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Squid Flies--Hard or soft body?

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#1 ·
I have completed my assortment of flies for the spring and summer and ,in fact, have gone way overboard on the number of flies tied since I started in November.. about 360 . My last set is to be squid flies and I just wanted the Forums opinion of whether it would be better to go hard body or soft body for the squid.. My reaction is that it should be soft body but what's the type of squid fly most of you tie and have had the best luck with? Thanks.
 
#2 ·
John -

I think I showed you already but I like to tie squid flies on long shanks hooks when small, and when large I extend the mantle off the bend of the hook using a plastic tube fly tube cut obliquely and whipped to the last straight piece of shank before the bend. This piece of tube can be tied as if it is a regular hook shank using the Kennebec river tube fly tool.

I did this during the early calimari caper project that Bob Pink and I started a long time ago, which fizzled out because the fish showed up. Now might be a good time to talk cephalopod before the striper season cranks up again...
 
#3 ·
One of my biggest questions is % of body versus % of legs. Most patterns such as the lady squid that every one ties are 2/3 legs and 1/3 body but the natural is the opposite. The eyes further cement this. I have been working on patterns that are more proprotionally correct but then I was looking at some rubber squid jigs and are even worse % wise and these things work like mad. So does it matter or is the fish just catching the tenicles and the eye and chowing down?
 
#4 ·
Nate -

I think the ratio of mantle to leg is important at certain times, and not others. In the rips when the profile is compressed by current, no. When deadrifting over skinny flats, yes - and transluscence as well.

This year I want to exploit the success I had last year with small squid patterns inshore.
 
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