The bay anchovy comes into our waters
the year round. They are sometimes referred to as rainbait due
to the sound they make when they're chased by bass, blues, and false albacore.
Bay anchovies range in size from just under 1 inch to over 3 inches, so
the pattern should be tied in a variety of sizes. Color variations include
all chartreuse, or yellow over pink over white Fly Fur. Use a slow
to medium retrieve.
Materials
Size #2 hook -- use a heavy wire hook (Tiemco 800s,
Eagle Claw 254SS)
Clear monofilament tying thread
10-pound-test monofilament line
Bill's Bodi-Braid silver
Tan Fly Fur or equivalent
Flashabou Pearl
Copper Krystal Flash
Witchcraft #2 Silver Prism Eyes
Epoxy
Red Sharpie-type permanent ink marker
Wrap
the shank of the hook with the 10-pound-test monofilament line. Build up
the center and taper both ends so that you form a belly. Tie off the mono
and wrap it with silver Bodi-Braid.
Cut
off a bunch of tan craft fur and pull out the short fluffy fibers. Tie
it in at the hook eye. Take a few strands of the pearl Flashabou
and a single strand of copper Krystal Flash, double them over,
and tie in at the hook eye. Finish with a second bunch of tan Craft
Fur.
Stick
on the Witchcraft eyes.While pulling the craft fur back, coat
with the pattern with epoxy. Always spread epoxy in the direction of fiber's
grain -- from the hook eye to hook bend. Apply enough epoxy to cover the
pattern from the head to slightly beyond the hook bend, and to create
a baitfish profile. Set the pattern in a drying motor and let it rotate
while the epoxy sets. Don't worry if the Fly Fur starts to lift
away from the hook. Just pull the fur back down into place before the
epoxy cures. Let the expoxy set firmly before you handle the pattern.
Draw a red gill line with the permanent marker and apply second, light
coat of epoxy.
You can follow this same proceedure to tie a spearing
pattern using longer olive Fly Fur over pearl Flashabou
over white Fly Fur or a sand eel imitation, using a long shank
hook (Mustad 34011 #1) with olive Fly Fur over pearl Flashabou
over lavender Fly Fur. You can also bind down the Fly Fur and
flash with a light wrap of mono thread in order to create a slimmer profile
before applying epoxy.
Wrap
the shank of the hook with the 10-pound-test monofilament line. Build up
the center and taper both ends so that you form a belly. Tie off the mono
and wrap it with silver Bodi-Braid.
Cut
off a bunch of tan craft fur and pull out the short fluffy fibers. Tie
it in at the hook eye. Take a few strands of the pearl Flashabou
and a single strand of copper Krystal Flash, double them over,
and tie in at the hook eye. Finish with a second bunch of tan Craft
Fur. 
Stick
on the Witchcraft eyes.While pulling the craft fur back, coat
with the pattern with epoxy. Always spread epoxy in the direction of fiber's
grain -- from the hook eye to hook bend. Apply enough epoxy to cover the
pattern from the head to slightly beyond the hook bend, and to create
a baitfish profile. Set the pattern in a drying motor and let it rotate
while the epoxy sets. Don't worry if the Fly Fur starts to lift
away from the hook. Just pull the fur back down into place before the
epoxy cures. Let the expoxy set firmly before you handle the pattern.