Fly Tying: Brammer's Custom Texas Hook - Shank for Weedless Baitfish Patterns

This is a custom shank I designed to increase the tie-able shank length for large weedless baitfish patterns designed for Keel/Texas style hooks. The shank makes tying easier and give you the ability to build bulk and taper over a larger area without crowding and over-bulking the hook eye, and it simply increases your freedom when tying on this style of hook. The shank is inspired by Bill Sherer of We Tie it Fly Shop and below you can find a link to his shank bending KZread video, which is far more informational than my demo.
Jerk Heads: • Tie Like a Pro, Ep. 4 ...
Bill Sherer: • Fly Shank
Shank Wire: Malin, Single Strand Stainless Steel Hard Wire, 180 lb 0.029"
Round Nose Pliers/Jewelers Pliers
Wire Cutters/Nippers
Hook: Ahrex 5/0 Texas Hook
Tail: FlymenFishingCo Faux Bucktail
Flashblend: Hedron Inc. Magnum Flashabou - 3x White/Silver/Gold/Opal/Chartreuse - all are non Holographic
Wing: SF Blend - Peacock and White
Cheeks: Hareline's Ripple Ice Fiber - Fl. Yellow
Head: Laser Dub - Olive, Grey
Head: Tear Mender, and Deer Creek UV Diamond Fine Flex
Eyes: Hedron Inc. Mirage Dome Eyes, 10mm or 3/8" dia.
Marker: ChartPak
My website: streamersbygunnar.com/
Instagram: / gunnar_brammer
Facebook: / brammerscustomflies
Fly Tying, Fly Fishing, Articulated Streamer, Trout, Bass, Pike, Musky, Streamer, Gunnar Brammer, Brammer’s Custom Flies

Пікірлер: 77

  • @operationNOBO
    @operationNOBO6 жыл бұрын

    That tweezer eye trick is awesome!

  • @TheFrugalFlyRodder
    @TheFrugalFlyRodder6 жыл бұрын

    Great job as always Gunnar.

  • @scottkaiser6781
    @scottkaiser67816 жыл бұрын

    Great looking bug, love the technique and the tweezer trick!

  • @AJ-rq7of
    @AJ-rq7of6 жыл бұрын

    Hi Gunnar, thanks for another great video tutorial. I like the time and effort you take to show and explain the process, your thinking behind the design and materials used, and the test tank finale. Keep em coming!

  • @Duschbag
    @Duschbag Жыл бұрын

    Wow... you put in a lot of work into this Fly but what a fantastic pattern because of your extended shank to tie on. Great idea and even better results..!

  • @seanmooney3907
    @seanmooney39076 жыл бұрын

    Hey Gunnar, Great idea and design as usual. I haven't even ever thought of tying on this type of hook. It's great there are young minds in the game to expand the thinking of older guys like me. Keep up the good work. All the best, Sean

  • @skorflyfishing
    @skorflyfishing5 жыл бұрын

    Gunnar, your videos are great for tying instruction and information. I have tied flies all my life and I still learn something whenever I watch one of your videos. I live in the deep South on a lake full of bass. I have tied a lot of flies on these types of keel hooks (wide gap offset). More importantly, I fish them all the time, so I have a whole lot of test time invested in them. You gotta be careful with these types of flies. They may be so weedless that they also become fishless. I have lost more fish than I care to admit due to fishing weedless flies. On the other hand, I have probably doubled or tripled my strike rate due to being able to throw flies into cover that I could never fish without a weedless fly. So there is a trade off. Over time, I have adjusted and re-adjusted the weedlessness of these flies to the point where I feel pretty confident about my hookup percentage. In the past, I have experimented with extending the front shank like you demonstrate in this video. The 5/0 hook you are using is probably going to work just fine due to the size of the hook. But doing this with smaller flies will probably not work very well. I like the new hooks that Partridge did for Kelly Gallop. These are good for tying keel flies on smaller hooks. If I could have changed one thing about them, it would be to make the gap a little wider. But for average sized fish, or fish with smaller mouths like spotted bass, trout, smallies, they are good. Thanks for all your great videos.

  • @stewoutdoors3020
    @stewoutdoors30206 жыл бұрын

    With all due respect, because you are awesome. I just built almost the same fly on a be VMC 6319 BN in 2/0.

