Wow... you put in a lot of work into this Fly but what a fantastic pattern because of your extended shank to tie on. Great idea and even better results..!
Gunnar, your videos are great for tying instruction and information. I have tied flies all my life and I still learn something whenever I watch one of your videos. I live in the deep South on a lake full of bass. I have tied a lot of flies on these types of keel hooks (wide gap offset). More importantly, I fish them all the time, so I have a whole lot of test time invested in them. You gotta be careful with these types of flies. They may be so weedless that they also become fishless. I have lost more fish than I care to admit due to fishing weedless flies. On the other hand, I have probably doubled or tripled my strike rate due to being able to throw flies into cover that I could never fish without a weedless fly. So there is a trade off. Over time, I have adjusted and re-adjusted the weedlessness of these flies to the point where I feel pretty confident about my hookup percentage. In the past, I have experimented with extending the front shank like you demonstrate in this video. The 5/0 hook you are using is probably going to work just fine due to the size of the hook. But doing this with smaller flies will probably not work very well. I like the new hooks that Partridge did for Kelly Gallop. These are good for tying keel flies on smaller hooks. If I could have changed one thing about them, it would be to make the gap a little wider. But for average sized fish, or fish with smaller mouths like spotted bass, trout, smallies, they are good. Thanks for all your great videos.
Luv this idea sir. I been trying something out as well with a similar style. But with the ability to use a small, slim profile trailer plastic with a rattle. Using a longer neck shank usually for larger worms. Don’t want a 7/0 hook.. and I know VMC makes one for mouse head jigs for Texas rigged works for Bass pro.. just haven’t found the hooks yet
Absolutely love your videos specifically the excellent way you teach techniques for difficult to handle materials. I noticed in recent videos you are using a new bobbin that appears to be a constant tension bobbin. I would love to know more about the bobbin.
Hey Hana, I use two bobbins primarily - a Mag Right Bobbin, as well as a Ekich A-Series Salmon with a custom tube, The tube is a full 35mm and features the reduced dia. of the S-Series tube, and Mr. Ekich himself set it up for the Veevus threads that I use. The Mag Right Bobbin is fairly self explanatory, great bobbin, perfect for large streamers. The Ekich is honestly the highest quality bobbin I've ever used but it certainly takes some time to get used to. The more I use it the more it grows on me.
Mahalo nui loa (thanks very much-Hawaiian) Gunnar for your informative reply. I was pretty sure you were using an Ekich bobbin. I have several which I use almost exclusively for small trout flies. I have never seen the A-series Salmon in heavy duty action. In an earlier video you gave one of the best explanations of thread tension I've ever seen. It seems like simple concept but it is one of the most neglected elements of fly tying. The Ekich bobbin, and to some extent the Norvise Bobbin, are the only bobbins I've seen that address the issue and once you get over the learning curve, it's hard to use any other bobbin. Thanks for sharing, now I have to order an A-series. Hanapa`a (fish on!- Hawaiian)
Hey Gunnar, Great idea and design as usual. I haven't even ever thought of tying on this type of hook. It's great there are young minds in the game to expand the thinking of older guys like me. Keep up the good work. All the best, Sean
I'm in...I've been fly fishing with rubber 3 inch trout worms an 4 inch if I can find some thinner ones..for bass way to long...I've tied a few streamers...and have a few deer hair bugs that I've tied...so winter's coming and I'm going to build up an arsenal...of your stuff...gettin serious...yes I'm a subscriber now you bet'cha
Hi Gunnar, thanks for another great video tutorial. I like the time and effort you take to show and explain the process, your thinking behind the design and materials used, and the test tank finale. Keep em coming!
Hi Gunnar, a year late but you should try the "Beadsmith one step looper". I tried it and can make endless identical loops (+much faster) now, had to find something because i struggled so hard with forming the shanks. Bend 180° and put it in the looper, boom perfect loop.
