Saturday 30 June 2012

Tacklebox Split Tail

My version of - Tacklebox Split Tail

Tacklebox Split Tail, is a pattern originally design and tie by Nick Ooi of Tacklebox Adventure Fly Shop. This pattern is specially effective for our local freshwater Hercules - 'Sebarau' or to be accurate - Hampala macrolepidota. The Tacklebox Split Tail is commonly tie in Red or Orange... not sure why the 'Sebarau' like it in that colors but other colors are less effective. 

The picture of Nick with his 'Sebarau'

The original Tacklebox Split Tail tie by Nick Ooi


Dron's version of Tacklebox Split Tail
Materials :

Arctic Fox hair - Red or Orange
Cork neck heckle - Red or Orange
SLF D.Whitlock Minnow Belly Dubbing
Flashabou
Streamer hook size 8-6
Lead Eye dumb bell


The step by step tying instructions:

Prepare the streamer hook

Tie in the dumb bell eye

Tie in a small amount of Arctic Fox Hair

Tie in a pair of Cork Neck heckle, make sure it's tie split outwards

Prepare a dubbing loop and dub in the SLF Minnow Belly dubbing

Spin in the dubbing to create a belly

Brush the dubbing

Tie in the flashabou at the side

Tie in another bunch of Arctic Fox Hair, trim the extra

Tie in some flashabou on top of the Arctic Fox Hair

Whip finish and apply the head cement

A complete Tacklebox Split Tail

Some Tacklebox Split Tail tied ... White is also my favorite.

Friday 8 June 2012

Cuban Shrimp

Cuban Shrimp
This is a very simple and yet effective shrimp pattern that I developed in 2009. specially for Maldives and Cuba... My Mentor and friend Mr Hans Van Klinken and his wife have successfully hook up many Cuban bonefish with this pattern, in the wonderful fishing experience with Avalon.

For your reference, some flies that Hans was using in Cuba :
http://www.flyfishinggazette.com/Avalon/flies_bonefish.htm

The flies that I send over

The flies after the fishing... totally destroyed by the bones

The Bonefish with the flies

The materials:

Bead eye or mono eye
Bead chain
Pink, light sulp orange dubbing
Flashabou
Coyote hair
Chenille - Tan colour
Rubber legs
Gamakatsu or Daiichi New O'Shaughnessy hook size 8-6

The step by step tying instructions:

Put in the hook and prepare the thread

Tie in the bead chain

Tie in the flashabou

Tie in the dubbing, mix of Pink and orange dub

Tie in the eye ( I use Pink bead with mono line )

Tie in the chenille

Tie in the rubber legs

Spin the chenille to split the legs, tie down the chenille

Tie in the Coyote hair

Spin the chenille until the bead chain, tie down, trim the Coyote hair

Whip finish, drop a small drop of Zap a gap to secure the tie.

The Cuban Shrimp is ready


Good luck and have fun fishing with the shrimp.


Cheers....