Burrowing Sand Eels

[loon]

It's that time, and having seen a short note on ties by Cowen and Skok and other posts, I wondered about using the curvature of a Daiichi 3847 wide gape 2x short circle hook. I tied a couple and they looked ok. Then my training took over and it was time for prototype test before commiting the design. So, out to the hot tub with numero uno on a 4 ft tippet. Wash-out! Laid on it's side like it had had too many Copper Ales..at higher retrieve speeds, hook straight down. Back to the drawing board: slightly heavier eyes and the material (buoancy) tied inside the bend. Swan like a sand eel..tried to burrow into the fiberglass.

Attached shot: top a bare 3847; middle the disgraced prototype; bottom the successful swimmer.

[Jim Miller]

Looks good Tod!
I've had the same problem with wide gap hooks on bonefish ties .... they want to topple over. Trial & error to match hook gap, weight & material.
Sounds like you worked it out.

Now if we could just teach the "pattern" to swim in and out of the sand like the real thing.