# Weedless redfish flies?



## pt448 (Mar 22, 2014)

Any suggestions? Thanks for the help.


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

Any redfish fly with a weedguard! 

You may or may not tie. But if you don't tie, you can still get a simple cheap tying vise (under $30), A cheap bobbin with some Danville flat thread ($6 for both) some Sally Hanson's Hard as Nails (clear nail polish - $4) and some 20-30lb flourocarbon leader material and install a weed guard to most flies. You can use clear mono thread (fly tying mono thread) if you don't want a lot different colored threads, but it's harder to work with.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VilgdRqWhIA

This video doesn't show the weed guards being trim evenly just past the point or at the point, but do that.

There are other methods you can use to tie in weed guards. Do a search on youtube ("how to tie weed guards on flies"). I happen to like the one used in the youtube like I provided.

IF you don't know how to whip finish, then a few half hitches will work. Trim the tag off and superglue it, letting it dry before you finish it using the clear nail polish. I like the Crazy Glue with the brush applicator or the squeeze bottle Loctite super glue. Walmart sells the Sally Hanson's and Loctite superglue & the Crazy Glue.

And there you have it! 

As for which flies, that's a different can of worms you'll open up, rite thar!!!


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## coconutgroves (Sep 23, 2013)

To tie yourself, or to buy? You have a few options either way.

You can go bendback, where the hook rides upright. Not completely weedless, but you can tie deceivers and seaducers (one of my favorites) this way.

I personally like to tie the double spike weed guard. I use hard 30 lb mono, make a V out of it, then smash the end of the V down (the tip) and bend to make it flat and easier to tie onto the hook shank. The two points come just past the hook. No problem with hook ups, durable, and the two guards do a good job at providing protection in multiple conditions.

I don't see a high number of flies sold with this type of guard, but they are out there. Another key point if you are tying your own is the head of the fly. If I am tying weighted flies, I'll use cones instead of bead or weighted eyes. The cone pushes the weeds away. I'll tie some flies with beads, some with weighted eyes, some with cones and some without anything to go ultra light.


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## pt448 (Mar 22, 2014)

> Any redfish fly with a weedguard!


Lol, well that would make sense. ;D

Thanks guys. Y'all's responses are a big help. I don't tie, but adding some weedguards like y'all describe doesn't sound all that difficult.


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Here's a few redfish bugs for you. If you tie up in bendback style you won't need a weedguard (the hook rides up on a bendback pattern...). Otherwise you'll need one. I prefer wire weedguards since they're just a single component that takes less than 30 seconds to add to any pattern when needed....

This is the Natural Slinky

My version of the Prince of Tides
this is the Whitewater Clouser -even with the hook riding up it still needs a wire weedguard (my angler yesterday caught a nice snook on this bug...


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## pt448 (Mar 22, 2014)

Thanks, Capt. Those are some good looking flies.


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## CurtisWright (May 9, 2012)

Tall grass and flies are tough. They get wrapped around the line not just the hook. I haven't figured it out yet. 90% of the time I throw flies over conventional. I usually just watch and wait for them to move. And as I mentioned in another thread. Frogs are pretty clutch in that situation because you can keep the rod tip high and keep all your line out of the water.


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

When we went to LA I tied some flies to use in the grass. I learned on this site to use pieces of a water bottle to make weed guards. Just cut a rectangle piece with the end cut down so you can tie it in front of the hook


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

permitchaser, that's an interesting idea.  Never heard of that.  Do you have any pics of that? Or, how wide is the part that's tied down? 1/8 inch?

I've used a spoon fly with a weed guard for heavy weed cover for redfish before.  Seemed to be ok.


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

:-*


> permitchaser, that's an interesting idea.  Never heard of that.  Do you have any pics of that?  Or, how wide is the part that's tied down?  1/8 inch?
> 
> I've used a spoon fly with a weed guard for heavy weed cover for redfish before.  Seemed to be ok.


Sorry I just saw this. I'll post some pictures of the plastic bottle weed guard


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