The
Baboon is a hybrid crab/shrimp fly designed for fishing
the clear water redfish flats of Matlacha Pass and Pine
Island Sound. It's sparse, synthetic body coupled with small
dumbell eyes allows it to sink quickly, yet be much easier
to cast than traditional weighted crab patterns. With the
Polar Fibre tail causing it to sink at the proper, crab-like
angle and the wiggly rubber legs to get the fish's attention,
it is no wonder why redfish go out of their way to gobble
them up.
As
tied in the instructions below, the Baboon is an extremely
effective attractor pattern for redfish. In many circumstances,
however, I find it more effective to switch to a dark brown,
or tan version of the baboon using Aunt Lydia's Rug Yarn
in place of the mylar tubing. Like any fly pattern, the
baboon can be tied in any color variation to match any local
flats fodder and I encourage you to try different colors
to suit different situations.
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Materials
needed for "Fire-tiger" Baboon:
- Size
4 Mustad Signature Big Game Light hook
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Black flat waxed nylon thread
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Hot Orange Polar Fibre
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Black Krystal Flash
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Black plastic bead eyes
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Barred Olive rubber legs
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Large Copper Mylar Tubing
-
Small lead dumbell eyes
- 40#
mono (Weed Guard)
-
Head cement
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Top
view of the
Fire-Tiger Baboon |
Andrew
Petersen dropped a tan baboon into some big Pine Island redfish
tails and came up with this 31" prize.
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STEP
1
Wrap the entire hook shank
and half way into the bend with black flat waxed nylon thread.
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STEP
2
On the outside bend of the
hook, tie in six strands of black Kystal Flash. (Two should
be about 3' long and the remaining four should be about 2"
long
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STEP
3
Cut a clump of Hot Orange
Polar Fibre fro the "skin", comb out underfur, line
up tips and tie on to outside bend of hook directly on top
of Crystal Flash.
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STEP
4
On the INSIDE bend of the
hook tie in black plastic bead eyes figure eight style directly
across from the hook barb. The eyes I use come from a black
bead necklace, but can be substituted with large black mono
eyes.
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STEP
5
Next, on the shank of the hook,
just before the bend, tie in four 1" long, barred-olive
rubber legs. If you have a rotary vise, turn the fly over for
the next step. |
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STEP
6
Leaving some space, figure
eight a 1" section of large copper mylar tubing to the
INSIDE of the hook shank. (You can substitue Aunt Lydia's
Rug Yarn for more subdued color variations.)
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STEP
7
Leaving a gap, tie in another
1" section of large copper mylar tubing. Turn the fly
over for the next step.
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STEP
8
Tie the lead eyes to the
TOP of the hook shank directly behind the eye of the hook.
Rotate the fly once again.
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STEP
9
Bend a piece of 40# mono
into the shape of a vee and tie in between the dumbell eyes
and the closest section of mylar tubing. Whip finish, trim
the weed guard, pick apart the mylar tubing and flatten like
two frayed wings. Coat all visible thread wraps and the frayed
tubing with head cement. Allow to dry and give it a second
coat.
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STEP
10
Trim
the body to give it a crab shape and throw at your nearest
redfish!
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Dear
Capt. Greg,
I
had to write and tell you about our recent success with
your Baboon pattern. On Dec 29 Frankie & I fished with Capt
Glenn in the 10K Islands and I sight cast to a Redfish and
after one little strip it inhaled the fly so deeply that
we had to use the x-long nosed pliers to retrieve the fly,
about 4#'s. Later that day a small school of mullet were
swimming by but I thought that I saw different fish forms
so I cast to the back part of the school and this Redfish
made a 90 degree left turn and pounced on the fly. Today
Max and Frankie fished with Glenn and FLW got a 9# red that
chased down the fly to get to it and later she caught a
4#er, same thing! This is the first fly that I have ever
fished to Reds where they "Accelerate to get it" It is a
great design and it "Works". Regards,
Mike
Franz
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This
tailing sheepshead took a dark brown baboon in Matlacha Pass,
Florida. |
The
Baboon even works on Mullet!
Was this an accidental snag in the mouth
or
an authentic mullet hook up? Only the
mullet knows for sure and judging from
the wry smile on his face, he's not going to tell.
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Warren
Vanderhill proved that the Baboon is also an effective flounder
fly. He caught two during a February cold front. One he caught
with a brown Baboon over a sandpatch in upper Matlacha Pass.
The other on a tan Baboon on a Pine Island Sound grassflat.
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Angler's
Outlet in Cape Coral, FL has all your
fly fishing needs! With the area's most knowledgeable staff
and a full selection of fly tackle, flies, and fly tying materials,
they help you become a better fly angler.
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