Sam's L-Eye-Bee
Created by Craig E. "Sam" Blevins
By Warren Patterson
Upon the request of some of the members on
FAOL, I have been asked to submit Sam's bass
popper and the following is a short history
of the popper as quoted from Flyfishing &
Tying Journal, Summer 2002:
"The L-Eye-Bee was first tied back in 1988 as
a bream or bluegill and sunfish fly. When I
tested it at Lake Guntersville, a TVA Lake on
the Tennessee River in Alabama, I made ten casts
and caught ten largemouth bass. I said, "Well,
I'll be a sun-of-a-gun!" Hence the name L-Eye-Bee."
Materials List, Sam's L-Eye-Bee"
Hook: Mustad 9674, size 8, Straight-Eye Streamer.
Thread: Danville's 6/0 Fly Master, Black.
Tail: 6 strands Rainbow/Pearl Krystal Flash;
marabou, fluorescent fire orange, fluorescent
chartreuse, and brown.
Head: Live Body, yellow 3/8" diameter,
with black ¼" diameter (sliced thin), with
plastic movable doll eyes (5mm) all glued
together with cyanoacrylate adhesive (warning:
use extreme caution when handling this adhesive,
it is an eye irritant and will bond skin instantly.)
Thorax: Red rooster saddle hackle, palmered.
The above is the material that Sam used. As
with all fly tying, I feel you can substitute
if you do not have what the pattern calls for,
and in this case I did not have all that he
recommended and for that I apologize. I did
not have the foam in 3/8" but I did have it
in 1/2" which I used for this demonstration.
I increased the hook size to a #6 since my
foam was larger. I did not have the doll
eyes he recommended so I used white fabric
paint with a dot of black fabric paint for
the eyes.
1. Pre-assemble head: cut 3/8" diameter yellow foam into a cylinder
approximately 3/8" wide (I only had 1/2" foam for this); cut 1/4" diameter
black foam into cylinders approximately 1/16" thick; glue doll eyes to
black cylinders (I used white and black fabric paint); let dry and then
glue black 1/4" cylinders with eyes to sides of yellow 3/8" cylinders.
Let dry. When heads are assembled and dry, cut a slot 3/4 of the way
through the yellow cylinder to allow for placement on the hook.
2.
Do a thread base with your tying thread and attach 3-4 strands of Pearl
Krystal Flash at tail tie-in point above barb of hook. Length of Krystal
Flash about 3/4" behind bend of hook.
3. Tie in orange, chartreuse and brown marabou separately
with approximately ten turns of thread. Place orange
marabou below hook shank, chartreuse and brown above
hook shank.
4. Wrap thread tightly toward hook eye to secure
all butt ends of marabou and build a smooth
transition ramp toward hook eye. Tie off and
whip finish.
5. Attach head to hook just behind eye, glue, clamp
and let dry.
6. Attach thread behind head and tie in red
rooster saddle hackle. Palmer hackle and tie
off. Whip finish behind head. Trim off head
below hook shank to maximize hooking ability.
Sam forgive me for the poor instructions on your
great popper, but, this was for you also my friend.
Enjoy. ~ Warren
|