  • @frankbush2943
    @frankbush29434 жыл бұрын

    Gunner You rule buddy. Great instructional video.

  • @PeterFinnis
    @PeterFinnis6 жыл бұрын

    Excellent idea and design Gunnar. I also pinch my eyes to get the narrow head shape but I use old wooden clothes line pegs!

  • @Gunnar_Brammer

    @Gunnar_Brammer

    6 жыл бұрын

    Thanks Peter! Pinching the head makes a huge difference in the durability in my opinion. Sweet use for the Clothes pegs!

  • @FattyMateo
    @FattyMateo3 жыл бұрын

    The most innovative tyer I watch on yt!👍

  • @zenbooter
    @zenbooter6 жыл бұрын

    yeh, barbering, love it. Was in Wallys t'day lookingat these hooks a'wondering.

  • @ssm59
    @ssm596 жыл бұрын

    I use Partridge extreme predator lock bend X wide gap worm hooks it has twice the shank length of the Ahrex

  • @mikeobryant3367
    @mikeobryant33672 жыл бұрын

    Great Idea!

  • @tomcooper5681
    @tomcooper56816 жыл бұрын

    Thanks Jeff. I was thinking maybe it was an Ekich Automatic bobbin but not sure.

  • @johnmoreland7271
    @johnmoreland72714 жыл бұрын

    I'm in...I've been fly fishing with rubber 3 inch trout worms an 4 inch if I can find some thinner ones..for bass way to long...I've tied a few streamers...and have a few deer hair bugs that I've tied...so winter's coming and I'm going to build up an arsenal...of your stuff...gettin serious...yes I'm a subscriber now you bet'cha

  • @mobozzy
    @mobozzy5 жыл бұрын

    Hi Gunnar, a year late but you should try the "Beadsmith one step looper". I tried it and can make endless identical loops (+much faster) now, had to find something because i struggled so hard with forming the shanks. Bend 180° and put it in the looper, boom perfect loop.

  • @moc1969
    @moc19694 жыл бұрын

    I love it what advice would you give someone that is just getting started

  • @adwhite804
    @adwhite8049 ай бұрын

    Luv this idea sir. I been trying something out as well with a similar style. But with the ability to use a small, slim profile trailer plastic with a rattle. Using a longer neck shank usually for larger worms. Don’t want a 7/0 hook.. and I know VMC makes one for mouse head jigs for Texas rigged works for Bass pro.. just haven’t found the hooks yet

  • @reygrey7557
    @reygrey75576 жыл бұрын

    Great idea, u could do some massive foam bugs on that also.

  • @tomcooper5681
    @tomcooper56816 жыл бұрын

    Absolutely love your videos specifically the excellent way you teach techniques for difficult to handle materials. I noticed in recent videos you are using a new bobbin that appears to be a constant tension bobbin. I would love to know more about the bobbin.

  • @jeffarmstrong9324

    @jeffarmstrong9324

    6 жыл бұрын

    Hana pa`a it’s a tie-rite half hitch bobbin I believe. I just started using the half hitch mag and love it.

  • @Gunnar_Brammer

    @Gunnar_Brammer

    6 жыл бұрын

    Hey Hana, I use two bobbins primarily - a Mag Right Bobbin, as well as a Ekich A-Series Salmon with a custom tube, The tube is a full 35mm and features the reduced dia. of the S-Series tube, and Mr. Ekich himself set it up for the Veevus threads that I use. The Mag Right Bobbin is fairly self explanatory, great bobbin, perfect for large streamers. The Ekich is honestly the highest quality bobbin I've ever used but it certainly takes some time to get used to. The more I use it the more it grows on me.

