Abel Anchovy

[stevec]

Anyone have tying instructions for the Abel Anchovy and or the Sea habit BT.
Anything will be useful. Going to add a few to the 2004 Arsenal.

[peterjay]

Bob Veverka's book "Innovative Salt Water Flies" has instructions for both, though if you ever come up to Orange County, I'll be happy to give you the Abel Anchovies that I tied years ago. I didn't have much luck with them - they fouled a lot and there are so many patterns that work better, so why bother?

[stevec]

Maybe I should consider buying one just to check it out before I waste time tying them up.
Good points...thanks for the heads up

[Mark Cahill]

It looks like this...

http://www.abelreels.com/graphics/anchovy50.jpg

[striblue]

Abel Anchovy: Hook-1/0 to 4/0 ; Black thread; Body-Pearl or silver diamond braid ; Collar- White bucktail or fish hair ; Beard- red flashabou, or crystal flash; Wing- Bucktail or fish hair , blue on top of green over white; Topping- Peacock herl over silver or pearl flashabou. You can also use Polar hair for the wing and collar; Head - hot glue..I used epoxy ; Eyes- he calls for doll eyes. I don't remember if I did or not. I tie mine with a longer peacock herl because I don't like the paint brush look.

[striblue]

Sea Habit Bucktail.. Hook- 2/0 to 10/0; Tail- white bucktail, pearl flashabou; Shoulder- pearl flashabou; Underbody-pearl flashabou; Overbody- White bucktail, pearl flashabou. You really need to read how Trey Combs ties these since there is a bit of layering of these material. I used Crystal flash for the pearl reflection.. whatever that is.

[striblue]

Here is another Sea Habit BT:

[stevec]

Everyone

Thanks for the great pics and ideas.. I got the tying bug now that the fishing bug is dormant.

I am going to try one or two just to say I tried. Maybe just to keep in the gear bag as a last resort.


Once again, thanks

[flytyer]

We have an extensive selection of saltwater patterns with step by step photos and instructions on our site - http://www.saltwaterflytying.com

I did the ABel's Anchovy a while back. Here is the address for the step by step on this fly. http://saltwaterflytying.com/flytying/patterninstruction/patterninstruction.asp?id=25

Hope that this helped.

[albacized]

Originally posted by peterjay
Bob Veverka's book "Innovative Salt Water Flies" has instructions for both, though if you ever come up to Orange County, I'll be happy to give you the Abel Anchovies that I tied years ago. I didn't have much luck with them - they fouled a lot and there are so many patterns that work better, so why bother?

could a little softex dabbed in the middle similar to how it's done with those angel hair flies help with the fouling issue?

rich n

[peterjay]

Yeah Rich, I believe it would help. The AA's I tied years ago were tied with FisHair, which is what the original pattern called for, if I'm not mistaken. At any rate, that stuff was about the only usable synthetic hair that was available at the time, (at least 15 years ago) and it left a lot to be desired. Nowadays, I tie a similar fly (much slimmer) for false albacore using super hair or ultra hair on an Owner Mutu circle hook, and the stiffer hair has reduced the fouling considerably.