Wobbler

Instructions Below

Tier:  Gil Stacy

 

Hook:  #4 Tiemco 811s or DaiRiki 930ss. 
Thread:  Chartruese flat waxed nylon.
Body:  Medium gold mylar braided tubing.
Epoxy:  Two part five minute epoxy.
Tail:  Hot orange rabbit zonker strip.

 
Notes:  This is the AK-47 of my tailing redfish fly arsenal.  It is controversial, durable, trouble-free and deadly.  Nothing seems to stir the "fly/lure" debate among saltwater fly fishermen more than this fly.  While certainly not composed of European Jay or Jungle Cock, it fits my definition of a fly: "An artificial fish catching object tied on one end of a fly line which is cast by a rod held by a snob." 

I fish it in the flooded spartina marsh grass on spring tides in water depths from just
under my knee cap to ankle high.  It is small and enters the water without commotion.  It
can be cast very near redfish without spooking them in shallow water, most of the time,
that is.  It is fished motionless or barely twitched, not stripped, as the window of
opportunity and vision for the fish in the thick grass is limited; long strips remove the
fly from the area of the fish and sudden, exaggerated movements tend to spook the redfish. 

 

Instructions 

Step 1: Place hook in vise in normal manner.  Attach thread near eye, wind to midway down bend.  Tie in short piece of rabbit fur, hide up/fur down, hide extended beyond tie in point.  Leave thread mid-bend. 

Step 2:  Fray mylar tubing ¼" from end.  Place tubing over hook, so that hook is inside.  Bind tubing so that frayed ends are exposed, surrounding rabbit fur.  Whip finish thread at mid bend.  CUT THREAD. 

Step 3:  Reposition hook, eye vertical, perpendicular to floor.  Cut off 8" piece of thread, tie a wide, loose overhand knot in middle, pass ends through loop several times.  Put away on knee where it can be easily found in next step. 

Step 4: Mix small amount of epoxy on index card.  Two exact sized drops of each part, ¼" diameter or more, side by side then mixed makes it easier to judge proper amounts.  With toothpick or opened paper clip, place mixed epoxy drops inside tube, try to spread evenly.  Do not coat outside of tubing at this stage. 

Step 5:  With hook still vertical, surround the open throat of the tube with the prepared knot just below the eye of the hook.  Enough tube must extend beyond knot towards eye so that when you tighten knot, the tube is captured evenly and completely.  The extra passes will hold knot tight enough to add another overhand knot to lock the knot. 
Trim ends. 

Step 6:  Reposition hook in normal position.  Reattach bobbin thread.  Finish tying head.  Tubing can be carefully shoved to rear so that a good head can be made, covering trimmed ends of tube.  Don't panic about epoxy hardening.  You'll have time. 

Step 7:  Remove fly from vise.  I position the fly between two pieces of sandwich bag plastic.  Flatten the tubing by squeezing with thumbs and forefingers.  Center shank best you can.  Indent and cup tubing along shank with thumbnails.  After working briefly, strip away plastic.  Fingers coated with Kodak Photo Flo or other wetting agent
help prevent sticking.  (Epoxy is considered toxic and can be absorbed into body through the skin.)  Continue flattening and cupping. 

Step 8:  It will dry in five minutes.  The tubing should be stuck together.  At this stage it is still flexible.  The next step makes it rigid.  Mix a second batch of epoxy, same amount as before.  Hold fly in hemostats and coat both sides.  Rotate and turn the fly to prevent pooling of epoxy and to evenly coat.  Clear eye with red hot paperclip or safety pin heated over gas flame.