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The
mullet range from small “finger” mullet, to the grand sized “corn
cob”. All game fish in our waters key in on this odd shaped bait fish
when they begin there fall migration out of our back waters. The mullet
school up and travel south along our beaches and are the main course for a
few weeks until their numbers thin out and game fish focus on the next
bait pouring from our inlets. Mullet have a unique “flattened cigar”
shaped body which is difficult to duplicate with just hair and feathers.
Even harder to mimic is their habit of pushing water as they dimple the
surface as they swim by. The
silicone mullet introduces an ordinary household item to an extraordinary
use. Clear silicone lends itself well to fly design. Use a product
available at photo shops called “PhotoFlo” to keep the silicone from
sticking to your hands. Clear Jet Dry can be substituted and may be easier
to get.
The silicone mullet will cast very
well and will dimple the surface just like the real thing as the silicone
uses its light weight and trapped air to stay near the top. If you want
this fleye to work a bit deeper, just hold it under water and give it a
squeeze. The body cavity will hold some water making the mullet less
buoyant. It’s the profile that is so unique about this fly. The
versatile construction method makes this one of those techniques that
every serious fly tier must learn This fleye really fits a nitch when you
need a fly that will push some water and cause some commotion.
Interchange the buck tail on this example with saddle hackles if
you like, even add some ostrich hurl for added movement. A few changes to
this tie and you could make a “Pop Lip”, which incorporates a lip to
the front of your fly. It looks so much like a swimming plug, it’s
silly!
A
few particulars about this fly; be sure to use a heavy hook to keep the
fleye keeled correctly. Also trim the sheep fleece close to the hook shank
on the belly of the fleye. Failure to trim close here will close the hook
gape and decrease your hook up ratio. The sheep fleece can be very easy to
work with if you brush it with a wire pet grooming brush prior to clipping
it from the skin. The silicone will seem messy to work with at first, be
sure you have some paper towels nearby. You will quickly gain the touch of
molding a fly out of what used to be used to caulk your shower.
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