False Albacore: Translucent flies

[ruge13]

Tom, often you hear people wanting small flies tied with semi translucent materials to imitate the small baits they are usually on in NE. Do you think there is any merrit to that? Is there a difference in success rates for flies tied with less translucent natural materials rather than the newer light refracting synthetics?

[Tom G.]

Tom, often you hear people wanting small flies tied with semi translucent materials to imitate the small baits they are usually on in NE. Do you think there is any merrit to that? Is there a difference in success rates for flies tied with less translucent natural materials rather than the newer light refracting synthetics?

Shaun, the short answer is yes.

When I am doing "match the hatch" fishing for false albacore, I find the most important element in a fly is size. I want to match the bait as close as I can in size. The second most important element is body shape. Then I would say material is the third most important element. For translucent baits like silverside and bay anchovy, I prerfer semi translucent synthetic materials. For opaque baits like mullet or bunker, I prefer natural materials like bucktail.

Having said that, I must add that I can't coun't the number of albies I have taken on clousers and deceivers tied with bucktail, when the albies were feeding on bay anchovy.

During the fall run at Harker Island, when the two most important baits are usually silversides and bay anchovy, the go to fly is a clouser. Many of the guides are tying them with semi translucent Ultra Hair to improve their catch.



Thanks for the question,

Tom