Thunderstorms tonight . . . Lost power briefly . . . Bored . . . This is what resulted.

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RECIPE

Hook: Eagle Claw 410 1/0 Bronze (purchased in bulk from DO-IT Molds http://www.do-itmolds.com/)

Thread: Mono 0.006

Eyes: Lead Eyes, medium or large

Flash: Krystal Flash, color to match brush/body color

Tail: Flat Rubber, about 20 strands

Body: Enrico Puglisi EP Crustaceous Brush (best colors for bass are Toby Toad Black/Yellow, OCRB-OL Olive, TOBR Toad Black/Red, 3T 3-Tone)

Weight: Lead Wire, 0.030

Fly Length: 3.5 inches

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Instructions

Select your EP brush to suite your fishing needs.  Proven color combinations are listed above, but the sky is the limit.

Examples

Then choose the rubber for the tails to match the brush color scheme.  I get my rubber from the local bass shop; they have tons of rubber which is used to tie spinner bait and jigs.

Choose the Krystal Flash to match the colors in the rubber and brush body of the fly.

Remember to use an Eagle Claw jig hook, size 1/0.  The shape is important to the movement of the fly.  These can be purchased for either freshwater or saltwater.

Start the mono thread and wrap a good base at the front of the fly.

Tie in the lead eyes using cross wraps and secure tightly.  Leave at least one eye length of space in front of the eye before the bend.  This will avoid crowding at the end of the brush wrapping sequence and leave room to tie off the mono thread at the end.  Glue the eye down with superglue before proceeding.

TIe in the Krystal Flash at the tail, about the length of the hook shaft.

Tie in the rubber tails.  There are a few tricks here: first, use about strands total of rubber; each will be folded over so the amount of rubber at the back will be double when you are finished.

This is how you tie in the rubber so that it creates an even wrap around the hook shank.  Take half of each color of rubber (if you are combining colors) and separate them into two bundles, about 10 strands each.  Then take the first bundle and tie it in the middle along the side of the hook. Then fold the other half over the hook shank on the other side. Next LOOSELY wrap the rubber back toward the bend and nudge the rubber with your fingers into a gentle and even spiral.  Bring the thread back up to half way mark of the hook shank and repeat.  Remember to wrap the rubber loosely each time.  Once you have completed the loose wraps and the rubber tails are nice and even in the back, then tightly bind the rubber with multiple hard wraps.  The tails are now evenly dispersed and tightly bound. Examples shown below.

Once you have tightly bound the rubber tails, fill the gap between the rubber and the lead eyes with 0.03 lead wire. Bind the wire tightly with the mono thread.

Tie in the EP brush at the rear of the fly precisely at the junction of the rubber tails and the mono thread.  Be sure and cut a small amount of fibers away to provide a clean tie-in wire.

Now you are ready to palmar the EP brush forward.  Remember to wrap each spiral tightly and use your fingers to move the posterior fibers backward.  This constant sweeping of the fibers backward allows you make tight wraps and also frees the fibers for later trimming.

You will use the entire EP brush to complete the fly.  Palmar forward until the brush is firmly nudged against the lead eyes.  Then cross over the top of the eyes and continue in front about three more turns.  You should be just about out of brush material by now.

Continue palmering the brush forward down the bend and then tie off.  Clip the excess material and wire and whip finish.

NOW THE FUN BEGINS!!!

You need to trim the fly to shape.  Use long shanked scissors if possible and remember the sharper they are, the easier it is trim.  Make a bullet tube jig shape with your scissors using short snips from the back to the front.  Keep the longer fibers in the back, you want them to overlap the rubber tails.  This will provide a nice even taper to the fly when wet.

Now go fish!  These tube jig flies are very lively in the water and the smallmouth and shoal bass hammer them with reckless abandon.

Additional fly art