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The bendback is very effective fly in locations that contain a lot of structural hazards such as oyster racks, mangroves, tree stumps and rock bars. The design of the fly reduces the propensity of the fly to snag.  Choose the colours of your materials so that your version mimics local bait fish.

The origin of the bend back is a little obscure, possibly because it's likely that it is a variation to the clouser that may have happened independently in several locations at about the same time. It has many of the characteristics of the clouser except that whereas the clouser is dressed on top of the hook shank the bend back is tied on the bottom of the hook shank after the hook shank has been bent.

This adaptation of the clouser appears to have come about as a way of creating a relatively snag proof fly. The combination of the bent hook shank and the dressing covering the point of the hook causes the bend of the hook to act like a keel beeping the point of the hook away from things that the fly would snag on if it were riding point down.

Materials

Process

A	Bend a stainless hook at around the 80% position so that when the materials are tied in on the shank between the bend and the eye of the hook they will partially obscure the point of the hook. Understanding hooks Wind your thread from just behind the eye of the hook to the 80% position. The colour of the thread and the dressing materials is very much a personal choice but I like to use red thread to add a 'blood" hot spot to the fly. At that point build up a little nob of thread at the bend of the hook. Varnish the exposed thread. I like to do this because it stops water getting in below the thread and also it helps the belly material to lock into position.

B	Between the thread knob and the bend of the hook tie in a bunch of the lightest coloured of the two body materials selected. Using synthetic materials This lighter colour represents the belly of a bait fish.

C	Between the thread knob and the bend of the hook, and on top of the belly material, tie in a bunch of the darker  coloured of the two body materials selected. This darker colour represents the back of a bait fish. Be careful not to overdress the fly.

D	Build up a neat thread head between the 80% position and the eye of the hook. Trim your thread and varnish the head of the fly. The overall length of the fly should be between 2 and 2.5 times the length of the hook.

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