Cyclops

[Kirk Dietrich 0]

I developed the Cyclops in the winter of 1999 for Capt. Mark Brockhoeft of Big Red Guides at his request for a deep water fly that was more durable and better sinking than many of the popular bead chain and dumbbell weighted type flies. Redfish on the interior marshes around New Orleans will gather in large schools in the shallow lakes and bays when the north winds drain the duck ponds where they usually reside. Capt Mark reported more than several trips that his clients caught 75 + redfish. In fact, he said he had the same client two days in a row and fished with the same Cyclops and caught 75 redfish each day, it would have caught more but after the 75th fish on the second day, he cut it off the line for the client to keep as a souvenir.

I have since caught Speckled Trout (Spotted Sea Trout), Largemouth Bass and Catfish.

I tie it on both the 34007 and the jig hook. I'm finding I like the Eagle Claw 60 degree jig hook better for keeping it riding hook point up.

 

Material List:

Hook: Eagle Claw 413 jig hook or Mustad 34007 or equiv. Sizes 4 - 2/0

Weight: 1/8 inch wide strip lead sold by Cascade Crest Tools (http://www.cascadecrest.com/)

Head: Optic Eye hollow split bead sold by Cascade Crest Tools

Tail: Kinky Fiber, Bucktail, calftail, etc.

Flash: Krystal flash or Flashabou

Body: Cactus Chenille or Estaz and Vernille or Chenille

Weedguard: 15 - 20 lb Hard Mason

 

STEP 1: Cut a piece of lead wire up to 1 ¼” long, shorter if you want less weight but no more because the Optic Eye won’t fit over the finished ball. For a shallow water version, omit the lead and go to step 2. Wrap or rather roll the lead on hook shank by wrapping onto itself like a cinnamon roll. It helps to put a little bend in the tip of the lead and pinch it on; it can be frustrating sometimes getting started but once you get that first wrap, it rolls right up easily.

 

STEP 2: Select appropriate size Optic Eye. If it doesn’t fit over the lead, open the eye up a bit by putting a hemostat or needle nosed pliers into the opening and then spreading the jaws to open the Optic Eye. Put the eye over the lead and squeeze closed with the pliers. The hollow bead as opposed to a solid bead allows you to vary the weight within.

 

STEP 3: Start thread behind eye and wrap thread back about a third of the way into the hook bend. If using a jig hook, you can stop at the beginning of the hook bend; the jig hook will not need assistance from the angled up tail to turn it over to ride hook point up. Material can be tied straight off the back if using a jig hook.

 

STEP 4: Select a small bunch of kinky fibre the size of pencil lead (usually the bunch is twice as long or longer than what I need so, I double it over and cut in half). Tie in the bunch until secure. Trim butts at a taper. By tying the hair down in to the bend a little, it helps to flip the fly over and ride hook point up.

 

STEP 5: Wrap thread forward covering the butts and forming a smooth underbody.

 

STEP 6: Tie in flash material. At the ends of the tail butt taper, tie in your flash material and wrap back toward the rear and your tail tie in point.

 

STEP 7: Tie in the Estaz and vernille and take the thread back to the head.

 

STEP 8: Cut a length of mono for your weedguard. It should be long enough that when attached near the hook eye and made into a loop, the loop is about 1 ½ times longer than the hook gape. Prepare the weedguard by folding it over and aligning the tips. Smash the tips simultaneously in your tying vise or with a hemostat unless you have another way of tying a forked weedguard, then proceed with what you know. The flattened tips should be about the length of the hook eye.

 

STEP 9: Behind the split bead, tie down the flattened ends of the mono weedguard with several wraps. While the feet are still visible, put a drop of Zap-a-Gap on them. Wrap over the ends and take thread to the back of the bead. Or use your favorite tie in method here.

 

STEP 10: Wrap Vernille forward but not with each wrap touching each other but not spaced far apart either. The Estaz will be wrapped next in between the wraps of Vernille. Tie off Vernille with, two or three wraps, on the hook point side of the weed guard. This soft material under the Estaz can be skipped but I feel it helps hold the fish slime from the fish you catch to make it smelly and help attract other fishes.

 

STEP 11: Wrap estaz forward in between the wraps of Vernille. Tie off estaz in-between the weedguard and bead head. Whip finish. That wrap will prop up the weedguard where I like it.

 

STEP 12: Cut the loop off the weedguard at a point that when you bend the weedguard down it extends rearward just past the hook point.

 

STEP 13: Trim the estaz body flat on the side opposite the hookpoint. Apply a bead of Zap-a-Gap on top of the trimmed side of the body for the length of the hookshank. You can also put some Zap onto the thread wraps and into the split bead as well. Trimming the bottom off like this allows the CA glue to penetrate the materials and adhere them to the hook to make it bullet proof. Also, it helps ensure the fly will turn over.

 

FINISHED FLY

 

TIED ON EAGLE CLAW 413 JIG HOOK

 

VARIATION WITH HEN NECK SPLAYED TAIL

 

VARIATION WITH DUBBED BODY

 

VARIATION WITH SILICONE LEGS

[FlyFishin'Jam 0]

Looks deadly, especially like how this will ride hook point up, often just placing bead chain or weight on a hook will not do that so i love this! With weed guard could throw into some cover. Awesome work! You had me at 'cinnamon roll' Mmmm just gotta find some of those optic eyes.

[NJ All Day 0]

Look likes it would be a good carp pattern

[Kirk Dietrich 0]

Jam, it really is effective. Tying the tail that way and trimming the fibers from the bottom does help it turn over with a regular hook as the weight is equal around the shank. With a jig hook you don't have to tie the hair in to the bend but many people don't have or don't like tying on a jig hook so that is why I posted steps on a regular hook.

 

NJ, never tried it on carp but don't see why not. It is basically a bead head fly but the versatility coming in with the split bead and ability to tie the same sized fly with different amounts of weight but the same sized head.

 

Thanks,

Kirk

[agn54 0]

Really cool looking flies, Kirk. Look like they will be deadly around the sawgrass and oysters on the Gulf coast