Feather Brain Sand Eel

[striblue]

Here a sand eel tied the same way as the usual Feather brain except I used longer hackles ,like shorter flat wing hackles.. The inner bucktail has given the fly good proportions and it's proportions are maintained in the water except thinner obviously. I need to figure a way to do one that will swim along the sand with the hook up..I don't want to use clouser dumbells...maybe a metal cone..not sure yet. (Maybe it's time to redesign the standard dumbell..., or figure a way to bury it inside the head...yes..I will try that)

[AlderBrookFarm]

Have you tried to Tie and glue a strip of lead or non-lead heavy wire along the top of the hook then proceed as usual?

[striblue]

Thanks...I do that for the regular bait fish...either roll lead and place a couple extra lines under the shank..it works with the bait fish because it supplements the natural extra weight that the hook bend provides... But with the hook on top ..the clouser is a good counter weight to the hook bend. Without the dumbells you would have a "rolling" effect. It appears to me anyway in tests...so I am starting to squeeze or manipulate the lead clouser to keep that counter bottom weight but eliminating the bulk that the dumbells create. I want stability to keep the hook upright... My thinking is that all I need to do is change the clouser head by keeping it's weight distribution but decreasing it's bulk... this would allow the use of the clouser weight but perfect the baitfish appearance. Even with the invention of putting eyes on the clouser dumbells..something Bob Clouser never considered, it appears when he started (atleast it seems to me).. the thought was what to do with that shape...so..put eyes on it..it was perfect...but not for natural shape bait fish heads. Obviously it really did not effect fish attraction as we all know...but by changing the clouser head we may be able to open up a whole new way of doing different things with the typical bottom bait fish...just a thought.

[AlderBrookFarm]

or else make head wide enough that it comes out to edge of dumbells and is within the epoxy

[striblue]

?... why the lead if you already are using the dumbells....why have two steps...why not change the clouser shape in the first place....the dumbells as they are are too wide for what I want to do...but it would work for big flies

[sal-t-dog]

HAY- STRIBLUE, my first time on this board, glad to see your here also. love the FEATHER BRAIN EEL thats your BEST FEATHER BRAIN so far.
Ill see if I can post the last fly I tied it's my ------->
FLUKIN, FLOUNDER, CLOUSER. this fly was tied for a friend of mine who lives in TORO an fishes for FLUKE, FLOUNDER.going to surprise hime w/it an come down an fish w/ him this season.
"GOOD LUCK GOOD TYIN"
P.S. ALL COMMENTS ARE WELCOMED

[AlderBrookFarm]

I think I didn't make myself clear. I wouldn't do both lead and dumb bells....one or the other.

[striblue]

Alder, I see..... that's what happens sometimes with this system of communication... I will be changing the clouser head to fit my bait fish for an upriding hook...Rich...good to hear from you...