Hey Gunnar! I have an idea for your shank. There is a product called a parasite clip. It is designed for those hooks to protect plastic worms. It keeps them from getting torn off at the eye. They are hard to find sometimes but google them and you will like what you see. They come in small, med, and large.
Awesome idea Gunnar. Great use of the faux bucktail too. I wish someone would bring back the old keel hooks that were made for tying keeled "weedless" streamers. So you haven't tested this yet? It seems to have enough space for a good hook up. This reminds me of the worm hooks that had a ring eye barbed shank attached to the hook eye. The shank was inserted into the nose of the bait, then Texas rigged to the actual hook point. It kept the worm from sliding down the hook and balling up in the gap that occurred with a conventional Texas rig. Your quite the thinker Gunnar, thanks for all you've done and will continue to do. God bless...
Thanks Joe, much appreciate man. I haven't been able to fish in over 4 months now.....the winter up this far north is pretty brutal. Hoping Steelhead season will be kind to me this year at the end of March and then Trout Opener is right around the corner. I'll definitely get it wet and hopefully refine the recipe and re-share later on this summer. Thanks for watching Joe, Tight lines and God Bless!
Why not try articulating the shank around the "z" bend in the hook. Form a loop in either end of the shank then after tying on the shank, slip the front loop over the hook eye and back into the top corner of the "z". You could then wrap some thread around the top and middle of z to keep it in place yet swinging free. The idea being that the shank would move freely away from the hook point when a fish takes the fly.
I use about a 1/4 ( + about 1/8 to tie in) inch piece of tube liner and tie it as a tube fly, then tie onto the hook and build the head on the actual hook.
curious. if you bend the back section down and under instead of up it would leave the top parallel and the bump of the overlap inside the gap. also, a slight upward bend on the hook point with pliers gets the hook up rate much higher simply by raising the line to the hook point. only need 1/16" or so to achieve this. just my thoughts.
Tieing was great! Not sure I like the concept tho, your making the jaws of the hook small!! Why no do the same thing extend the working area, but the other way, so you don't decrease the gape of the hook??
Awesome video Gunner! Have you tried using single strand titanuim for the shank? I assume it would be quite difficult to tie on...but it is fexible and bend out the way of the hook gap when you get a fish on. Any thoughts on that?
gap interference seems to be the problem here. hook designers build hooks with the appropriate gap. shortening that gap doesn't seem to be good practice
Wow... you put in a lot of work into this Fly but what a fantastic pattern because of your extended shank to tie on. Great idea and even better results..!
The most innovative tyer I watch on yt!👍
Gunnar, your videos are great for tying instruction and information. I have tied flies all my life and I still learn something whenever I watch one of your videos. I live in the deep South on a lake full of bass. I have tied a lot of flies on these types of keel hooks (wide gap offset). More importantly, I fish them all the time, so I have a whole lot of test time invested in them. You gotta be careful with these types of flies. They may be so weedless that they also become fishless. I have lost more fish than I care to admit due to fishing weedless flies. On the other hand, I have probably doubled or tripled my strike rate due to being able to throw flies into cover that I could never fish without a weedless fly. So there is a trade off. Over time, I have adjusted and re-adjusted the weedlessness of these flies to the point where I feel pretty confident about my hookup percentage. In the past, I have experimented with extending the front shank like you demonstrate in this video. The 5/0 hook you are using is probably going to work just fine due to the size of the hook. But doing this with smaller flies will probably not work very well. I like the new hooks that Partridge did for Kelly Gallop. These are good for tying keel flies on smaller hooks. If I could have changed one thing about them, it would be to make the gap a little wider. But for average sized fish, or fish with smaller mouths like spotted bass, trout, smallies, they are good. Thanks for all your great videos.
Luv this idea sir. I been trying something out as well with a similar style. But with the ability to use a small, slim profile trailer plastic with a rattle. Using a longer neck shank usually for larger worms. Don’t want a 7/0 hook.. and I know VMC makes one for mouse head jigs for Texas rigged works for Bass pro.. just haven’t found the hooks yet
That tweezer eye trick is awesome!
