Cyclops

Mustad 34007 or equiv., #4 – #3/0



“Plus” type thread, or equiv.



1/8” wide lead wire



Optic Eye



Kinky or Slinky Fibre



Flash material



Vernille or Chenille



Estaz, A.k.a. Cactus Chenille



Hard Mason

Note:  Scroll down for Instructions

Cyclops
were developed in the winter of 1999 as a solution to a more durable Clouser
Minnow.  Capt. Mark Brockhoeft of Big Red Guides mentioned to me that he
wished his “go to” winter fly, would last for more than a couple dozen fish. 
Even when superglued, the barbell eyes would start to twist and take the wing
around the hook shank with it. Before you say a couple dozen fish is plenty on
one fly, you’ve got to realize its common for Capt Mark’s clients to catch 50,
75, and sometimes 150 redfish during the winter.

I tried beads used for bead
headed nymphs, lead split shot but wasn’t ever satisfied.  It was then I
found some split beads that a friend of mine Ted Cabali had given me years
prior.  He is forever tinkering with different materials (a master at it)
and is always eager to share his discoveries with me.  I didn’t use them at
the time and stashed them for future creative inspiration.

I knew these split beads were
the answer but I needed more.  A frustrating search finally led to a source
so ordered a few bags and began experimenting. 

By putting the maximum amount
of lead around the hook shank to fill the hollow bead, the fly would get to the
winter fish in the shallow lakes and bays very quickly.  When the lead was
left out, they were light enough to use in the deeper ponds on the early spring
fish but heavy enough to get under their nose when they remain hunkered down on
the bottom.

With the application of Zap-a-Gap to the
underside of the fly, Capt Mark reported that the flies were lasting for 75 fish
before being lost to the bottom.  Finally, the fly stayed on the end of a
client’s line for two consecutive 75 fish trips before he took it off and gave
it to the man as a souvenir of a great couple of winter redfish trips.

INSTRUCTONS

1.  Cut a piece of lead wire up to 1 ¼” long, shorter if you
want less weight but no more because the Optic Eye won’t fit over the finished
ball. For a shallow water version, omit the lead and go to step 2.  Wrap lead on
hook shank by wrapping onto itself like a cinnamon roll.

2.  Select appropriate size
Optic Eye. If it doesn’t fit over the lead, open the eye up a bit by putting a
hemostat or needle nosed pliers into the opening and then spreading the jaws to
open the Optic Eye. Put the eye over the lead and squeeze closed with the
pliers.

3.  Start thread behind eye and wrap thread back about a
third of the way into the hook bend.

4.  Select a small bunch of
kinky fibre the size of pencil lead (usually the bunch is twice as long or
longer than what I need so, I double it over and cut in half). Tie in the bunch
until secure. Trim butts at a taper.

5.  Wrap thread forward
covering the butts and forming a smooth underbody.

6.  Tie in some flash
material and take the thread back to the tail tie in point. Trim the flash
staggering the cuts.

7.  Tie in the Estaz and
vernille and take the thread back to the head.

8) Cut a length of mono for
your weedguard. I should be long enough that when attached near the hook eye and
made into a loop, the loop is about 1 ½ times longer than the hook gape. Prepare
the weedguard by folding it over and aligning the tips. Smash the tips
simultaneously in your tying vise or with a hemostat. The flattened tips should
be about the length of the hook eye.

9.  Behind the split bead,
tie down the flattened ends of the mono weedguard with several wraps. While the
feet are still visible, put a drop of Zap-a-Gap on them. Wrap over the ends and
take thread to the back of the bead.

10.  Wrap vernille forward in
an open but close spiral. Tie off vernille with, two or three wraps, on the hook
point side of the weed guard.

11.  Wrap estaz forward in an open but close spiral. Tie off
estaz in-between the weedguard and bead head. Whip finish.

12.  Cut the loop off the
weedguard at a point that when you bend the weedguard down it extends rearward
just past the hook point.

13.  Trim the estaz body flat on the side opposite the
hookpoint. Apply a bead of Zap-a-Gap on top of the trimmed side of the body for
the length of the hookshank. You can also put some Zap onto the thread wraps and
into the split bead.

14.  The finished fly with Zap-a-gap has led to 75+ fish
per fly.

    Below are three Cyclop variations.