Salty Bugger - Step by Step

[poppernel]

You have a point there, but I thought you were refering to something corrosive when you mentioned metal. You obviously mean metal alloy, or stainless steel. My apology...I had a slight brain fart! Happens at my age.

ALLS COOL, have had a couple of them brain farts myself lately.

[Adrian]

HI Adrian,

Replace brass beadeyes on this fly with metal beadeyes for saltwater.

Dave

Hi Dave

Thanks man for the advice i never even gave that a thought , will get some at the local hardware. Still new in salt and trying some different creations . Just have to buy a ladder now for the wife to change fan speeds

[Adrian]

Chris you're letting the team down, surely you know that braas isnt metal! Think Nkula's right though

The only tip I can give you is too use a slightly bigger size chennile and to pull the previous strands back towards the tail before each consecutive wrap of chennile. This helps traps less of the chennile fibres and gives the fly a bit more movement. Another tip, but you might have done it, is too pinch off the marabou rather than cut it - its not critical but just results in a more natural looking fly.

Thanks Jock0

Will give that a shot this evening

[ShaunF]

Hi Dave

Thanks man for the advice i never even gave that a thought , will get some at the local hardware. Still new in salt and trying some different creations . Just have to buy a ladder now for the wife to change fan speeds

LOL ! I was wondering about how the fan is now operated ! Nicely done Adrian, and I'll second Liams suggestion about using a site like photobucket to host your images, it just makes the thread flow better and also allows you to use bigger images.

[Adrian]

LOL ! I was wondering about how the fan is now operated ! Nicely done Adrian, and I'll second Liams suggestion about using a site like photobucket to host your images, it just makes the thread flow better and also allows you to use bigger images.

Thanks Shaun , the challenge you posted got me out of my comfort zone

[ShaunF]

Thanks Shaun , the challenge you posted got me out of my comfort zone

That's the only way to learn, to continuously kick ourselves out of our comfort zone and open ourselves up to criticism.

[Chris Shelton]

That's the only way to learn, to continuously kick ourselves out of our comfort zone and open ourselves up to criticism.

I couldn't agree more!!!

[Conrad Botes]

Regarding beads or dumbell eyes:

I think it's better to use dumbell or bead chain as it will allow the hook to ride up through the water. If you fish over rocky areas you'll have hookups or blunt hooks very quickly using round beads. My favourite dumbells are dark coloured 4mm brass. Heavy for their size, but unfortunaterl no-one stocks it anymore.

Here's a pic of a blacktail I caught on a #8 chartreuse salty bugger a week and a half ago.

[Chris Shelton]

Regarding beads or dumbell eyes:

I think it's better to use dumbell or bead chain as it will allow the hook to ride up through the water. If you fish over rocky areas you'll have hookups or blunt hooks very quickly using round beads. My favourite dumbells are dark coloured 4mm brass. Heavy for their size, but unfortunaterl no-one stocks it anymore.

Here's a pic of a blacktail I caught on a #8 chartreuse salty bugger a week and a half ago.

Hey well done Conrad! Now that's new frontier stuff....great to hear you are having success!!

[deewy]

Well for starters, i've never seen brass used on a saltwater fly, have you.

Just a point that i have picked up here. Most dumbell eye are brass, except the lead and aluminium ones. Brass can not corrode in water, why do you think all taps are made from brass, because it lasts in water, and it is a very good material for saltwater. Brass is a mixture off copper and zink. You get 2 types of brass, DZR(de-zinification resitant) brass and not DZR brass. The DZR brass will not be attaced by the water as the copper and zink mixture is ballanced. Non DZR brass will corode due to the water absorbing all the zink in the mixture. This will happen when the material is constantly exposed to water and especialy softer water. This is also the reason why you get pin holes in your copper pies and ending up spending a lott of money on a plumber. Just some useless info that I thout you might find interesting.

I would by far use a brass dumbell eye than a mettle one but unfortunatly the bead chain eyes that you get is normal steel wire. This WILL rust if you dont look after it. I use it on all mu saltybuggers and it works a charm. The thing with this fly is that because its either tied all white, all chartreuse, all black or what ever colour you are using it doesnt realy matter what way the hook are swimming. Simply because it would not have an effect on the "look" of the fly to the fish you are trying to catch. This is by far the best subsurface search pattern out there af the clouser. Leeries, elf and skipjack just cant leave them alone. I have 2 ways off tying that produce for me, marrabou tail and zonker tail, the zonker tail outfishes the marrabou 9 times out of 10. Then I also like to tie it with a chartreuse tail and white body, elf just love it that way and I always have atleast 5 Zonker and 5 Chartreuse tail saltybuggers in my box.
This fly does very well when tied with a cone head, thats just a tad heavier than your beadchain to give a nice jiggy action. Or simply tie it without any weight and have fun on the 4wt and some shad.