The E-Z Silversides Spearing
A simple and durable saltwater baitfish imitation that I'm never without, the EZ Silverside Spearing has proven particularly effective here along our New England seashores not only for pulling big Striped Bass from the surf, but great too for picking off notoriously fussy Atlantic Bonito, and for sniping fast-moving False Albacore as well. Great for mimicking the slender-bodied baitfish like silversides, spearing, and sandeels upon which our coastal gamefish all voraciously feed, here's how I tie the EZ Silversides Spearing.
Recipe / Materials List
- Hook: Mustad C68S Size 1/0 - 02 (or similar)
- Thread: White Danville's 140d Flymaster Plus
- Wing: Select White and Olive Craft Fur
- Lateral Line: Pearl or Silver Flashabou (or similar)
- Body: Natural/Medium EZ Body Tubing
- Eyes: 1/8 inch Silver Epoxy Eyes
- Coating: Liquid Fusion, Epoxy, or UV-Curing Fly Resin (Loon, Solarez, Deer Creek, etc)
Step 1: We'll start by clamping a high quality, stainless-steel saltwater hook in our vise jaws. Once firmly positioned, we'll then start our white tying thread by installing a tight-wound jam knot placed just a short distance behind the hook eye, like shown.
Step 2: Next, to create our underwing, we'll snip a nice, long, pencil-thick bunch of select white craft fur fibers, and after a brief course hand-stacking to help rid the clump's base of its short under-fuzz waste, we'll then tie our white craft fur firmly in place along the hook shank's top, about a 1/4 of an inch or so behind our hook eye as pictured.
Step 3: To create our top wing, we'll next snip a nice, long, pencil-thick bunch of select olive craft fur fibers, and after another brief hand-stacking to help rid the clump's base of its short under-fuzz waste, we'll then tie our olive craft fur wing neatly in place, squarely atop the white, and comfortably behind our hook eye like shown.
Step 4: Next, to create ourselves a realistic looking lateral line, we'll carefully tie 3 to 4 lengthy strands of pearly-silver Flashabou, strung neatly along both the near and far sides of our white and olive craft fur wings.
Once neatly positioned, we'll then install a quick wound whip knot just behind our hook eye, and once snugly whipped, we'll then trim away our white tying thread, cleanly at its base like shown.
Step 5: Next, to create a durable round body, we'll snip ourselves a 2 to 3 inch long tubular section of medium-sized natural-colored EZ Body Tubing.
Once cut, we'll then take a moment to carefully cauterize one end of our EZ body section, by gently licking the tubing's edge a few times with a lighter's flame.
***Special Notes: Being careful not to burn yourself, a quick tamping of the EZ Body Tubing's melted end with a WET fingertip will help fuse the fibers neatly together, while the same time forcing a nice, hollow, round-shaped and fray-proof body butt!
Step 6: Next, in preparation for mounting, we'll give the freshly cauterized, fray proof butt end our EZ Body section a nice short, clean-cut, linear half-inch belly snip with our scissors.
Step 7: Then, with the cauterized butt end facing rearwards and the short fresh-cut belly slit facing down, we'll next go ahead and push our EZ Body Tubing smoothly over both the hook shank and our craft fur wing, carefully guiding the bottom side belly slit neatly around and then past our hooks dropping bend.
With the tubing comfortably positioned, we'll again grab in hand our bobbin, and we'll install just behind our hook eye and around our EZ Body Tubing as pictured, a nice, neat, and notably tight drawn jam knot.
Step 8: With the head-end our EZ Body Tubing now neatly choked, we'll next install immediately atop our jam knot, a nice tight-wound whip knot. Once sufficiently whipped, we'll then trim away the our thread's excess tag end, and we'll begin trimming back the excess forward protruding ends our EZ body tubing as well.
Step 9: With the lion's share of excess EZ Body now snipped away, we'll next go ahead and melt back any remaining rough trimmed ends with a quick brief lick or two with our lighter's hot flame.
Step 10: After adding a set of 1/8 inch molded epoxy eyes to the near and far sides of our white thread head, we'll next give our fly a handsomely durable and final polished finish, by neatly applying a liberal coat of Liquid Fusion, Epoxy, or Clear Cure UV Goo.
Moving smoothly and evenly from head to butt, we want ensure as we coat, that we work the resin not only along the EZ Body's entire length, but around our tubing's entire circumference as well!
Step 11: With a quick bit of last second attention given to any overly saturated areas if necessary, and final heavy dab of resin drug neatly around our head and eyes too; after a minute or two more spent curing in our vise jaws, our EZ Body Silverside Spearing is dry and ready for fishing!
Summary / Closing Remarks: Well friends, there we have it! The E-Z Body Silversides Spearing tied start to finish. This simple little surf-candy style baitfish imitation is definitely one you'll want to add to your saltwater fly box for the season ahead. A reliably consistent and proven producer that's eagerly eaten with equal gusto by striped bass, bluefish, bonito, and false albacore alike, if you've not yet given tying or fishing the EZ Body Silverside Spearing a try... trust me... you should! Sincerely - Nate Harris