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OLD FLY OF THE MONTH
PATTERNS
This section of the web
site will be dedicated to the Fly of the Month. Each month, we
will take a local fly that has been doing well on fish, and give you
step-by-step instructions on how to tie it. Many of these
flies will be submitted by local guides. Each fly will contain
a materials list, as well as a guide on how to fish it.
November
2007
The EP-Fiber Kwan
Provided By:
Captain John Tarr
Materials Needed:
- Gamakatsu SC-15 or Mustad C47SD Hook
(size 6-1)
- Flat Waxed Thread
- EP Silky Fibers (Enrico Puglisi)
- EP Fibers (Enrico Puglisi)
- Single Neck Hackle (Tip for palmering)
- Beadchain or Lead Eyes
Tying Directions:
- Step One: Secure the hook in
the vise point down. Attach the thread and move to the
rear of the hook, just before the bend.
- Step Two: For the tail, attach a length of
EP Silky Fibers to the rear of the hook. Fibers should be
approximately 1.5 to 2 times the length of the hook shank and should be the thickness of a match stick.
- Step Three: Tie in a grizzly
hackle tip. Palmer forward 2 to 3 wraps and secure.
Trim off the excess feather.
- Step Four: For the body, separate a clump
of EP Fibers from the package. The fibers you separate
should be about 1/2 the thickness of a #2 pencil. For the
first model, I used two separate colors. If you wish to do
this, make each clump about half the normal size and then mix
the materials together. This can be done to give the
pattern a more mottled look or to blend specific colors.
Once you have your clump, cut it into pieces about 1 1/2 inches
long. Attach a piece by Figure 8 wrapping it. Once
you complete the Figure 8 wrap, wrap in front of the piece two
times. Repeat his process for a second bunch and make sure
to push the second bunch back, so there are no gaps between the
clumps.
- Step Five: Continue this
process, moving the clumps forward, until you fill the hook
shank. Be sure to leave enough room to attach eyes and a
weedguard (optional).
- Step Six: Attach lead or
beadchain eyes to the top of the hook shank; this will help the
fly ride hook point up. Beadchain eyes will cause the fly
to sink very slowly, allowing it to be worked in the middle of
the water column (very effective for trout). Lead eyes
will cause the fly to sink to the bottom for redfish, black
drum, etc. Attach a mono weedguard, if desired, between
the eyes and the eye of the hook. Whip finish and cut-off
the thread.
- Step 7: Carefully trim the
EP Fiber body to a crab shape. Be sure not to trim the
feather. Once the fly has been trimmed, apply head cement
along the body tie in points and the eyes. I apply head
cement to the entire length of the hook shank, on top and
bottom. This helps the fly last much longer.
Tying Notes:
This fly is tied just
like the traditional kwan pattern, but uses Enrico Puglisi tying
materials in place of craft fur and sparkle yarn. The use of
EP Fibers allows me to blend various colors for realistic looks.
In the first model, I have used EP 3-D Mangrove fibers for the body
along with the Light Blue. In the second model, I used only
the 3-D Mangrove fibers for the body. In addition, I bar some
of the tails (like model #2) and leave others plain. This fly
can be tied in numerous colors, depending on the favorites for your
area. In addition to having unlimited color variations, I find
that the EP Fibers typically last longer than traditional yarns;
they also shed water, instead of soaking it up, making casting
easier.
Fishing Techniques:
This fly has proven
to work well on trout, redfish, flounder, black drum, mangrove
snapper and bonefish. When fishing for predators that feed
"up", like trout and snapper, I tend to use the pattern with
beadchain eyes. This keeps the fly in the middle of the water
column. Short strips work well during this time, causing the
fly to jig up and down. When fishing for predators that tend
to feed "down", redfish and black drum, I use the lead weighted
flies; unless the water is too shallow and beadchain will get it to
the bottom. Long, slow strips work well here. This
causes the fly to send up puffs of mud, which imitates a crab
scurrying across the bottom. If long strips do not work, try
"popping" the fly, which causes it to jump up and then dive back to
the bottom; this imitates a crab trying to bury itself in the mud.
The kwan is a great
fly anytime the fish are feeding on shrimp or crabs. Since it
can imitate either prey, it allows you to cover both without
changing flies. Tie them in a variety of colors, sizes and
weights; this will allow you to be prepared for any situation.
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