"Upside down" flies (??)

[spig]

Hi,

What are the methods by which a fly can be fished "upside down", that is with the point of the hook on top? (excuse the terminology )

I have seen that dumbell eyes on the top of the shank (with the point at the bottom) makes the fly flip.

I was just wondering if there were any other methods.

Andrew

[Herman Jooste]

Hi,

What are the methods by which a fly can be fished "upside down", that is with the point of the hook on top? (excuse the terminology )

I have seen that dumbell eyes on the top of the shank (with the point at the bottom) makes the fly flip.

I was just wondering if there were any other methods.

Andrew

Andrew, not being a tyer(sp) I can't comment, but it looks as if you're going to have to glean the information you seek from elsewhere.

[MCC]

Andrew

I presume that you are only referring to Saltwater flies here?

As you say, the dumbell eyes will assist a fly to invert in the water. The wing of any fly, tied on the bend-side of the hook, will in fact be enough to make a fly swim upside down. A Keel-hook will further assist with this.

Without the heavy eyes you might however sometimes find that the fly will turn on its side when retrieved a high speed. It is here that the eyes helps as it acts as a keel for the fly.

MC

[BuzzLiteBeer]

Hi!

I sometimes tie in lead wire on top of the hookshank of my Woolly Buggers to invert them. Works reasonably well on smaller patterns where dumbell eyes are inappropriate. However, dumbells work better even though they are harder to cast with lighter tackle.

[spig]

Thanx for the response.

Buzz - I was also thinking along the lines of lead along the shank, but thought that small amount might not have much of an effect. I fish with a 5/6 weight and do battle a little with dumbell-eyed flies.

MC - I am thinking more along the lines of bass flies. Reason I want to try something apart from dumbell eyes is I have difficulty casting properly (probably a fault in my technique ) It has been my (limited) experience so far that inverted hooks snag less on all the cr@p where bass like to hide.

Maybe I should try exploring making my own dumbell eyes from really small beads? I'm sure I'll figure something out......experimentation is half the fun of tying, hey?

[gkieser]

Just a thought:

What if you tie lead on the top of the shank and a bit of foam along the underside of the shank and then tie your usual pattern over that?

I've never tried it but that should at least help them swing upside down?

[BuzzLiteBeer]

Hey Spig!!

You could try bathchain eyes instead of dumbells. They will be lighter and will make casting easier. (Won't feel like a sinker on your tippet).

The other option is to open your loop with heavier flies.

[Herman Jooste]

Another option could be to tie in a weedgaurd into your flies. Thecommercially tied poppers & mice I buy for bass have all got weedguards tied into them.

[MaXiMuM]

Before I comment, remember that a hook that rides inversed has more chance of damaging a fish, as it generally penetrates the top of the mouth.

I do the following:
1. Chose a hook that has a down turned eye. This helps the hook tip over.
2. Run a strip of lead along the top of the hook shank, to increase the centre of gravity.
3. Tie the fly with little or no other weight, try keep the materials neutral.

I do this often when tying smaller nymphs, ZAKs and Wooly Buggers. But I only do it in small sizes, and for specific reasons.

If you are tying for salt water species, the down turned eye, in conjunction with the dumbbell eyes, tied on top of the hook shank normally does the job.

[fish]

Hi Andrew,

If you weight a caddis hook (C-shape) or a hook like the Tiemco 200 R / Grip 14582 Hopper and Terrestrial, along the shank of the hook, the centre of gravity changes and is based at the top part of the hook shank when in the vice.

This can help when fishing rivers or gravel bottoms in still waters.