Squid flies

[Punchshot]

I've been going through some books, lefty's and Popovic's, looking at squid patterns. I really like Pop's Shady lady Squid pattern, but have yet to get the materials to tie one up, I was wondering if you tyer's out there have some other patterns you wouldn't mind sharing. The cold weathers here with snow in the forcast, so it time to start dressing up some hooks :)

[DbleHaul]

I like Bob Pop's candy squid. I tie it up to about 4 or 5 inches long, and it's worked pretty good for me in whites and reds/oranges.

I've also done okay with white deceivers when in a pinch.

[Bob Parsons]

I think what I tie up is basically the shady lady pattern with mostly a mix of orange and white saddle hackle.. It's worked well for me in the rips.

[RogerStg]

There are lots of good patterns, but for fishing I tie a couple simple ones to use when squid are around.
In spring, my daytime go-to is a simple saltwater wooly bugger, tied with white marabou for a tail and hot pink estaz for a body.
In the fall, when squid are back in good numbers, I use a bigger fly. My favorite is a 6" semper fleye in pink or orange. These are so simple that I don't care of I feed a few to the bluefish.

[striper man]

use a BIG clouser or deciever tied very generousley with white and pink hackle add a BIG eye to the front of the pattern you can add some sparkle fiber and feathers for more body if you please

[striper man]

adding some fiber that glows in the dark would make it even better

[mgustav]

Long saddles make great squid flys--10 inches, Lady Amherst for eyes.

[C. GIll]

These squid flies are based on a pattern Capt. Jeff Sayre (www.flyfishingthevineyard.com) showed me last year, along with a rabbit fur collar I liked on Chris Windram's (www.saltwaterflies.com) squid flies. The carapace is large EZ Body. The bottom lt. pink and white one worked especially well last June off the Vineyard the one morning I was there when it was not too windy for me handle a flyrod. The flies are on 2/0 hooks and are about 6-7" long.

The plug is a "customized" 2oz Atom Striper Swiper I made up this summer, but have not fished yet. Hopefully it will get a workout next year.

[pda]

c.gill,
Please excuse my ignorance. What is under the e-z body and how do you keep it in place? I love your idea. It looks great and seems like it would be light and easy to cast. Thanks for a reply.

[C. GIll]

Hey pda--
Glad you like the EZ Body idea, but, like I said before, it certainly was not my idea. Capt. Jeff Sayre up on the Vineyard showed it to me and I do not know where he got it from.

Anyway, I have tried to post some photos I just took real quick to show how I do the EZ Body carapace (if that's the right term?). Underneath the EZ Body you can use about anything to have a little color show through. I usually use some sort of sparkle chenille or Estaz. Hopefully the photos are pretty self explanatory. Obviously I have skipped putting a tail on this "demo" fly.

Make sure you start with enough EZ Body to double over itself and leave you with enough leftover to make tying it off easy. And stay well back from the hook eye so you have room for the rabbit fur collar later. The hook in the photos is a Tiemco 900S 2/0.

After I have tied off the EZ Body and BEFORE I add the rabbit fur, I stick 1/4" or 3/8" 3D eyes on and coat the back 3/4's of the EZ Body with 5 Minute Epoxy. Don't forget to epoxy BEFORE the rabbit fur. And to keep it from fouling, if your saddle hackles are real soft or long, it helps to coat them by the bend of the hook with a little Soft Body or Softex.

It does turn out to be a light, pretty easy to cast fly and it is also pretty visible in the water so you get to see a lot of the takes which is always fun.

Hope this helps--don't hesitate to email me if you have questions.
CG

[Punchshot]

Thanks for the suggestions, should keep me busy at the bench for afew weeks :)

[jpkil318]

Squid Flies that are most successful for me are huge im talking 10 to 18 inchs. I use them in the rips and deep holes in the spring on fast sinking lines or in the surf at night and I catch a lot of big fish on them. You can throw those little squid flies but all the fish are looking for the big ones so I would tie up a bunch of giant ones and you will be surprised at how successful they are.

[pda]

cgill,
Thanks for the reply and pictures. They helped a lot. I'm off to give them a shot.

[Saltydog]

jpkil318, heres one I use in the RIPS, 12" works great get hit on all the time.
"GOOD LUCK GOOD TYIN" --127-3-

[Punchshot]

Salty whats the head made of

[ruge13]

There were some good ideas here as well...

http://reel-time.com/forum/showthread.php?t=36006

[striblue]

Check out Steve Ferrar's work.. really in a class by itself:

[Penguin]

Stripes crush squid...the take is brutal and seems almost personal...
I've done well with brick red long hackles, pearl flash, easy body, and big eyes...
And an irratic strip with a sense of urgency!

[striblue]

Here is another of Steve's

[Saltydog]

PUNCHSHOT, it's YARN the same stuff you would for SALMON EGGS, WHITE on the botom for FILLER, an PINK on TOP, then COATED w/ SOFTEX.
"GOOD LUCK GOOD TYIN" --127-3-

[rhino]

it is in lefts book on page 183 instruction on page 185 the book is saltwater fly pattren by left kreh the fully revised and agumented edition has a lot of esay to tie squid pattrens in it

if you dont have the book here is tying in structions for it
hook 2/0 - 5/0
thread = white
tying instructions a length of 60-100 pound mono is streched betwen two visees. meterials are then tyed to the mono then the mono is tyed to the hook. when the mono is pulled tight you tye in ten to 14 white saddle hackles then doubble wrap pearl cactus chenile arond the mono forward of the hackles. then tye mono to hook leaving no more than half inch betwen the chenile and the hook tye in point. with goop or outher adhesive glue large mylar eyes to the hook shank the kind with a large black dot in center.
after this is complet wrap the hook shank densely with white or pink marabou tye off. trim tag end of mono near hackle on squid and place rows of dots from perment marker black going point to stem of the white or light pink hackle.me i tye these on large 5/0 hooks alway add super glue to wrap on the mono and hook to hold it down.pm me if you don't have a clue what i am talking about


good luck and tight lines rhino --123-3 --123-3 --123-3