Pattern Index

Harvey Bennett and George Pharaoh of The Tackle Shop in Amagansett are proponents of easy-to-tie, durable patterns. Their Feel Good pattern, probably named because a fly rodder can feel good when this small pattern outfishes anything else around, fits the bill.

The material list is short -- a Size 2 Mustad 3407 or 34007 for a longer variety, a Marabou feather, a length of narrow one-eighth inch Flexo Tube or similar braided tubing, either painted or stick-on eyes, and epoxy.

1) Wrap the entire hook shank with thread.

2) Tie a Marabou feather in behind the eye, and wrap back to the hook bend, leaving anywhere from one-half to 1.25 inches of feather beyond the bend.

3) Cut a length of tubing to match the shank, slip it over the eye, and tie it off at the bend.

4) Pull the tube to shape, trim the excess at the eye, and tie off the front of the tubing.

5) Add the eyes of your choice and coat the thread wraps only with epoxy.

That's it. The Marabou offers an enticing, pulsating movement in the water. You can use any color Marabou you like. Harvey and George used red in the above example, and Harvey points out that Spanish mackerel often seem to like small patterns that use either red or brown colors.

For a close-up Feel Good look, stop by The Tackle Shop on Montauk highway in Amagansett.