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Hard -"Albie"-
Core
by Mike Sfakianos
The Hard "Albie"
Core is a cross between the epoxy-body Surf Candy and a Clouser Minnow.
It's designed to imitate small baitfish, such as bay anchovies, sand eels,
and spearing, and with luck, attract false albacore and bonito. It can
be tied in any number of optional colors to match baitfish in the area.
The small, lead
eyes give the pattern some weight, but not too much, so that it will sink
below large schools of baitfish, and imitate a stunned baitfish when it's
fished on a "dead drift." The most important factor is that
the weighted eyes give the pattern a jigging action that false albacore
and other gamefish often can't resist.
It's tied completely
with synthetic fibers and an epoxy body, so it's a durable pattern. Using
Flashabou Dubbing (a.k.a. Lite-Brite) as a topwing material gives the
pattern more than the usual flash to set it apart from the rest of bait
school, and trigger more strikes.
Materials:
- Hook: Mustad 34011 Size 4 or 6
- Eyes: 5/32 Real-Eyes with silver prism
"stick-on" eyes.
- Body: Pearl Body Braid
- Top Wing: Flashabou and Chartreuse Flashabou
Dubbing
- Bottom Wing: White SuperHair and Polar
Bear Fly Fur
- Thread: Clear Monofilament
- Red Marking Pen
- 30-Minute Epoxy
Step 1: Tie in the
Real-Eyes approximately one-quarter of an inch behind the hook
eye, the same as you would begin tying a Clouser Minnow. Use
a Figure-8 wrap and add a drop of glue or vinyl cement to keep the eyes
in place.
[Ed. Note: When tying this or
any pattern using metal or beadchain eyes, it's also a good idea to take
several circle turns of thread under the eyes and around the Figure-8
wrap to to create a more solid "platform." This makes the eyes
less likely to twist out of line.]
Step 2: Tie in the
Pearl Body Braid at the rear of the hook. Leave about a one-inch
tag end that you'll separate and use to add flash to the tail. Wrap the
braid toward the eyes, back down to the bend, and back to the eyes again.
These three layers of Body Braid will add bulk to the profile
without having to add an excessive amount of epoxy.
Step 3: Move the
thread to the front of the eyes, and tie in a small bunch of Clear White
SuperHair. The SuperHair should be approximately 2.5 times the
length of the hook shank. Bring the thread behind the eyes, and tie down
the SuperHair along the length of the shank.
Step 4: Bring the
thread to the front of the eyes again, and tie in the Fly Fur so that
it extends about one shank length beyond the hook bend. Wrap the Fly Fur
down, bring the thread to the front again, and rotate the pattern so that
you can add the top wing materials.
Step 5: Tie in about
six strands of standard Flashabou (not the larger Saltwater Flashabou)
in front of the eyes. Add a small bunch of the chartreuse Flashabou Dubbing
on top of the Flashabou. (Note: The colors are optional.)
Both materials should be approximately twice the length of the hook shank,
so that when the pattern is completed, the SuperHair fibers will be about
half again longer than the Fly Fur, Flashabou and Flashabou Dubbing.
Step 6: Grasp the
topwing materials, and pull them toward the rear of the hook. This will
straighten the materials and allow you to bind the fibers down as you
wrap toward the tail, then back up to the eyes once again. Tie off the
thread.
Step 7: Separate
and straighten the tag end of the Body Braid at the tail. Use the red
marking pen to color the throat just behind the eyes on what is now the
bottom of the pattern. Add the stick-on eyes. Mix a batch of epoxy and
spread an even coat around the head, eyes, and along the body. Get a little
bit of the epoxy onto the stick-on eyes so that they stay put while you're
fishing. Rotate the pattern until the epoxy sets, and allow it to cure
for approximately two hours before handling.
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