TexasKayakFisherman.com

Nice ties. Somewhere along the way I read bendbacks have an inherent issue with getting good hook sets so I’ve mostly avoided them. Something to do with bend of the hook eye dowhward and a strip set tending to pull the hook point out rather than drive it in deeper.

Bendbacks are tricky if you start with a regular hook and bend it yourself. Getting the exact angle of bend requires some luck. Umpqua makes some great (but not cheap) hooks that function flawlessly. They give just enough space to tie your design and they hook fish as well as a normal hook. Totally weedless!

Is that EP fiber?

I do love my EP fiber.

Hey Y'all. just checking in good to see the new boards and the activity. I'll try and stop in more often. Thanks, for sharing all the great information.

After using a Redfish Crack pattern for a while with good success, I found some lone crawlers that didn't like how much water the fly pushed. Strip it too quickly and the fish would bolt for deeper water. This fly pushes only a tiny amount of water, but it's enough for the fish to sense it and turn to take a look. Using the bendback hook from Umpqua again, it hooks fish well without the worry of getting it stuck in the grass. Lately the fish are sticking their noses into the crevices along the grass shores and sucking out shrimp. That means the fly needs to land VERY tight to the grass to get noticed. So far this one is working well, and it's a simple tie with a puff of Lg. cactus chenille and EP fiber. I place a short hank of tan to represent the belly, then a longer, darker thin strip of hair on top that is wrapped into place and doubled over and wrapped again. The X-small lead dumbell keeps it riding point-up and sinks it into view of the fish. Does it work? I took the concept out and the first five fish I casted to ate the fly. The fifth fish broke the tippet so I was forced to head home and make up some more.