Crooked Creek Bendback Baitfish Saltwater Hook : 1/0 Mustad O'Shaughnessy Bendback 34005KESS (or straight 1/0 bent with pliers). Thread : 1/0 Neon Red Uni thread, 1/0 Black. Tail : Red marabou. Body : 50 lb clear monofilament over red thread. Eyes : Silver bead chain. Wings : White, green bucktail, blue/silver polar flash, saddle hackles.
Tying Instructions 1. Clamp hook in vice, point upwards. Using red thread tie in 2 or 3 strands of red marabou as a tail, then tie in a 150 mm length of clear 50 lb mono. Bind hook closely with red thread all the way to kink in hook shank. 2. Bind mono in the opposite direction to under binding and tie off at kink using red thread (n.b. binding in opposite direction makes it easier to secure the end of the mono). 3. Still using red thread, tie on bead-chain eyes in the kink of the shank. Tie off red thread. 4. Coat body with head cement or clear nail polish and leave to dry. 5. Using black thread, tie in a very sparse bunch of white buck-tail onto the shank between the eye and the kink, then on top a dozen strands of Polarflash, then a sparse bunch of green (or blue) bucktail. The buck-tail should extend about three-quarters of a hook length past the bend. 6. Next, tie a saddle hackle onto each side of the head so that it extends to the end of the bucktail. 7. Finish the head with black thread and coat with clear nail polish.
Fly Notes This fly is a derivative of a fly described by Steve Starling in the club newsletter of the Black Matukas Flyfishing Club. Steve emphasises the light dressing so that the fly sinks and works well in shallow water.
Fishing Notes Target species Flathead. Works best on lighter weight floating lines (#6) with a simple mono leader in shallow water or a sinking braid leader if water is a bit deep. Work in short bursts through bare patches in seagrass beds or small channels through weed.
Location Notes Best worked slowly in close to the edge of seagrass beds. Developed for small NSW south coast rivers with water depths of only a few feet, but effective in any skinny water.
Prey Notes Generalist, prawn, baitfish pattern.
Tier Peter Scanes

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