Monomoy Sand Eel
Hook: Daiichi #2546 stainless steel salt water size 2
Thread: Olive 6/0 and Chartreuse 3/0.
Eyes: 3/16” nickel dumbbell with 1/8” adhesive eye.
Body: Pearl flat diamond braid.
Wing: Chartreuse bucktail with gold Krystal Flash or Flash-a-bou.
This pattern was submitted by former HFFA President Fred Monahan. Here’s what Fred says about this fly. “George Ryan, a Cape Cod guide, introduced me to salt water fishing and this Clouser derivative on a trip to Monomy in 1998 where I caught my first Striper on the Monomy Sand Eel. The fly is very effective when sand eels are present and, as with most Clouser flys, it also works well in fresh water”. This pattern is an easy tie and extremely effective. With only a top wing, it also fouls less than most traditional Clousers and fishes deeper.
Begin, by attaching the dumbbell to the top of the hook 2/5 of the way back from the eye of the hook with olive 6/0 thread. Use x wraps, figure 8 wraps, and apply head cement to wraps. Attach adhesive eyes (I like to apply a coating of epoxy over them after the fly is completed). Wrap olive thread back from eyes to ¼ of the way past the bend of the hook. Tie in body braid at the end of olive thread and wrap thread forward beyond eyes. Wrap body braid forwards over olive thread, over eyes and tie off in front of eyes, whip finish and cut off live thread. Attach buck tail to underside of hook between eyes and eye of hook with chartreuse thread. Attach a few strands of Krystal Flash or Flash-a-bou on each side of bucktail. Form head, whip finish and apply head cement or epoxy.
This fly can also be viewed at the Housatonic Fly Fishermen’s Association website at www.hffa.net and www.tightlinesflyfishing.blogspot.com/. If you have any questions about this fly or would like to submit a Fly of the Month I can be reached at 203 305-3850 or e-mail me at pdinice@frontier.com .
