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Mark Knapp

Trim-less waste-less synth-fiber bait fish

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DSCF5442-X4.jpg

This is a trim-less waste-less synthetic fiber bait fish pattern with eyes that will not fall out.

DSCF5444-X4.jpg

The wet look.

Hook- 9/0 owner or other suitable streamer hook sized to suit.

Thread- white or clear mono

Eye post- 200-400 lb mono sized to suit eyes

Belly- white EP or comparable synthetic fiber

Throat red EP or comparable synthetic.

Body-white EP or comp. fiber

Wing- Black over dark gray over light gray over white EP of comp. synth. fiber.

Cheek- flashabou or comp. reflective strip.

Eye- brass, glass or comp. flat bead to suit.

Head- UV resin

This recipe solves a couple of problems I noticed while watching videos of streamers tied with synthetic fibers.

Since synthetic fibers aren't tapered like natural fibers, the fly needed to be tapered. Usually the fly is tied then the fly was tapered by trimming it from a rectangular shape into tear drop shape.

In trimming, a lot of material was wasted, it took quite a bit of time to tie the fly and trim it. Some tiers found it difficult to get the shape they wanted. The other problem I saw was difficult to keep eyes on the flies, especially where toothy critters were involved.

This recipe is fast and easy to tie, taking about the same time to tie as a bucktail. It's a nice shape, it wastes almost no material and it's durable.

DSCF5412-X4.jpg

Secure the hook in the vise up-side-down and tie in the eye post about 1/3 the length of the shank back from the eye of the hook Clouser style. The eye post should be long enough to melt the ends of it over the bead eyes, in this case 5/8ths of an inch long. Apply a drop of CA glue to the joint of the eye post and the hook shank to secure it.

DSCF5414-X4.jpg

Measure and cut the synthetic streamer fiber for the length of fly you want to make, in this case seven inches.For this fly I've separated a clump about 1 inch in diameter from the hank.

DSCF5415-X3.jpg

Separate 1/4 of your fiber bundle from the rest, that will be the belly, the rest will be the body of the fly. Next spread out and flatten each of the bundles to form two rectangles.

DSCF5416-X3.jpg

Then using long sharp scissors, cut diagonally across both rectangles from corner to corner to form four triangles, two large and two small.

DSCF5417-X4.jpg

You should have something that looks like this.

DSCF5418-X3.jpg

Flip one of the small triangles end for end, match the big ends of the small triangles and combine them you should now have three triangles that look like these. Do not combine the two clumps of body fibers, put them aside for now.

DSCF5419-X4.jpg

Invert the vise, trim the big end of the belly fibers and tie them in just ahead of the eye post. Measure a small clump of red fibers for length. It should be about 3/4 the length of the body of the fly.

DSCF5420-X4.jpg

Spread it into a rectangle like you did with the body and belly fibers. Cut the rectangle into two triangles.

DSCF5422-X4.jpg

Flip one of the two throat triangles and combine them. Tie them in over the belly.

DSCF5423-X4.jpg

Turn the fly right-side-up again, trim the big end of one of the clumps of body fibers (that we set aside a little bit ago) and tie it in on top of the shank, ahead of the eye post, on the near side of the bend of the hook. Trim the big end of the other body clump and tie it in on the far side of the bend of the hook next to the first clump. Trim the tag ends of the fibers ahead of the tie in to form a tapered head.

DSCF5424-X3.jpg

Measure and cut a clump of light grey fibers for the first wing, it should be about 1/2 the diameter of the body and just a little shorter than the body.

DSCF5425-X3.jpg

Spread, flatten and cut the clump diagonally like you did the others.

DSCF5426-X3.jpg

Flip one end for end and combine them.

DSCF5427-X3.jpg

Tie them in and trim the tag ends at an angle.

DSCF5430-X4.jpg

Repeat these steps again with the dark gray and the black. Each new color should be about half the diameter of, and just a little bit shorter than, the last one. Form a nice tapered head.

