Don't let your guard down, keep your flies weed-free.
By
Henry Cowen
Updated: October 18, 2012
Steel V Guard
Steel Spike Guard
Mono Spike Guard
Mono Loop Shield Guard
Forward Mono Loop Guard
Mono V Guard
Double Mono Shield Guard
Removable weed guard: You will need some silicone tubing (a quarter-inch diameter is what I use) about a quarter- to half-inch in length and some pre-cut wire or mono for the guard. Before tying a fly onto the tippet, take the wire or mono, thread one tag end through the hook eye of the fly and lay it approximately a quarter- to half-inch up along the hook shank opposite the hook point. The other end of the wire or mono should be bent slightly toward the hook point. Next, slide the silicone tubing over the hook eye so it rests snugly on the hook shank. You can bend and adjust the wire or mono, leaning it toward the hook point however it needs to be to fit just in front of the hook point, thus creating a removable weed guard.
Bob Popovics designed a fly using silicone and tied it on a bendback hook to prevent weeds from fouling his offering. The result is a great-looking fly that leaves nothing to impede hook-sets. Popovics’ Weedless Bendback Siliclone allows anglers to fish the fly on or near the surface without getting snagged. The hook is basically hidden in the materials, with some silicone spread around the head and to just in front of the hook point. Popovics explains, “The short weed guard is firm enough to resist pressure from sticks and weeds but yields to pressure from almost any fish’s mouth.”
