Albie Flies
False albacore are famous for being finicky. During the fall run, they gorge on bay anchovies and often ignore offerings that do not resemble the naturals. One sweltering August morning, I cast a Royal Anchovy to a school of albies ripping through bait, then made another cast, and then another. Several casts later and just as I was losing confidence, I hooked my first albie of the year.
After releasing my catch, I cut the anchovy imitation from my leader. Capt. Ken Turco, who was with me, could not believe I cut our favorite albie fly from my leader. “What are you doing?” he asked. “These fish won’t be up all day.”
He was right, but I should have connected to a fish sooner. I had thrown a dozen casts, maybe more, into the froth of feeding albies, also known as little tunny and fat alberts, and I only caught one fish. Because the forage was small peanut bunker, not bay anchovies, I figured I had the wrong pattern. So I tied on a Mini Peanut Bunker to match the bait the fish were eating.
I fired my first cast uptide of the commotion. The current carried my Mini Peanut Bunker into the epicenter of the action. Atop the casting platform, I watched as an albie changed direction and charged my imitation. A bump, a pause, and pow! The rod arched as my reel roared. Later, while the albie danced the tuna tango below the boat, I savored the fight and the satisfaction of knowing my imitation scored. When I landed the little tunny, I saw that it had inhaled the fly deeply—a sure sign of a confident take. I caught four more fat alberts that morning, each one sucking the fly deep into its throat.
Albies annihilating bay anchovies is the highlight of the saltwater season for many fly rodders in Long Island Sound and elsewhere. But just as the predictable bay anchovy run highlights September and early October fishing, small (one- to three-inch) peanut bunker provide good fishing for albies that devour schools of peanut bunker in August. The peanut bunker are young menhaden, also called pogies. These young baitfish seek the security of shallow estuaries to mature. The albies force them to the surface, where their panicked pace pushes water. Fueled by fear, they glow hot-white with pearlescent shades of pink, lavender, and blue. They hurdle the surface en masse to flee from impending death. It’s quite a sight to see.
My Mini Peanut Bunker pattern fuses the classic tying designs of Bill Catherwood with modern synthetics to mimic the inherent traits of these young menhaden, making it a wise fly choice for albies feeding on menhaden in August. Its synthetic tail of EP Fibers and Angel Hair oozes with iridescence and the colors of natural peanut bunker. The silhouette is perfect—oblong and tapered. The stacked deer-hair head continues the color pattern, provides an exceptional target, and keeps the fly pushing water near the surface.
Because albies rip through bait at electrifying speeds, anglers often want to use a fast retrieve. But experienced fly fishers know a slow retrieve is best. Cast the Mini Peanut Bunker uptide of the action. On a tight line, tease the fly slowly through the blitz. Let the fly’s deer hair push water while you swim the fraud to where the albies are hunting food. Let the translucence, sheen, and color fool the fish. Let the fly’s marabou-like motion seduce the albies.
Tying the Mini Peanut Bunker involves two distinct stages—the tail and the head. Incorporating flash throughout the tail requires mixing Angel Hair with EP Fibers. By shuffling the two, you disperse the flash throughout the fly and capture the look of the natural. By tapering the blended fibers, you can shape the fly into a peanut-bunker profile. By leaving a turn or two of space between the layers, each lower layer pushes the layer above into a wider profile.
The keys to working with deer body hair are using the right thread, vise, and techniques. Use Uni-Cord 7/0 thread, which is very strong and makes a durable fly. Use a strong rotary vise that will not slip. The best I’ve used is the Barracuda by Dyna-King. And use the right techniques, which may take some practice but are really fairly simple.
Whenever you work with deer hair, you must remember and respect your enemy torque. You must minimize torque, or circular force, in order to create impressive stacked heads of varying colors. To eliminate torque, apply force in a linear direction. Don’t let this terminology scare you. The tying steps show how simple stacking deer hair can be.
The Mini Peanut Bunker pattern is one primed for success. The synthetic tail imitates the natural and “breathes” in the water, and the deer-hair head matches a young menhaden and keeps the fly swimming where the albies are on the attack.
Look for albies tearing into tiny peanut bunker at an inlet near you, especially during the dog days of August. Throw a Mini Peanut Bunker uptide of the mayhem, let it swim, and hold on for a score.
Bob Lindquist is a fly tier, middle school math teacher, and wrestling and baseball coach. He lives in East Patchogue, New York.
Copyright © 2012 Intermedia Outdoors
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