Here's the Big Eye Bendback in three different colors... Done on a Mustad 34007 hook, I'll occasionally also weight the shank with 1/2 inch of .040 square lead wire as keel.... As effective as bendbacks are, remember not to use them for tarpon since they just won't work on them at all (something about the bend vs. the shape of a tarpon's mouth

 

tight lines

Bob LeMay

(954) 435-5666

post-30940-0-48113600-1370384327_thumb.jpg

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No particular favorite, and the one's I tie are similar to Capt Bob's. Tied with bucktail, some flash, grizzly sides & herl topping. I'll vary the body materials, usually chenille, cactus chenille or a braid as Capt Bob has done. With the exception of all white or all black, I also usually stick to something over white. All colors have some use. However, I have tied other colors, such as brown & tan, or black & purple.

 

Unless I'm mistaken, Capt Bob puts a slight bend in the 34007's. I don't even do that any more. I'll tie Bendbacks on the stainless hooks, and also on plated. Plated hooks don't like being bent, and too often will break, so I tie as is. Still works well.

 

I found a discontinued Owner hook that I like to tie Bendbacks on too. It's called a Longneck. Has a small rubber collar on the shank, which can be left, and aids in keeping the wing up, or removed & tied as you might any Bendback. I like it particularly well when fishing for LM bass.

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Here's another bendback pattern that shows the amount of bend I put in the hook shank... it's called the Neon Bendback and is done without a body at all.....

 

Tight lines

Bob LeMay

(954) 435-5666

post-30940-0-06803600-1370433338_thumb.jpg

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Gotta love than neon. I also got into the habit of tying BBs without bodies. There's sometimes a lot of weeds drifting in from dragging activity and BBs keep the snagging to a minimum, but the downside was that the bodies would only last a few casts in the rocks, even with epoxy coatings. No body, no problem.

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I love bendbacks and tie all sorts of variations. I have done real well on trout on the flats with these:

 

This one is coyote over buck tail. (link to recipe)

post-18514-0-36098500-1370438965_thumb.jpg

 

Black bear over over buck tail topped with peacock hurl (link)

post-18514-0-00340100-1370439054_thumb.jpg

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Andrew, I often do that with the wing when I'm using a fine material like Craft Fur or EP fibers. Adding a coarse underwing such as bucktail or kinky fiber gives the hook point a headstart getting through the often matted finer synthetics.

 

Kirk

 

Some Rattle Rousers that are a bendback with a rattle in the belly.

DSC_5618-1.jpg

 

These are some 3d Beer Belly bendbacks. A friend liked the look and shape of the Rattle Rouser but didn't want the rattle so I use leather lacing to build a tapered body on the hook shank and overwrap with crystal braid or tiny mylar tubing starting in the front, wrapping to the back and back up to the front again with a squirt of CA on the body before each wrap over.

3DBeerBellyDSC_0321-1-1_zps5a512e73.jpg

 

3DBeerBellyDSC_0322-2-1_zps2751b355.jpg

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Kirk: Love the name of the "3d Beer Belly BendBack" :) Well, and I like the technique/tie as well.

 

I stole this idea for a body for a bendback from Capt. Pat Damico out of Tampa -- he calls it a "Bendback Bead-Butt Baitfish" (love that name too!!! ) :)

 

 

2597336230049956418jEnSte_fs.jpg

 

 

 

AP

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Kirk, if you wanted a heavy version of the beer belly you could probably use those tungsten scud bodies to achieve the same effect

 

Awesome flies on this thread

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Thanks Andrew, nice ties btw.

AGN, they do have the right shape for that, I'm just so used to thinking light and shallow. It is kind of a paint to build the body up. That scud body would be good to put on a streamer hook and make a nice bottom bouncing, hook point up streamer for the cold water trout I'll bet.

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I had a little inspiration, and came up with a interesting idea for tying up a bendback using wire brush (home-made that Kirk has done or you could use the pre-made brushes of EP Fiber).

 

Tie up body of fly as you normally would.

 

Now tie the wing with two pieces of brush. Make sure the wire in the brush is long enough so that it goes back to just before the hook point (the fibers will extend much further back). Top the brush with something for contrast (or skip if you want)

 

The wire brush acts as a more-substantial "weed-guard" than regular EP fiber would. I have not wet-tested yet but I'm hoping there isn't enough weight in the wire to cause the fly to flip, otherwise might have to have more weight in the body of the fly.

 

Forgot the camera today so I'll have to post a pic later ....

 

 

AP

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Some really nice flies here...thought I would bump it back to the top for reference.

Think I may have to tie a couple this weekend.

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Good bump salty! I've only tied 1 ever, and that was after seing some bendbacks on this forum. May have to add some more to my box now.

 

This one was more intended for freshwater than salt, but I was happy how it turned out. May have to switch up materials and see how it works..

post-59266-0-17226800-1485574313_thumb.jpg

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