Peanut bunker patterns

[flyaddict]

Just purchased EP fibers. I wish to learn how to tie larger & light bunker patterns. How is the Puglisi peanut pattern tied. thanks. :confused:

[Surfly]

..i like to first tie in a long tail.. mid-shank,follow up with pencil width pieces of fibers tied "high tie" style on top & bottom of the hook shank..don't over do the amount of fibers, :eek: ....add a little flash into the fibers..NICE!.. mix it up with a color pattern of white /pink/ yellow and an olive back.... --126-3- or whatever you feel like..[all white will probabally work just as good,but your local fly shop players won't accept a one color patten! :rolleyes: ] i am going to post many icons now... :mad: :rolleyes: 80's metal rules! glad i'm not driving tonight..!

[Quicksilver]

There is a thread on this forum from May of 2002, "E.P. Flies!!". Great info and instructions on how to tie with EP fibers.

[C. GIll]

Check out Dave Skok's site also (www.dwskok.com). He has directions for easy to tie bunker patterns, both large and small. I'll try and post a picture of my take on Skok's style.

[Armando]

I Tie Those, Placing All The Color Layers First, With The Flash And Stuff And Then I'll Trim It To Shape.
I'll Also Use A Permanent Marker For The Stripes On Them.

[Jim Miller]

Beautiful flys!
Any ideas for using EP fibers for a BIG fly? Traditional or tube tie. I'm thinking something like a 12" Bunker or Ballyhoo pattern. Would like to tie a few that MIGHT interest a 400# GBFT in North Carolina! :eek: :rolleyes:

[flyrdr]

My experience with EP fibers is that the material is great in smaller sizes but in big sizes it's like trying to cast a wet mop. Looks great in the water though.

[Iwan]

Any ideas for using EP fibers for a BIG fly? Traditional or tube tie. I'm thinking something like a 12" Bunker or Ballyhoo pattern.

I have had really positive experience tying big herring and bunker patterns using yak hair. You are really only limited in fly size by the length of hair you can purchase. I tie them hi-tie style and they are my variation of Mark Sedotti's 'slammer' flies. They cast like a dream as the hair sheds water quickly and it is possible to cast 10 - 12 inch flies easily on an 8-wt. The only caveat to tying the bigger flies (12 + inches) is that you have to add a weighted keel to the hook in order to make the fly track correctly. This is easily accomplished using 0.035 lead cut into half inch strips which you lash to the hook mid-shank prior to tying the fly.

[Jim Miller]

Thanks Iwan & Flydrd
Any chance of a photo of a fly..and the receipe?

I'm thinking of a 8-10/0 hook w/ a 120# flouro leader....so maybe a tube fly might work better. Leader to hook connection will be a crimp. Any thoughts?

[Iwan]

Any chance of a photo of a fly..and the receipe? I'm thinking of a 8-10/0 hook w/ a 120# flouro leader....so maybe a tube fly might work better. Leader to hook connection will be a crimp. Any thoughts?

I will upload fly picture tonight. I have only used my pattern for stripers and blues and gone up to 6/0 hooks. On the larger flies (10 + inches) I also tie a loop made out of 60 lb mono to the hook shank that extends off the back of the fly. I try to guage the final length of the fly before tying this in so that the end of the loop is about 3 inches from the tail. This loop has two purposes. 1. It acts as a spine to support the longer length of yak hair, and 2. I can attach a stinger hook to the fly if the fish are coming short :brow

Again my flies are derivatives of the 'Sedotti Slammer' tweaked by me so that I could cast and fish big flies on an 8-wt rod. I am sure you can add your own twist and evolve a great GBFT pattern tied on a traditional hook with these basic ideas. Go for it --125-3

Color schemes that I have found effective are olive/white, tan/white and of course chartreuse/white. I tie some with/without red krystal flash gills but in my experience it doesn't make that much difference as I believe the pattern works due to the way that yak hair becomes translucent and 'breathes' under water.

Afraid I can't help you on hook sizes and leader strength for GBFT as I have no experience there but WISH I did........

[Jim Miller]

Thanks Iwan!
This is uncharted areas for us all! In researching fly fishing for giant BFT...not much has been done/developed to date.
The fish are just so big and powerful....that typical tackle just will not cut it. On our trip we are bringing a custom built 19 wt flyrod w/ a super drag reel. (thanks SageFG)
FWIW: Standard (trolling) tackle is usually 700 yds of 130# spectra, 200 yds of 200# mono, wind on leader and 20 feet of 300# flouro leader. They fish w/ 80 and 130# setups. The fish run 200-800#...but are in 12-50 feet of water!
There just is not much "FLY" tackle or flys that have been developed for this fishery...to date!
Sooo.... we will give it a try....be creative....and see what happens!
:eek: --127-3-

[Iwan]

Jim. Here is a picture of those yak hair flies I promised. The flies in the picture are around 12 inches in length. When tying them I use a sparse amount of yak hair at each step. This creates a good profile that allows water to move between the hair fibers causing the fly to 'breathe' in the current. Basically it is a hi-tie pattern where I alternate between yak hair and flashabou. To create bulk at the shoulders of the fly I tie down the hair at its mid-point and double it back over itself and tie it down again at the same position. To finish the fly tie some hair down its sides enough to cover the length of the hook shank and glue on some eyes. Mix some 5 min epoxy and when the glue is tacky add it into the gaps between the eyes above and below the hook shank only. I hope that this helps you in your quest for a GFBT on the fly !

[Jim Miller]

Thanks!
nice looking pattern....I'll tie a few up and give them a try in a couple of weeks. :D

[LandlockedinMI]

Jim:

Skok sells his material in Mega Mushy Size. If you are hip to his technique, the large version (mega) of the MushMouth might do the trick.

It is very cool that you are attempting this. I wonder if a large version of a bft has the same fly pattern preference as the schoolies. Hope you find out.

Do you hope to find GBFT's crashing bait? Wonder if you can tease em in while trolling?

[Jim Miller]

Best I can gather is that they are eating 12-18" pogies and ballyhoo, 12" bluefish and most probably 10 lb F. Albacore!
If the opportunity arrises...will try to cast to pogie baitballs.
Will be tough to do bait & switch while trolling.

Can do the Mega Mushie! Thanks :D

Flyaddict: Sorry we side tracked your original thread

[rhino]

searched all over trying to findthis and no luck
you may want to try here www.branhamssaltwaterflytying.com

by the way there is a article on tying a bead but bait fish in the magazine fly fishing in saltwaters sept / oct 2004 vol 11 no5 issue with enrico's sea fibers just about the same thing as you want to do. if any thing i would try searching yahoo goggle etc..
for the how to pattren


good luck nad very tight lines rhino --123-3 --123-3 --123-3

[LandlockedinMI]

I lover EP flies - but they do not hold up well at all. One small striper pretty much wrecks them. And the do cast heavy when large- takes a few flase casts to get rid of the water. Yak hair is much better and a flashy sedotti slammer might work well for gbft.

keep us posted!!!!!

[Jim Miller]

see tuna fly post. :)

[LandlockedinMI]

Saw it. Looks "wicked" good.

[flyaddict]

I have been tying my own flies for less than a year. These are my first EP style flies. Pointers?

[KMM]

Dear Fly:

The only pointer I can see you needing is to give yourself less headspace near the hookeye. End the tie at bit closer to the eye of the hook to balance the look of the pattern.

Nice ties.

KMM
So Cal

[PierAfficionado]

I have been tying my own flies for less than a year. These are my first EP style flies. Pointers?
Yeah, send some of the Black/purple ones down my way and I will do some R&D for ya :)