| Home |
Flyfishing Reports | Features
| Skills | Fly Tying | Flyfishing
Guides | Schools | Index | e-mail
|
|||
sefly.com > Fly Tying > Yak Shad |
Saltwater Fly Pattern Yak Shad |
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
|
Impressed by the 12 inch length of the yak hair fibers, I was sure there would be many
uses for this fly tying material even before opening the first package. After a
little time at the tying bench my enthusiasm for this "new" material began to
wan. The hair was course, wiry, and a bit unmanageable. The hard fibers did
not compress undo the force of the tying thread, and seemed to be subject to pulling out
under what I judged to be normal force. Applying CA glue during the tying sequence reduced any chance of the hair pulling out. Along with an epoxy coated head, I was sure the durability of this fly would meet my needs. It was not until I had the opportunity to get out on the water with these new flies did my enthusiasm re-kindle. In the water, yak hair was surprisingly translucent, especially in the natural white and light colored dyed hair selections. Durability is almost unparalleled in natural materials. Baitfish fly patterns tied with yak hair have rapidly become some of my favorite patterns. I have found this fly tying material to be very useful for tying large bunker and herring patterns for striped bass, and for flies used in clearwater situations. I have tied some very productive patterns for uses in the cull behind shrimp boats and for a general baitfish pattern whenever chumming in open water.
|
 Tied on a 2/0 Mustad 254SS, this version is a little over 6 inches long |
||
Bend back
Style |
|||
|
Many factory ready bend back style saltwater hooks have a bend that is too radical to
suite me. I prefer instead to use a straight long shank hook, like the Mustad 34011,
and then bend it as shown. Note that the barb is mashes and the hook gap is opened slightly. |
 |
||
|
I have been a big fan of Dave Whitlock's Sheep Shad from the very first time I saw one. Used as he originally developed the pattern, the Sheep Shad is a proven producer for landlocked striped bass. I was never happy with my attempts to tie Dave's Sheep Shad in lengths much more than about 5 inches. Using yak hair, I can now tie flies up to 12 inches long that have many of the same fishing characteristics as the original Sheep Shad. |
 |
||
|
Harry Hall |
|||
oo |
o |
sefly Home | Flyfishing Reports | Features | Skills | Fly Tying | Flyfishing Guides | Schools | Index | e-mail |
|