So this has taken about a year, off and on. I have to disclose, for me, that there isn't much left to discover or claim as far as fly tying, fishing and catching is concerned. Someone else has seen it, done, created it. I'm pretty much a follower. But, at times, I think I'm a great innovator, but really just an idiot.
So last year, January 2022, I started to think about eels in the Delaware River and how striped bass might like them. Hell striped bass love eels anywhere. So I started to think and I remebered those Squirmles toys of my youth. Wouldn't they make for a great eel body? So I went on Amazon and bought a bag of like 50 for $20 and I was off to the races. I cut them, unraveled them, glued them, and tied them to hooks to see what I could come up with. Basically, in the end, they are good for an outing or two or one good fish, and then they're done. But that's okay I tried. Below is the field test from January 2022.
Then I saw Orvis was marketing Dragon Tails and I went with them. A tad better in durability but not that much. I tried them and had okay results. Now, what I've learned since. I used to enjoy Joe Cermele's Hook Shots and then his MeatEater videos. I wasn't a weekly guy, but every now and then they would pop up and I would watch. If you never have then you should check him out. Great content originator and storyteller, really that good. He now does a podcast called Cut and Retie, HERE, you should check out. I just listened to the one with NY/NJ Captain Frank Crescitelli and it was great. But then I went back into some old Hook Shots and in one episode he tells about the Squirmles and then the Dragon Tails, and then, I realized I'm not that smart, somone was already there. And a few weeks back I went into Orvis and they are discontinuing the Dragon Tails from their offerings, I guess not a big $$$.
And then I came up with the above fly. Long saddles, bucktail, marabou, and deer body hair tied around dumbell eyes with an inverted Partridge Predator 4/0 hook. I must say, that looks pretty bad ass. I decided to silicone the head of the fly, thinking it might make it more aerodynamic. I took it
down to the river for a field test. Well, if I was looking for a floating eel fly, this was it. I used intermediate fly line and with the deer belly hair it wanted to stay up in the water column. If I used a sinking line, well, it would sink better. I went home and keeled the fly a bit with better results.
After all of this and meeting Ben Whalley at The Fly Fishing Show and seeing some of his flies in person, I saw that he came up with a really nice eel fly, one to match the Sluggos that spin fisherman use. Below is a shot of his fly next to an original. Really nice job Ben.
And then I found these Gami "EWG Monster" hooks I had purchased. Big 7/0 hook with 1/4 oz. lead on the bend. I thought I could tie a fly called, "40's Under the Boat". I saw how Jim Matson used plastic
tubing so I tied it in from the eye, piercing the hook, and then hanging out the back. I tied a tail and some body hair out of bucktail before securing it where it needed to sit on the hook. Then a few wraps
of Squimpish Brush to finish it off. This isn't your perfect flowing fly, I think, but could be valuable if you're in big water or current and need to drop and strip. You're not double hauling this one. It's a niche fly for certain conditions. When you're in a boat and need to get down quickly, like below you down, this might be just what you need. I've thought this through in my head and we'll see if it works.
