We could see at least two tarpon roll lazily as I poled the Maverick toward the mouth of a small creek. It was late June, already getting hot and we were looking for tarpon at first light in the 10,000 Islands of Southwest Florida. My angler had on a tried and true tarpon fly tied in the traditional style. As he made his first cast and started the retrieve, I anticipated the take. Maybe the fish did not see it, I thought, as he cast again to another roll. Surely, one of these fish had seen it. Let it sink and try a slower retrieve, I said. Still nothing…..
I decided to switch flies and try a new pattern in pumpkin and chartreuse I had been using with very good success on snook and reds. When my angler saw the pattern and asked what I called it, I looked at it a second, thought about the distinctive bars on the rabbit tail and said “Jail Bait.” He laughed and said, “is it legal?”
The fly landed on top of the roll, three slow strips, the set and about a forty pound fish cleared the water in a spectacular jump. After a good fight the tarpon came along side the boat for a picture and release. This pretty much shut the creek down so we headed further down the bay. We stopped at a shore line that has lots of oysters and a nice “lay-up” bank on which we often find both snook and reds on. As we worked our way down the bank, I spotted a nice snook laying suspended facing into the current. The fly passed about two feet in front of the fish and it charged hard and ate. My angler set and as he fought the fish in said “Jail Bait is a definitely a ringer; these fish just can’t resist it.”
Since then I have tied it in a variety of color combinations and all have worked great. Blue barred black, tan barred orange, black barred white are all great colors to have in your arsenal. The blue barred color is one of my favorites for snook.
When I designed this pattern, I was looking for a versatile fly that had great action, subtle flash, pushed water and was easy to tie. I also wanted a fly where it was easy to adjust the rate of sink when tying. You can tie Jail Bait without lead wire for a semi-floating pattern, add a little lead for a suspender or add a bunch for deeper water applications.
This fly contains three key features that trigger strikes: a head that maintains shape and pushes water, realistic eyes and the rabbit tail that breathes in the water.
The head of the fly is tied with either SF Flash Blend or Flash N’ Slinky, either one work. I use Clear Cure UV Goo to set the shape of the head. Clear Cure is a new product that replaces epoxy and gives you the ability to immediately set the shape of the head with a UV light. Unlike epoxy, Clear Cure Goo does not yellow with age and comes in a standard or flexible formula. I also use the Clear Cure to affix the eyes.
The Pelagic Asymmetric Eyes are another key feature. They are very realistic, mimic the shape of a fish’s eye and come in a variety of color combinations.
The Jail Bait style has a lot of possibilities using different materials for the head and tail depending on what you are imitating and your imagination. Tie some up and take one swimming and I think you will find them a productive addition to your fly box.
Enjoy.
Captain Bill
Materials
Hook: Gamakatsu SC15, 1 through 3/0
Thread: 3/0
Eyes: 3-D Pelagic Asymmetric Mirage Eyes or colors to match the body/head.
Head: Flash ‘N Slinky or SF Flash Blend set with Clear Cure UV Goo
Wing: Barred magnum rabbit
Weight: Lead wire
Tying Instructions
Step 1: Attach the thread midpoint on the hook and wrap a base to apply the magnum barred rabbit tail. You can add a small amount of Clear Cure to the underside of the rabbit and set with the UV light to provide some stiffness and prevent the rabbit from wrapping around the hook shank. This works well and is easier than a mono loop.
Apply a thin coat of head cement over the wraps to secure.
Step 2: Wrap the thread forward to the eye to provide a base for the SF Flash. At this point you can add the desired amount of lead wire for weight just ahead of the point where the rabbit is tied.
Step 3: Cut a medium size bunch of SF Flash Blend to form the head and tie it in with the long end of fibers facing forward. Secure the thread with a number of half-hitches and apply a thin coat of head cement.
Step 4: Bring the fibers that are facing forward back towards the tail and hold in place making sure they are evenly distributed around the shank to form the head. Brush the head with Clear Cure and work it in with a brush to penetrate. Hold your UV light on the head for 15-20 seconds to set the Clear Cure.
Step 5: Trim any excess fibers at the back to form a neat tapered body.
Apply a small amount of Clear Cure to the head where you want to affix the eyes. Set the eyes in place and hold your UV light above and below the eyes to set the Clear Cure.