Absolutely love your videos specifically the excellent way you teach techniques for difficult to handle materials. I noticed in recent videos you are using a new bobbin that appears to be a constant tension bobbin. I would love to know more about the bobbin.
Hana pa`a it’s a tie-rite half hitch bobbin I believe. I just started using the half hitch mag and love it.
Hey Hana, I use two bobbins primarily - a Mag Right Bobbin, as well as a Ekich A-Series Salmon with a custom tube, The tube is a full 35mm and features the reduced dia. of the S-Series tube, and Mr. Ekich himself set it up for the Veevus threads that I use. The Mag Right Bobbin is fairly self explanatory, great bobbin, perfect for large streamers. The Ekich is honestly the highest quality bobbin I've ever used but it certainly takes some time to get used to. The more I use it the more it grows on me.
Mahalo nui loa (thanks very much-Hawaiian) Gunnar for your informative reply. I was pretty sure you were using an Ekich bobbin. I have several which I use almost exclusively for small trout flies. I have never seen the A-series Salmon in heavy duty action. In an earlier video you gave one of the best explanations of thread tension I've ever seen. It seems like simple concept but it is one of the most neglected elements of fly tying. The Ekich bobbin, and to some extent the Norvise Bobbin, are the only bobbins I've seen that address the issue and once you get over the learning curve, it's hard to use any other bobbin. Thanks for sharing, now I have to order an A-series.
Hanapa`a (fish on!- Hawaiian)
Hey Gunnar, Great idea and design as usual. I haven't even ever thought of tying on this type of hook. It's great there are young minds in the game to expand the thinking of older guys like me. Keep up the good work. All the best, Sean
I'm in...I've been fly fishing with rubber 3 inch trout worms an 4 inch if I can find some thinner ones..for bass way to long...I've tied a few streamers...and have a few deer hair bugs that I've tied...so winter's coming and I'm going to build up an arsenal...of your stuff...gettin serious...yes I'm a subscriber now you bet'cha
Excellent idea and design Gunnar. I also pinch my eyes to get the narrow head shape but I use old wooden clothes line pegs!
Thanks Peter! Pinching the head makes a huge difference in the durability in my opinion. Sweet use for the Clothes pegs!
Gunner You rule buddy. Great instructional video.
With all due respect, because you are awesome. I just built almost the same fly on a be VMC 6319 BN in 2/0.
Hi Gunnar, thanks for another great video tutorial. I like the time and effort you take to show and explain the process, your thinking behind the design and materials used, and the test tank finale. Keep em coming!
Hi Gunnar, a year late but you should try the "Beadsmith one step looper". I tried it and can make endless identical loops (+much faster) now, had to find something because i struggled so hard with forming the shanks. Bend 180° and put it in the looper, boom perfect loop.
Hey Gunnar! I have an idea for your shank. There is a product called a parasite clip. It is designed for those hooks to protect plastic worms. It keeps them from getting torn off at the eye. They are hard to find sometimes but google them and you will like what you see. They come in small, med, and large.
I use Partridge extreme predator lock bend X wide gap worm hooks it has twice the shank length of the Ahrex
Awesome idea Gunnar. Great use of the faux bucktail too. I wish someone would bring back the old keel hooks that were made for tying keeled "weedless" streamers. So you haven't tested this yet? It seems to have enough space for a good hook up. This reminds me of the worm hooks that had a ring eye barbed shank attached to the hook eye. The shank was inserted into the nose of the bait, then Texas rigged to the actual hook point. It kept the worm from sliding down the hook and balling up in the gap that occurred with a conventional Texas rig. Your quite the thinker Gunnar, thanks for all you've done and will continue to do. God bless...