  • @tomcooper5681

    @tomcooper5681

    6 жыл бұрын

    Mahalo nui loa (thanks very much-Hawaiian) Gunnar for your informative reply. I was pretty sure you were using an Ekich bobbin. I have several which I use almost exclusively for small trout flies. I have never seen the A-series Salmon in heavy duty action. In an earlier video you gave one of the best explanations of thread tension I've ever seen. It seems like simple concept but it is one of the most neglected elements of fly tying. The Ekich bobbin, and to some extent the Norvise Bobbin, are the only bobbins I've seen that address the issue and once you get over the learning curve, it's hard to use any other bobbin. Thanks for sharing, now I have to order an A-series. Hanapa`a (fish on!- Hawaiian)

  • @paladin7284
    @paladin72846 жыл бұрын

    That would be perfect for bendbacks too

  • @bradgajewski4867
    @bradgajewski48676 жыл бұрын

    I kinda do the same thing but I use a finishing nail and cut it to size.

  • @kokid8311
    @kokid83115 жыл бұрын

    gunnar i think i know where you got that hoodie you are wearing. the guys at schults outfitters. great guys and awesome fly shop.

  • @JohnDozierSr50
    @JohnDozierSr503 жыл бұрын

    Can you get tear mender that dries clear and not rusty looking. Great fly and tips.

  • @edwardkline796
    @edwardkline7965 жыл бұрын

    Hey Gunnar! I have an idea for your shank. There is a product called a parasite clip. It is designed for those hooks to protect plastic worms. It keeps them from getting torn off at the eye. They are hard to find sometimes but google them and you will like what you see. They come in small, med, and large.

  • @mnovo
    @mnovo6 жыл бұрын

    @Gunnar Have you tried adding the shank in front to extend the gap instead?

  • @AdrianStruwig
    @AdrianStruwig6 жыл бұрын

    Awesome video Gunner! Have you tried using single strand titanuim for the shank? I assume it would be quite difficult to tie on...but it is fexible and bend out the way of the hook gap when you get a fish on. Any thoughts on that?

  • @joeduca8582
    @joeduca85826 жыл бұрын

    Awesome idea Gunnar. Great use of the faux bucktail too. I wish someone would bring back the old keel hooks that were made for tying keeled "weedless" streamers. So you haven't tested this yet? It seems to have enough space for a good hook up. This reminds me of the worm hooks that had a ring eye barbed shank attached to the hook eye. The shank was inserted into the nose of the bait, then Texas rigged to the actual hook point. It kept the worm from sliding down the hook and balling up in the gap that occurred with a conventional Texas rig. Your quite the thinker Gunnar, thanks for all you've done and will continue to do. God bless...

  • @Gunnar_Brammer

    @Gunnar_Brammer

    6 жыл бұрын

    Thanks Joe, much appreciate man. I haven't been able to fish in over 4 months now.....the winter up this far north is pretty brutal. Hoping Steelhead season will be kind to me this year at the end of March and then Trout Opener is right around the corner. I'll definitely get it wet and hopefully refine the recipe and re-share later on this summer. Thanks for watching Joe, Tight lines and God Bless!

  • @joeduca8582

    @joeduca8582

    6 жыл бұрын

    Gunnar Brammer 👍😎

  • @plasx143
    @plasx1436 жыл бұрын

    Can you also make twist tail connection with that wire. #yourock.

  • @WATTSROBIN
    @WATTSROBIN6 жыл бұрын

    I use about a 1/4 ( + about 1/8 to tie in) inch piece of tube liner and tie it as a tube fly, then tie onto the hook and build the head on the actual hook.

  • @Gunnar_Brammer

    @Gunnar_Brammer

    6 жыл бұрын

    Great idea Robin. Good to know man!

  • @billfresh3776
    @billfresh37764 жыл бұрын

    curious. if you bend the back section down and under instead of up it would leave the top parallel and the bump of the overlap inside the gap. also, a slight upward bend on the hook point with pliers gets the hook up rate much higher simply by raising the line to the hook point. only need 1/16" or so to achieve this. just my thoughts.

  • @Franko91352
    @Franko913526 жыл бұрын

    Gunnar what kind of vise do you use

  • @KillerFuzzOutdoors
    @KillerFuzzOutdoors6 жыл бұрын

    Why not extend to the front of the hook

  • @devo721
    @devo7215 жыл бұрын

    Have you changed to using the knot 2 kinky on all these Texas plus shank ties?

  • @user-ve4mj6qh4g
    @user-ve4mj6qh4g6 жыл бұрын

    Hi! What kind of aquarium in which check streamer? The idea is very interesting! thank!

