Baitfish pattern

[karstopo]

Tied these using Steve Farrar Blend. Hope to try them in the surf soon.

I did get to see in action a Casey Smartt Dead Head minnow I tied using EP fibers. Looked great in the water and loved the action. The minnow turned out to be neutrally buoyant and look a lot like a pilchard minnow.

These little sardines were in the Surfside surf Thursday. My kids and I drug a minnow seine and picked up these along with a tiny flounder, a few tiny puffers, small whiting, and other assorted baitfish including some mid sized mullet.

[SurfRunner]

Tied these using Steve Farrar Blend. Hope to try them in the surf soon.

I did get to see in action a Casey Smartt Dead Head minnow I tied using EP fibers. Looked great in the water and loved the action. The minnow turned out to be neutrally buoyant and look a lot like a pilchard minnow.

These little sardines were in the Surfside surf Thursday. My kids and I drug a minnow seine and picked up these along with a tiny flounder, a few tiny puffers, small whiting, and other assorted baitfish including some mid sized mullet.

I am going to have to tie myself up some of those dead head minnows.

There should be some trout in the surf now! Surely someone has caught some by now!

[karstopo]

Tied these using Steve Farrar Blend. Hope to try them in the surf soon.

I did get to see in action a Casey Smartt Dead Head minnow I tied using EP fibers. Looked great in the water and loved the action. The minnow turned out to be neutrally buoyant and look a lot like a pilchard minnow.

These little sardines were in the Surfside surf Thursday. My kids and I drug a minnow seine and picked up these along with a tiny flounder, a few tiny puffers, small whiting, and other assorted baitfish including some mid sized mullet.

I am going to have to tie myself up some of those dead head minnows.

There should be some trout in the surf now! Surely someone has caught some by now!

I've heard the trout are there. May get a chance to slip out today if weather cooperates. There is plenty of bait in the surf. I saw this first hand Thursday, but the surf was too rough to fish early in the day when I was out in it.

[SurfRunner]

Tied these using Steve Farrar Blend. Hope to try them in the surf soon.

I did get to see in action a Casey Smartt Dead Head minnow I tied using EP fibers. Looked great in the water and loved the action. The minnow turned out to be neutrally buoyant and look a lot like a pilchard minnow.

These little sardines were in the Surfside surf Thursday. My kids and I drug a minnow seine and picked up these along with a tiny flounder, a few tiny puffers, small whiting, and other assorted baitfish including some mid sized mullet.

I am going to have to tie myself up some of those dead head minnows.

There should be some trout in the surf now! Surely someone has caught some by now!

I've heard the trout are there. May get a chance to slip out today if weather cooperates. There is plenty of bait in the surf. I saw this first hand Thursday, but the surf was too rough to fish early in the day when I was out in it.

It's time. All we need is a window of opportunity.

[jimithing]

It's looking like a good week if it holds up of course. Been tying a bunch of these and they're waiting to get bit along with my chuggers...

[karstopo]

Those look nice, is that EP or some other fiber?

[jimithing]

It's ep

[rayb]

What is EP?

[karstopo]

What is EP?

http://www.epflies.com/estore/category/4878" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Enrico Pulgisi fiber. Synthetic, hydrophobic.

[rayb]

Thanks
What size and style hooks?
Thanks for this also

[Ron Mc]

...
These little sardines were in the Surfside surf Thursday. My kids and I drug a minnow seine and picked up these along with a tiny flounder, a few tiny puffers, small whiting, and other assorted baitfish including some mid sized mullet.

hi-tie is the simplest and most-effective salt baitfish pattern, IMO.

[karstopo]

Thanks
What size and style hooks?
Thanks for this also

I used a size 4 Mustad 34007 hook in this case. I bet there are better hooks to use on a high tie style fly. The 34007 hook is pretty inexpensive. Do a search on high tie or steve farrar baitfish and the pros will give you a clue on what they use. Or someone here with more experience will share what they use.

The ones I tied I haven't even gotten them wet yet (stinking weather and commitments) and I have no clue as to how they will perform. I promise if I go out there and slay the fish on these I will post that these flies tied this way are great. At this point they are a ?.

I enjoy tying and enjoy catching fish on flies I tie. But I am no expert. There are lots of videos of the experts. I like looking at the videos, but sometimes I like making little modifications that make sense to me. I've got a backlog of flies I have tied and never gotten wet. My neighbor recently picked up fly fishing and I have given him some flies I tied. He hasn't been able to get out either. Brazoria county weather has been broken for a quite a while. Maybe May will be better.