Thanks Joe, much appreciate man. I haven't been able to fish in over 4 months now.....the winter up this far north is pretty brutal. Hoping Steelhead season will be kind to me this year at the end of March and then Trout Opener is right around the corner. I'll definitely get it wet and hopefully refine the recipe and re-share later on this summer. Thanks for watching Joe, Tight lines and God Bless!
Gunnar Brammer 👍😎
Can you get tear mender that dries clear and not rusty looking. Great fly and tips.
Thanks Jeff. I was thinking maybe it was an Ekich Automatic bobbin but not sure.
Great looking bug, love the technique and the tweezer trick!
yeh, barbering, love it. Was in Wallys t'day lookingat these hooks a'wondering.
Great idea, u could do some massive foam bugs on that also.
Great job as always Gunnar.
gunnar i think i know where you got that hoodie you are wearing. the guys at schults outfitters. great guys and awesome fly shop.
Great Idea!
5+ years later, are you still using tear mender for your jerk heads?
Why not try articulating the shank around the "z" bend in the hook. Form a loop in either end of the shank then after tying on the shank, slip the front loop over the hook eye and back into the top corner of the "z". You could then wrap some thread around the top and middle of z to keep it in place yet swinging free. The idea being that the shank would move freely away from the hook point when a fish takes the fly.
A tip : watch series on flixzone. I've been using it for watching a lot of movies recently.
@Imran Holden Definitely, I have been watching on flixzone for since december myself :)
That would be perfect for bendbacks too
Why the major fly hook companies aren't offering the hooks needed for the kind of fly he's trying I don't know...
I use about a 1/4 ( + about 1/8 to tie in) inch piece of tube liner and tie it as a tube fly, then tie onto the hook and build the head on the actual hook.
Great idea Robin. Good to know man!
I kinda do the same thing but I use a finishing nail and cut it to size.
I know this is old, but could you do a mono straight for this now?
curious. if you bend the back section down and under instead of up it would leave the top parallel and the bump of the overlap inside the gap. also, a slight upward bend on the hook point with pliers gets the hook up rate much higher simply by raising the line to the hook point. only need 1/16" or so to achieve this. just my thoughts.
I love it what advice would you give someone that is just getting started
@Gunnar Have you tried adding the shank in front to extend the gap instead?
Tieing was great! Not sure I like the concept tho, your making the jaws of the hook small!! Why no do the same thing extend the working area, but the other way, so you don't decrease the gape of the hook??
Awesome video Gunner! Have you tried using single strand titanuim for the shank? I assume it would be quite difficult to tie on...but it is fexible and bend out the way of the hook gap when you get a fish on. Any thoughts on that?
Have you changed to using the knot 2 kinky on all these Texas plus shank ties?
Awesome. What about some stainless MIG welding wire .030?
I make shanks out of mig wire. they are great...
Never tried it Chris, but sounds like Jason has you covered for a recommendation! If you give it a go let me know how it goes!
Gunnar, The MIG wire is awesome and SUPER cheap. I make all of my gamechanger shanks with it.
Hi! What kind of aquarium in which check streamer? The idea is very interesting! thank!
Hey man, the tank is produced by FlymenFishingCo - Fly Tester
👍
Where do you buy your faux buck tail?
Can you also make twist tail connection with that wire. #yourock.
Gunnar what kind of vise do you use
How often you miss the fish with this fly because of smaller opening in the hook?
Make an extension with hard mono... it will give some flex to that part of the fly. Hopefully enough to increase catch rate
Why not extend to the front of the hook
Why use such a heavy gauge wire ? Asthere is no hook hanging off of it. Much easier to build on lighter wire.
Do you sell flys or just make your own
they have same kind of hooks w/ a longer "nose"...more room to tie
gap interference seems to be the problem here. hook designers build hooks with the appropriate gap. shortening that gap doesn't seem to be good practice
Интересный стример получился.
Looks like a "bloody fish " mate.
Haha, thanks man!
Ххххх
too long a shank and your hook rate will go down.
kind of a dumb design because you've effectively shortened the hook gap resulting in less hookups