  • @Gunnar_Brammer

    @Gunnar_Brammer

    6 жыл бұрын

    Hey man, the tank is produced by FlymenFishingCo - Fly Tester

  • @Waty8413
    @Waty84136 жыл бұрын

    Why not try articulating the shank around the "z" bend in the hook. Form a loop in either end of the shank then after tying on the shank, slip the front loop over the hook eye and back into the top corner of the "z". You could then wrap some thread around the top and middle of z to keep it in place yet swinging free. The idea being that the shank would move freely away from the hook point when a fish takes the fly.

  • @imranholden1305

    @imranholden1305

    3 жыл бұрын

    A tip : watch series on flixzone. I've been using it for watching a lot of movies recently.

  • @connorzavier226

    @connorzavier226

    3 жыл бұрын

    @Imran Holden Definitely, I have been watching on flixzone for since december myself :)

  • @LutzWyatt
    @LutzWyatt Жыл бұрын

    5+ years later, are you still using tear mender for your jerk heads?

  • @chrisgress4086
    @chrisgress40866 жыл бұрын

    Awesome. What about some stainless MIG welding wire .030?

  • @jayv7933

    @jayv7933

    6 жыл бұрын

    I make shanks out of mig wire. they are great...

  • @Gunnar_Brammer

    @Gunnar_Brammer

    6 жыл бұрын

    Never tried it Chris, but sounds like Jason has you covered for a recommendation! If you give it a go let me know how it goes!

  • @jayv7933

    @jayv7933

    6 жыл бұрын

    Gunnar, The MIG wire is awesome and SUPER cheap. I make all of my gamechanger shanks with it.

  • @RespekfulFungus
    @RespekfulFungus2 жыл бұрын

    I know this is old, but could you do a mono straight for this now?

  • @TheCanary24
    @TheCanary242 жыл бұрын

    👍

  • @jdwilliams4089
    @jdwilliams40894 жыл бұрын

    Where do you buy your faux buck tail?

  • @gloving3
    @gloving35 жыл бұрын

    Do you sell flys or just make your own

  • @JOBAHT
    @JOBAHT6 жыл бұрын

    How often you miss the fish with this fly because of smaller opening in the hook?

  • @Oholisfliesandfishing

    @Oholisfliesandfishing

    5 жыл бұрын

    Make an extension with hard mono... it will give some flex to that part of the fly. Hopefully enough to increase catch rate

  • @Darthbelal
    @Darthbelal Жыл бұрын

    Why the major fly hook companies aren't offering the hooks needed for the kind of fly he's trying I don't know...

  • @geoffsaunderson5766
    @geoffsaunderson57664 жыл бұрын

    Tieing was great! Not sure I like the concept tho, your making the jaws of the hook small!! Why no do the same thing extend the working area, but the other way, so you don't decrease the gape of the hook??

  • @Shady_kzn
    @Shady_kzn5 жыл бұрын

    Интересный стример получился.

  • @zafotbeeb
    @zafotbeeb6 жыл бұрын

    Why use such a heavy gauge wire ? Asthere is no hook hanging off of it. Much easier to build on lighter wire.

  • @markworthington1895
    @markworthington18956 жыл бұрын

    Looks like a "bloody fish " mate.

  • @Gunnar_Brammer

    @Gunnar_Brammer

    6 жыл бұрын

    Haha, thanks man!

  • @Nobody-up6zc
    @Nobody-up6zc6 жыл бұрын

    gap interference seems to be the problem here. hook designers build hooks with the appropriate gap. shortening that gap doesn't seem to be good practice

  • @bolatk1517
    @bolatk15172 жыл бұрын

    Ххххх

  • @tedvoise7964
    @tedvoise7964 Жыл бұрын

    they have same kind of hooks w/ a longer "nose"...more room to tie

  • @jeffreyalan7342
    @jeffreyalan73425 жыл бұрын

    too long a shank and your hook rate will go down.

  • @mrmisterman999
    @mrmisterman9995 жыл бұрын

    kind of a dumb design because you've effectively shortened the hook gap resulting in less hookups

  • @YourMom-es1hw
    @YourMom-es1hw4 ай бұрын

    They sell those hooks with longer shanks. Total length of hook is 4 inches