[karstopo]

I went back to the In the riffle video. He used a tiemco 600 style hook, didn't hear the size

Tiemco 600SP = ~$1.50/hook for size 2
Mustad 34007= ~$.25/hook for size 2

[texasag07]

Good looking flies. If for some reason the high ties don't sink good enough you can take a pair of scissors and thin out the amount of material by trimming it near the hook shank, just do small amounts at a time until you get your desired sink rate.

I personally don't use the mustad 34007. They take way to much time to sharpen to the quality of point that I want.

My motto for tying is that life's to short to tie with bad hooks.

I typically use gamakatsu hooks cause they are rediculously sharp right out of the box and stay sharp.

The tiemco 600 so is possibly my favorite hook due to its sharpness, but is to expensive in my opinion to tie on for anything but tarpon.

Other great hooks that are more budget based is anything in the Owner Aki line that has the cutting point.

The only mustad hooks I tie on that are very reasonable price wise as well are the C70SD. They are a slightly cheaper quality version of Gamakatsu's Sl-12s. They come with really nice point out of the box.

Sorry for the derailment.

[karstopo]

I like the Gamakatsu SL11-3H. I don't like their SC-15. Wire seems too fine. But you are right, they come very sharp. And those Mustad 34007 aren't very sharp, I always have to manually put on an edge. I'll have to check some of the other models you mentioned.

I did 3 hi-tie flies. The last one I used less material and had to trim less to shape. I'll try them and keep in mind that I can take off more fiber should they not sink well. ThanksThanks for the input.

[karstopo]

...
These little sardines were in the Surfside surf Thursday. My kids and I drug a minnow seine and picked up these along with a tiny flounder, a few tiny puffers, small whiting, and other assorted baitfish including some mid sized mullet.

hi-tie is the simplest and most-effective salt baitfish pattern, IMO.

I can't wait to try these. Its fun for me to see how they swim and it will be even better if some predator falls for one.

[rayb]

What was the fly that Casey Smart tied on a jig hook. One of his last articles in the saltwater mag showed it. That was before I came into the light and decided I would put my fat fingers to the test.

[Animal Chris]

Try Bob Popovics Surf Candy. Matches it to a tee.

[karstopo]

Try Bob Popovics Surf Candy. Matches it to a tee.

I've made a few of those, yours look better, but my issue is just getting out on the water. I have vowed to do better this year, but so far work and weather have eaten me up

I need to invest in a UV cure gel and light. Anyone have a favorite? I've used the 5 minute epoxy and am about ready to upgrade

[SurfRunner]

I use clear cure goo. It is great for quick work. But if I am not in a hurry for my flies, I use flex coat and turn it on my rod lathe while it dries.

The flex coat takes a day to cure but it dries evenly, easier to apply, and looks a little better - To me anyway.

[karstopo]

I bought a cheap UV light ($7)off Amazon and 3 pack of Solarez gel.

[eightweight]

Yes, nice flies. One of my go-to flies is similar bait fish, black over purple tied with EP fibers on a Gamakatsu SC15 size 2.

Very much agree with texasag07 on hooks. Gamakatsu hooks are pretty much all I use. Wicked sharp right out of the box. The soft stainless steel of the Mustad 34007 just won't take a point like the hard, high carbon steel of the Gamakatsu. Run the point of the hook across your thumbnail. If it sticks, it's sharp. Yes, the Gamakatsu SC-15 wire looks thin. But that just helps it penetrate a fish's lip. It's a strong hook. The Gamakatsu tends to snap, rather than bend open. It's hard and brittle. But I've never had a redfish break one.

I do love the Tiemco 600 SP, but like texasag07, I reserve it for Tarpon flies cause they're just too expensive.

[karstopo]

Yes, nice flies. One of my go-to flies is similar bait fish, black over purple tied with EP fibers on a Gamakatsu SC15 size 2.

Very much agree with texasag07 on hooks. Gamakatsu hooks are pretty much all I use. Wicked sharp right out of the box. The soft stainless steel of the Mustad 34007 just won't take a point like the hard, high carbon steel of the Gamakatsu. Run the point of the hook across your thumbnail. If it sticks, it's sharp. Yes, the Gamakatsu SC-15 wire looks thin. But that just helps it penetrate a fish's lip. It's a strong hook. The Gamakatsu tends to snap, rather than bend open. It's hard and brittle. But I've never had a redfish break one.

