Silicon Mullet
Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Freshwater Fishing
Forum Name: Fly Tying
Forum Description: Swap tips and techniques for Fresh and Saltwater fly patterns
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=44616
Printed Date: 03 Feb 2026 at 8:27pm
Topic: Silicon Mullet
Posted By: Snuffit.
Subject: Silicon Mullet
Date Posted: 31 Aug 2009 at 10:45am
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Funny way to spend the last day of the pheasant season I know, but given that it has been quite epic and succesful I couldn't persuade the good wife that I should be alllowed 'just one more' day shooting so I sat down at the vice. I wanted to try and get a satisfactory result to the semi floating mullet conundrum that Nik posted maybe a year ago. Scenario = kings herd mullet up on the mud flats in the mangroves. Water is shallow so a semi submerged fly is need. Action is full on, so fly needs to attract bites by being obvious.
Rather than trying to invent something, I just embellished Popovic's Silicon with more realistic colours. This style of fly was Mr. Viking's original suggestion, hopefully I just fine tuned the solution.
  Hook: 4/0
Thread: Flat Chartreuse
Tail: Chartreuse over white bucktail
Flank: Hen grizzle 'hackle'
Underbelly: White bucktail
Head: Grey wool, siliconed
Eyes: Domed stick on chartreuse
Chomp chomp munch...
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Replies:
Posted By: Te Awa Kairangi Angler
Date Posted: 31 Aug 2009 at 12:32pm
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Brilliant looking ties.
Do you tie imitations for whitebait or smelt?
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Posted By: Pole Dancer
Date Posted: 31 Aug 2009 at 12:51pm
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Nice work Nick... we better tee up you bringing them for a swim seeing as Pheasant plans turned to effluent....
If it's any consultation I spent the last day of the pheasant season doing a flytying day for cantabury Flyfishers.... was an awesome day though. ------------- http://www.clarkreid.co.nz" rel="nofollow - www.clarkreid.co.nz FFF Certified Casting Instructor / Umpqua Designer Tier 
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Posted By: Snuffit.
Date Posted: 31 Aug 2009 at 1:07pm
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It was refreshing to tie some flies I have to say, just proving to myself that I can change gears efficiently post game bird season and get back in fishing mode. Clark did you get the dog training day in as well? Tim, I don't have any revolutionary smelt flies. I like simple slim ties with plenty of movement. One interesting things is that smelt can be different coloured regionally or seasonally, let alone different sizes, trying to match that can give you endless hours of frustration, or as Jax would say, 'fun'.
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Posted By: StPaul
Date Posted: 31 Aug 2009 at 8:51pm
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Nice Ties Nick. Will have to get some of my creations up on line. Have been having a play with Bob's bangers made with backing rod and undercolouring the foam with markers before Wrapping with Tape. An awesome smelt pattern that I got my 5lb searunner on. (slightly modified from 1 in fly life) Tie 2 strands UV minnow krystal flash between 2 strips of clear stretchback (2 - 3 times length of hook shank) to the rear of the hook. use a small piece of road slick or silver siliskin to make a smallish body and add small stick on eyes (over glue these with zap a goop) . \ You can use any hook size you like, I usually tie them on sizes 6 - 10. they wiggle like crazy. Can't wait to try them out on the Kahawai!
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Posted By: Te Awa Kairangi Angler
Date Posted: 01 Sep 2009 at 2:32pm
Those sound excellent. Can you post photos of them and are the materials available locally.
Smelt I saw in Canterbury river mouths were up to 8cm long. A mouth full of those took some swallowing.
Chris Beech used to set up a rotary dryer for setting epoxy resin over 3-D eyes. Is that all old hat now with your zap a goop?
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StPaul wrote:Posted By: Pole Dancer
Date Posted: 01 Sep 2009 at 11:25pm
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Yeah Nick, did the training day as well.
There's still plenty of room for Epoxy too Hutt, Most all SWF tiers will have a fly drier. I'll post some smelt bait eyed flies soon... but there's no secret to such patterns for Kahawai./.. as long as they move fast! ------------- http://www.clarkreid.co.nz" rel="nofollow - www.clarkreid.co.nz FFF Certified Casting Instructor / Umpqua Designer Tier
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Posted By: P-A
Date Posted: 02 Sep 2009 at 11:08am
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Great tying mate. Those will slay out a the xxx spot with Nik.
Regards
P-A
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Posted By: Onecast
Date Posted: 02 Sep 2009 at 11:48am
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Great Flies Nick. I am trying to gear up for S/W tying at present.
Been playing with TUBES. Great Fun STEEP learning Curve. Jax ------------- A man is only as big as the things that annoy him RIP 'Onecast' Jax Murray |
Posted By: jmeyerc
Date Posted: 03 Sep 2009 at 2:05pm
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I was given a HUGE bag of raw fleece a few years back at a small zoo and don't know what to do with it all, how do you apply the fleecy wool to the hook? what about the lanolin still in it? what about the colour? It is still the creamy colour it started out being, in other words I am stumped - anyone have any ideas? I would really like to make the lovely flies that Nick has but - well - would anyone like some of it? Jeanne |
Posted By: Snuffit.
Date Posted: 04 Sep 2009 at 12:29pm
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Jeanne, have you ever tied glo bugs? Similar proposition, cut a length or hank or whatever of the fleecy wool, position it on hook shank and bind it in with several wraps of thread. Push the next bit as tightly as you can to the first length and then repeat - bind in tightly. After you have tied off the head its haircut time! That's where the shaping comes in. Essentially you end up with all the ends of the fibres sticking up or out - and that's what you trim to shape. Make sense?
Cheers
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Posted By: jmeyerc
Date Posted: 04 Sep 2009 at 3:50pm
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Will try it Nick and see how it goes - do you want any of it? Jeanne |