I stopped into Atlantic Outfitters yesterday for some supplies and mentioned to John Thompson, the owner, that I’m getting ready for my northern pike outing next month. He pulled this from his tying table, a creation from one of his weekly tying classes, and gave it to me to test for results. Looks to be pike nasty, maybe even muskie nasty, so we’ll see what goes down.
Copped this idea when I saw a version on the vise at Atlantic Outfitters. Not sure if they came up with the idea but I’d never seen it before at least. I brought home some Mustad 1/0 O’Shaugnessy hooks to give it a go.
It’s not really a bendback because you don’t have to physically alter the hook, but it’s the same principle. I tried something similar with bass hooks a while ago but gave that up because I didn’t like how they swam.
I like how these swim so far. Good vertical jigging action with a slow retrieve, and they bounce well along bottom. Now I just need to get down to my Florida ditches for some serious recon.
UPDATE: Here is an article by Henry Cowen about the development of using 60-degree jig hooks for fly tying.
My buddy Ovi saw a guy from Atlantic Outfitters tying saltwater patterns at a Fishing Expo and curing the heads with a UV light. Ovi told me about it.
All my flies have brown heads. This acrylic head gunk supposedly cures clear. I found a thread from 2006 started by Bob Popovics on Stripers Online, where the master tyer said this:
As far as the cost goes, it probably is more expensive than epoxy but not that much. There is no waste since no mixing is involved. No excess on the mixing paper after the fly has been made. I apply the stuff directly from the syringe onto the fly, when I am satisfied with the shape and coverage, I light it up and in about 8 seconds it’s hardened. No obnoxious smell, no cleaning of my bodkin, no papers etc. The cost comes back positively many times after you use it. The light is the big investment but I could buy ten or more lights if I got rid of so many junk items that I bought in the past. What about an epoxy turner? Don’t need them anymore. How much did they cost? Give it a try first. That is all I suggest.
One of the coolest things about this stuff is seeing it get CLEARER in the sun! When first applied, the stuff has an amber tinge to it. A couple of hours in the sun and its CYRSTAL CLEAR! FOREVER! Great stuff.
BobPop”
Endorsement enough for a hack tyer like me. I made my way to Atlantic and came away with a tube of Loon UV Knot Sense and a blue light. I haven’t tried the flies in the water yet but, man, is it easier to set the head shape. And I didn’t feel like some crazy glue sniffer at the end of the night.
Pete McDonald