Bodkin / Patterns

Enrico's Mackerel

Nymph · Striped Bass · Bluefish · False Albacore · Tuna · Cobia · Advanced · 1 version

Reference Recipe

  • Hook Long saltwater streamer hook, #1/0-#3/0
  • Thread White Flat waxed / GSP

Materials

  • Belly White uni stretch (EP fibers, reverse-tied)
  • Flash Silver/pearl flashtail (EP Sparkle or flashabou)
  • Back Green over blue (EP fibers, layered)
  • Barring Black ostrich herl (Permanent marker over the back)
  • Gill Red buzzer wrap (Small EP tuft at head)
  • Eyes 3D silver eyes (1 pair adhesive eyes)
  • Head Clear head cement (UV resin)

How to tie it

  1. Mount the hook and lay a thread base over the front half of the shank.
  2. Reverse-tie a clump of white belly fibers, folding it back and locking it to start a long, slender baitfish body.
  3. Add stacked layers forward: silver flash, then a green-over-blue back, keeping the profile slim and torpedo-shaped rather than tall.
  4. Tie in a small red gill tuft at the throat, whip finish, and form a neat head.
  5. Trim the fibers into a long, tapered fusiform mackerel shape with a forked-looking tail.
  6. Bar the back with black marker to mimic mackerel stripes, then blend the marks lightly.
  7. Glue a 3D eye to each side and coat the head with UV resin. Cast to busting fish and strip fast for stripers, blues, and offshore predators feeding on mackerel.

Tying videos

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