This a fly I developed last winter and tested this past season with the help of my clients in order to work out the bugs.
In seeking a hookup fly with a larger and deeper profile I started reshaping the hooks I was using, and through an evolutionary process I ended up bending the hooks up instead of back.
The main advantage of bentup hooks over bend back is the hookup rate increases. With bendback hooks you decrease the effective hook gap when you bend the point down toward the hook shank which decreases your hookup rate. When you bend the hook up you actually increase the hook gap. As you tighten your line to set the hook, the bend acts as a lever to open the hook gap up to its full potential.
There are two things that need to be done to reshape a hook to bend up. First you must bend the shank in the proper place and at the proper angle for the baitfish you are trying to imitate (this is varyable). Second you must open the bend of the hook(by squeezing with a pair of pliers) so the point is parralell to the new hook shank(this was the main bug that had to be worked out),if this step is not done you will lose many hookups. As with any hookup fly, do not cover the hook point with too much material.
With this style I have found that most fish are hooked in the corner of the mouth or in the lips. My clients have caught as many as seven bluefish on the same fly with out being cut off using a 12# tippet.
Capt Stan Mackerwicz
In seeking a hookup fly with a larger and deeper profile I started reshaping the hooks I was using, and through an evolutionary process I ended up bending the hooks up instead of back.
The main advantage of bentup hooks over bend back is the hookup rate increases. With bendback hooks you decrease the effective hook gap when you bend the point down toward the hook shank which decreases your hookup rate. When you bend the hook up you actually increase the hook gap. As you tighten your line to set the hook, the bend acts as a lever to open the hook gap up to its full potential.
There are two things that need to be done to reshape a hook to bend up. First you must bend the shank in the proper place and at the proper angle for the baitfish you are trying to imitate (this is varyable). Second you must open the bend of the hook(by squeezing with a pair of pliers) so the point is parralell to the new hook shank(this was the main bug that had to be worked out),if this step is not done you will lose many hookups. As with any hookup fly, do not cover the hook point with too much material.
With this style I have found that most fish are hooked in the corner of the mouth or in the lips. My clients have caught as many as seven bluefish on the same fly with out being cut off using a 12# tippet.
Capt Stan Mackerwicz