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DOUBLE WEED GUARDS

There are times when you just have to fish right into structure but every time you do you get hooked up. This is particularly so when fishing for Saratoga amongst lily pads, Barramundi amongst the mangroves and Mangrove Jacks and Bass amongst the snags. At those times to increase fishing time and save a lot of frustration I suggest you use flies with double weed guards. Forget about single weed guards they are almost useless and only cut down the snag rate a little if at all.

I am often asked if weed guards cut down on hook up rates. Well logically I suppose they do but I must say that the increased fishing time you get and the fact that your not loosing flies or having to "go in" and retrieve flies more that compensates for that. In most cases however strikes from tropical fish are quite aggressive and I don't think that the weed guard even comes into the hook up equation.

I use two types of double weed guards.

The first type below is used for flies on solid hooks and mainly when fishing to tropical species. The second type is tied on soft plastic jig hooks which are quite light and consequently its application is better suited to temperate fish such as bream or bass.

MATERIALS:
 
 Monofilament - needs to be stiff and thick. I use 40lb Schneider for both types of weed guards.

The procedure for tying "tropical" double weed guards is set out below.
A)

Prior to commencing dressing of the fly:

  1. Wind the thread down the hook shank to the bend of the hook and then return it to somewhere between 1/3 and 1/2 way back along the shank of the hook.
  2. Select a piece of hard mono and kink it at about the half way point with either your pliers or between your teeth.
  3. Tie it onto the top of the hook shank at the kink using figure of 8 wraps.
  4. Pull the monofilament along each side of the hook and lash it into place with touching loops of thread all the way to the bend of the hook making sure that the monofilament guards are fixed on each side of the hook shank.
B)
When you have tied the tail in and dressed the fly to a logical point somewhere between half way and 2/3 of the way back to the eye of the hook:

Doing one side of the weed guard at a time:
  1. Pull the monofilament up to the side of the hook forming a loop that extends below and in front of the point of the hook.
  2. At the point where the mono crosses the shank of the hook make a bend in it  parallel with the hook shank.

In the picture the guard has been tied in on the front side and you can see the bend in the monofilament and the back side of the hook prior to it being tied along the shank of the hook.


C)

  1. Finish the weed guard something like this and then finish dressing the fly in front of where the weed guards have been tied in.

The procedure for tying  the "bass" double weed guards is set out below.
A)

Prior to commencing dressing of the fly:

  1. Wind the thread down the hook shank to the bend of the hook and then return it to somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 way back along the shank of the hook.
  2. Select two piece of hard mono and tie them on top of the hook shank with the tag ends facing in front of the fly.
B)
When you have dressed the fly:
  1. Kink the monofilament down behind the eye of the hook so that it sits along the vertical section of the hook shank.
  2. using fine monofilament or invisible thread lash the two guards into place all the way to the eye of the hook and with one weed guard on each side of the vertical section of the hook shank.
  3. Whip finish and trim the tying thread.


C)

  1. Kink each weed guard so that it points a little to the side and backwards and trim off at about twice the gape of the hook.
  2. Lock the weed guard and fly whip finishing into place with a drop or two of super glue or 5 minute epoxy.
Copyright © 2005 Stephen Chatterton / Fish on Fly P/L - All rights reserved.
Last modified: 10-Jun-2008.

 
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