Fly Candy

To be honest I've just about had enough of winter here and cant wait for spring now. Unfortunately that wont be for another month, so I'm left dreaming about the good old days until then. Anyway I tied up some sand eel fry yesterday for my ever dwindling sea bass box. I had 20 or so of each of these flies last year but have given so many of them away to mates I needed to replenish stocks. These also come with a single sprig of long bucktail just to add a slight bit of bulk to the fly.I generally try to have the microbarb saddles protrude out around 2 inches past the bucktail which allows them to really wiggle when you retrieve the fly back.

Fly Candy

Some saltwater fry hot of the vice. Tails are a mix of bucktail and a couple of peacock hurl feathers for lateral lines.

Once the tails have been tied off I then wrap 3 or 4 strands of holographic tinsel along the hook shaft to build it up. I then added Cherry red 4 strand flat floss to the front of the fly near the hook eye and tie off. Then I add Gold/orange 4 strand flat floss to the rear of the fly. Stuck a couple of gold 3D eyes on and bug-bonded the whole head area

This one has white bucktail under belly followed by yellow for the flanks then turquoise finished off with a couple of ostrich hurl feathers.

This one has white bucktail under belly then pink for the flanks and then black with some ostrich hurl feathers for lateral lines.

This one has a white bucktail underbelly then I added some baby pink for its flank then some light blue bucktail and peacock hurls for lateral lines

Replot Sand eels

Feathers feature heavily on my flies. They're not everyone's cup of tea but I just find they impart a fantastic action once submerged under water especially if you combine them with a smattering of tinsel. Although they are supposed to be sand eel imitations for the Sea bass (Striper) market, I' sure they would be good for a multitude of other salt & fresh water species as well.



These are some Juvenile sand ells 90 mm long. For the tail and main body I Combined small helpings of white slinky fiber with small sprigs of white bucktail with a few strands of Silver FFF krinkle flash,blue frizz fiber,Purple UV krinkle flash and a couple of peacock hurl feathers for lateral lines.

With the heads I wrapped Holographic Xmas Tinsel around the hook shaft up to the hook eye. Super glued a couple of 3D eyes on and then Bugbonded over them. This has not only given the fly a slight bit of weight ....which I was looking for, but has brought out the holographic tinsel along the hook shaft nicely.

Striper sand eels

Some more Saltwater cross over flies. Primarily for Striper Bass, these sand ells at 100 mm long could be used for any number of other salt & freshwater species.

Replot sand eel tied with white microbarb saddle hackles.A splash of pearl FFF crinkle flash and a couple of grizzly microbarb saddles for latteral lines.The head is Hot Orange crystal flash chenille

Replot sand eel Juvenile Tied with Brown and grizzly microbarb saddles.Some gold FFF crystal flash and the head is Black UV polar chenille with gold holographic eyes epoxied on with 5 min epoxy

Replot sand eel variation tied with white and brown microbarb saddles & the head is Olive UV polar chenille with gold epoxied holographic eyes.

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