DSCF5433-X3.jpg

Next we need a lateral line (the cheeks). Tie in two or three strands of flashabou, holographic or iridescent Mylar strips on both sides of the head. They should run from the eye to the end of the tail. Whip finish the head. Remove the fly from the vise and comb out all the stray hairs. smooth the body and "marry" the fibers to form a tear drop shaped "fish".

DSCF5434-X3.jpg

Put the fly back in the vise and turn it on its side. Slip a disk bead, in this case a 3/8 dia. brass bead, over the eye post.

DSCF5435-X3.jpg

Lay a hackle guard over the eye and head of the fly to protect it and melt the monofilament with a lighter.

DSCF5437-X4.jpg

When the eye post is sufficiently melted remove the hackle guard and use it to squish the melted eye post down flat onto the flat bead.

DSCF5439-X3.jpg

It should look like this. Repeat for the eye on the other side.

DSCF5440-X3.jpg

Using thin UV resin cement the eyes into place. Using thick UV resin form a head and encapsulate the eyes.

DSCF5442-X4.jpg

It should look something like this.

 

 

 

 

 

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On 5/25/2020 at 10:10 PM, Mark Knapp said:

DSCF5442-X4.jpg

This is a trim-less waste-less synthetic fiber bait fish pattern with eyes that will not fall out.

DSCF5444-X4.jpg

The wet look.

Hook- 9/0 owner or other suitable streamer hook sized to suit.

Thread- white or clear mono

Eye post- 200-400 lb mono sized to suit eyes

Belly- white EP or comparable synthetic fiber

Throat red EP or comparable synthetic.

Body-white EP or comp. fiber

Wing- Black over dark gray over light gray over white EP of comp. synth. fiber.

Cheek- flashabou or comp. reflective strip.

Eye- brass, glass or comp. flat bead to suit.

Head- UV resin

This recipe solves a couple of problems I noticed while watching videos of streamers tied with synthetic fibers.

Since synthetic fibers aren't tapered like natural fibers, the fly needed to be tapered. Usually the fly is tied then the fly was tapered by trimming it from a rectangular shape into tear drop shape.

In trimming, a lot of material was wasted, it took quite a bit of time to tie the fly and trim it. Some tiers found it difficult to get the shape they wanted. The other problem I saw was difficult to keep eyes on the flies, especially where toothy critters were involved.

This recipe is fast and easy to tie, taking about the same time to tie as a bucktail. It's a nice shape, it wastes almost no material and it's durable.

DSCF5412-X4.jpg

Secure the hook in the vise up-side-down and tie in the eye post about 1/3 the length of the shank back from the eye of the hook Clouser style. The eye post should be long enough to melt the ends of it over the bead eyes, in this case 5/8ths of an inch long. Apply a drop of CA glue to the joint of the eye post and the hook shank to secure it.

DSCF5414-X4.jpg

Measure and cut the synthetic streamer fiber for the length of fly you want to make, in this case seven inches.For this fly I've separated a clump about 1 inch in diameter from the hank.

DSCF5415-X3.jpg

Separate 1/4 of your fiber bundle from the rest, that will be the belly, the rest will be the body of the fly. Next spread out and flatten each of the bundles to form two rectangles.

DSCF5416-X3.jpg

Then using long sharp scissors, cut diagonally across both rectangles from corner to corner to form four triangles, two large and two small.

DSCF5417-X4.jpg

You should have something that looks like this.

DSCF5418-X3.jpg

Flip one of the small triangles end for end, match the big ends of the small triangles and combine them you should now have three triangles that look like these. Do not combine the two clumps of body fibers, put them aside for now.

DSCF5419-X4.jpg

Invert the vise, trim the big end of the belly fibers and tie them in just ahead of the eye post. Measure a small clump of red fibers for length. It should be about 3/4 the length of the body of the fly.

DSCF5420-X4.jpg

Spread it into a rectangle like you did with the body and belly fibers. Cut the rectangle into two triangles.

DSCF5422-X4.jpg

Flip one of the two throat triangles and combine them. Tie them in over the belly.

