MORE ON DREDGING

From the Stig 

Crosscut dredging Squid with mono loop 3D eyes

Talking about bottom bouncing the fly in the depths for bigger fish......

I had been wanting to tie some squid patterns for a past  SW comp – and based on the fun I was having tying with rabbit fur at the time (i.e. the Furry Crabs and the Barra Things), I thought I would use some white zonker or crosscut to form the body – the problem was – what about some light weight eyes so I can have the squid swimming rather than jigging as happens with bigger eyes that are usually lead based.

Putting together a few different ideas I have read in the past and what I had on hand in materials - this is what I came up with a mono loop for the eye. It worked awesomely for reef species off Dundee

I hope you like it and that it may give you some ideas.

Take thickish lead wire wrap down hook shank, tie over with. Thread and a touch of super glue

Tie in a few rubber skirt pieces from a spinner bait skirt

I bought a bunch of skirts online from Basspro and use them for crab and shrimp patterns

•   Take a long shank heavy duty hook of your choice

•   Tie in some pink marabou or rabbit (or whatever as long as it is vibrant in water) for squid beak section and creates colour contrast against the body materials)

•   Tie in a little flash twice says long as beak material

•   Also tie in two or so, slightly thicker & longer strips of plastic off one of those squid skirts used in big game fishing for the head of trolled gar baits.

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•   For the eyes & away from the tying vice form a tear shaped loop in heavy mono and wrap with tread to keep it in the desired shape leave long enough mojo tags to help with tying in later

•   Take a 3D prism eye and glue it to mono using a dollop of epoxy

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•   Back on hook shank near the start of hook bend - Add a lump of thread to help flare eyes later

•   You then tie in tags of mono to hook shank tying tightly right up to lump of thread to flare eyes

•   Add you rabbit fur strip to form body and you are done.

Then go dredging the depths for the big buggers.

  

Here is a close up of the mono loop before tying in the crosscut for the body

If short takes occur with nips at tentacles -  add a stinger hook with some braid - maybe use those red coloured chemically sharpened hooks.