Floating Baitfish
By Lee Soares (lee s), CA
Previous Flies
Fly Tying Terms

This is another slight embellishment to a Lefty's Deciever that we use to make it a top-water bug. We have merely changed the bucktail collar to a collar of spun deer hair and changed the solid plastic eyes to hollow doll eyes. It has proven very useful for pestering anything munching food fish on the top, especially in the fall. Our local Largemouth and Stripers can often be persuaded to join in "the dance" with one of''em.

Materials for the Floating Baitfish:

    hackle
    silver flashabou
    pearl flashabou
    pearl krystalflash
    There are some other flashy materials out there that can well be used in place of the last three.
    head cement....we like Sally Hansen's Hard as Nails as we sometimes dab after each step.
    white thread
    hot pink thread
    hooks....our fav is Tiemco 8089. Light wire for primarily easier penetration, and also it might enhance floatation (?).
    shoe goop (a thick cement)
    hollow doll eyes
    red spinning hair
    white spinning hair
    bucktail
    single strand SS trolling wire 27# or better... our absolute favorite weed guard. Every thing else works until you NEED a weed guard and we very often do. As a matter of fact, we almost ALWAYS do when we chase LM's.

Method for the Floating Baitfish:

    1. Put the hook in the vise and start the thread at the bend.

    2. Tie in some bucktail at the bend to start the tail.

    3. Add a bit of krystal flash.

    4. Add some pearl flashabou.

    5. And some silver flashabou.

    6. Several hackles seem to look good along each side.

    7. Then spin some of the collar with white hair.

    8. And finish it with some red hair.

    9. Now make it a head by trimming it to the shape you want.

    10. Add doll eyes. We like to use a spot of SHHN for hair penetration on the head and goop on the back of the eye.

    11. Fold a piece of SS wire in half and insert it UP through the eye of the hook and tie it off. The fold should touch the hook at the bend.

    12. Fold the remnant two strands of wire over the top of the hook and tie down and trim the wire. Put a bend in the wire about 1/8" from the fold.

    13. Hook-up the weed guard, find your biggest pile of brush, tullies, or poop, and let's go fishing.


    ~ lee s

    For more great flies, check out: Beginning Fly Tying, Intermediate Fly Tying and Advanced Fly Tying.