I do love the Tiemco 600 SP, but like texasag07, I reserve it for Tarpon flies cause they're just too expensive.

Thanks for the tips. I'm buying the gamakatsu hooks these days. I bought some mustard 34007 early on and they aren't the best, but are good to work out my tying skills. I got to try the high ties briefly in the calm clear surfside surf and loved the action and sink rate. Didn't get any hits in the midday mid beach area, but neither did my fishing partner soaking bait nor did I see anyone else get anything of note. Lots of mullet of all sizes filled the surf and some tiny bait too. 1/4 of a mile offshore, something was crushing bait, but whatever it was, it didn't come in range.

[hipshot]

eightweight said, "Yes, the Gamakatsu SC-15 wire looks thin. But that just helps it penetrate a fish's lip. It's a strong hook. The Gamakatsu tends to snap, rather than bend open. It's hard and brittle. But I've never had a redfish break one."

Those SC15s are what let me get serious about using my 2 weight in the salt. They run a bit smaller than the Billy Pates and the 34007s I've been using, but they are much lighter. Even in a #8, by the time I add a beadhead or some beadchain to get the fly down, the 34007s were a bit heavy for longer casts on my 2 weight. I got some #4 SC15s, which are about the size of the #6 in a Pate or a Mustad 34007, but with a shorter shank. I weighed the hooks on my digital RCBS Powder Pro. Ten of the #4 SC15s weighed 13.4 grains (there are 7,000 grains in a pound), for a 1.34 grain average. Seven (all I had on hand) of the #6 34007s weighed 18.7 grains, for a 2.67 grain average. Ten of the #6 Billy Pates weighed 34.8 grains, for a 3.48 grain average. So the #6 Pates weigh nearly 2 1/2 times the weight of the #4 SC15s, and the #6 34007s are about twice the weight of the #4 SC15s.

With a #4 SC15, a 5/32" beadhead, and a tuft of marabou or crystal flash and a couple of wraps of estaz, I have a fly that I can consistently cast 60' on a 9' leader with the 2 weight. The beadhead will get it down to the fish quickly enough. It looks flimsy but it's not. We got into a bunch of 18" to 20" specks at Goose Island last Thanksgiving, and even after switching from a 4 lb. test tippet to an 8 lb. test tippet because of chewoffs, I could horse those fish as hard as the 2 weight rod would let me, and still never had a hook fail. I hooked something that took about half of my backing real quick before it fell off the hook, but the hook never failed. I wouldn't be afraid to throw them on my heavier rods with a 12 lb. tippet, although I probably wouldn't put as much pressure on them as I could. I also have some redfish flies tied on #1 SC15s, and those will take all the pressure I can put on them with a 12 lb. tippet, and more.

[SurfRunner]

Yes, nice flies. One of my go-to flies is similar bait fish, black over purple tied with EP fibers on a Gamakatsu SC15 size 2.

Very much agree with texasag07 on hooks. Gamakatsu hooks are pretty much all I use. Wicked sharp right out of the box. The soft stainless steel of the Mustad 34007 just won't take a point like the hard, high carbon steel of the Gamakatsu. Run the point of the hook across your thumbnail. If it sticks, it's sharp. Yes, the Gamakatsu SC-15 wire looks thin. But that just helps it penetrate a fish's lip. It's a strong hook. The Gamakatsu tends to snap, rather than bend open. It's hard and brittle. But I've never had a redfish break one.

I do love the Tiemco 600 SP, but like texasag07, I reserve it for Tarpon flies cause they're just too expensive.

Thanks for the tips. I'm buying the gamakatsu hooks these days. I bought some mustard 34007 early on and they aren't the best, but are good to work out my tying skills. I got to try the high ties briefly in the calm clear surfside surf and loved the action and sink rate. Didn't get any hits in the midday mid beach area, but neither did my fishing partner soaking bait nor did I see anyone else get anything of note. Lots of mullet of all sizes filled the surf and some tiny bait too. 1/4 of a mile offshore, something was crushing bait, but whatever it was, it didn't come in range.

not to get off topic, but i tried the SS surf Friday about mid day and had the exact same experience. Somebody between San Luis pass and Surfside somewhere had to have gotten into them. Everything was right.....I think those were jacks out past the 3rd bar. To stay on topic, I like the gama's too! LOL!