Bodkin / Patterns

Magnum Mantis

Crab · Permit · Bonefish · Redfish · Advanced · 1 version

Reference Recipe

  • Hook Saltwater bendback (Umpqua XS435 or similar), 1/0
  • Thread Clear monofilament .006 (fine mono)

Materials

  • Mono shrimp eyes Gold mono (1 pair)
  • Dumbbell or chain weight eyes Silver bead chain eyes medium (1 pair, sized to sink rate)
  • Finnish raccoon (mouthparts) Chartreuse arctic fox (2 sparse clumps)
  • Barred round rubber (antennae) Chartreuse/black barred round rubber (1 length)
  • Micro crusher / sili legs Chartreuse-clear rubber legs (1 bundle)
  • Estaz Crustacean tan (1 length)
  • Synthetic fox dubbing brush Chartreuse ice dub (1 brush)
  • UV resin Clear uv resin (as needed)

How to tie it

  1. Lay a smooth mono thread base the length of the shank. This is a bendback, so everything mounts on TOP of the shank and the hook rides point-up and weedless.
  2. At the bend, tie in a sparse clump of chartreuse Finnish raccoon for mouthparts, spread it over the top half of the shank, and snip the butts.
  3. Flatten the stems of the two mono shrimp eyes with pliers, then bind one along each side so the eyes splay out past the raccoon by half their length.
  4. Bind a length of barred rubber at its midpoint over the mouthparts, pulling it rearward as you wrap so both ends trail long as antennae.
  5. Tie the crusher legs in at their center and pull them apart so a set sweeps to each side; put an overhand knot in each leg a gap-width off the hook so it kicks.
  6. Anchor the weight eyes on TOP of the shank near the hook eye with tight figure-8s and a drop of resin. Mounting on top is what flips the hook point-up.
  7. Tie in the tan Estaz and the chartreuse fox brush at the bend. Spiral the Estaz forward in open turns to the eyes, then palmer the fox brush forward over it with visible spacing and whip finish behind the eye.
  8. Sweep all fibers rearward, trim the body to a flat cylindrical shell, and coat the thread wraps and eye base with UV resin.

Tying videos

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