DSCF5423-X4.jpg

Turn the fly right-side-up again, trim the big end of one of the clumps of body fibers (that we set aside a little bit ago) and tie it in on top of the shank, ahead of the eye post, on the near side of the bend of the hook. Trim the big end of the other body clump and tie it in on the far side of the bend of the hook next to the first clump. Trim the tag ends of the fibers ahead of the tie in to form a tapered head.

DSCF5424-X3.jpg

Measure and cut a clump of light grey fibers for the first wing, it should be about 1/2 the diameter of the body and just a little shorter than the body.

DSCF5425-X3.jpg

Spread, flatten and cut the clump diagonally like you did the others.

DSCF5426-X3.jpg

Flip one end for end and combine them.

DSCF5427-X3.jpg

Tie them in and trim the tag ends at an angle.

DSCF5430-X4.jpg

Repeat these steps again with the dark gray and the black. Each new color should be about half the diameter of, and just a little bit shorter than, the last one. Form a nice tapered head.

DSCF5433-X3.jpg

Next we need a lateral line (the cheeks). Tie in two or three strands of flashabou, holographic or iridescent Mylar strips on both sides of the head. They should run from the eye to the end of the tail. Whip finish the head. Remove the fly from the vise and comb out all the stray hairs. smooth the body and "marry" the fibers to form a tear drop shaped "fish".

DSCF5434-X3.jpg

Put the fly back in the vise and turn it on its side. Slip a disk bead, in this case a 3/8 dia. brass bead, over the eye post.

DSCF5435-X3.jpg

Lay a hackle guard over the eye and head of the fly to protect it and melt the monofilament with a lighter.

DSCF5437-X4.jpg

When the eye post is sufficiently melted remove the hackle guard and use it to squish the melted eye post down flat onto the flat bead.

DSCF5439-X3.jpg

It should look like this. Repeat for the eye on the other side.

DSCF5440-X3.jpg

Using thin UV resin cement the eyes into place. Using thick UV resin form a head and encapsulate the eyes.

DSCF5442-X4.jpg

It should look something like this.

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks, Mark.... Great fly produced and technique shown transfers to other materials and hook sizes.  Wish we had more species that required 9/0 hooks,  guess that is why we have “road trips.”

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2 hours ago, Flat Rock native said:

Thanks, Mark.... Great fly produced and technique shown transfers to other materials and hook sizes.  Wish we had more species that required 9/0 hooks,  guess that is why we have “road trips.”

Thanks bud. Yes, I'll tie this fly in any size. It's just so much faster than the other fish fur recipes I've seen.

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6 hours ago, richmce said:

well done step by step.   thats one big hook!

Thanks Rich. Yes it's a big hook, we fish flies this big for halibut, ling cod and big pike. I'll tie them smaller for other stuff like trout and rock fish.

If you like you can see a 92 pound halibut caught on a similar fly here

and you can see all my videos here.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyTvd2Qcpy2KOcxdqpI_Btw

Thanks again.

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Mark, I somehow missed this in May.  Very cool way to taper materials.   This is one of those, "now why didn't I think of that?"  Very much an improvement  for tying streamers with synthetic material. 👏

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Brilliant Mark.

Where do you buy the eyes, and do they come smaller say 7 or 8 mm?

Update: Didn’t realize this was an older post.

looks like disc beads are available as a jewelry item at craft stores in many sizes and materials.

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On 10/25/2020 at 9:10 AM, fshng2 said:

Brilliant Mark.

Where do you buy the eyes, and do they come smaller say 7 or 8 mm?

Update: Didn’t realize this was an older post.

looks like disc beads are available as a jewelry item at craft stores in many sizes and materials.

Sorry I missed this. If you don't quote the guy you are asking, he doesn't get a memo that you replied. Yes, many sizes from jewelry suppliers.

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On 10/22/2020 at 3:47 AM, DarrellP said:

Mark, I somehow missed this in May.  Very cool way to taper materials.   This is one of those, "now why didn't I think of that?"  Very much an improvement  for tying streamers with synthetic material. 👏

Thanks Bud.

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