SexyFlies Bendback Tying Instructions

The Bendback is by far the simplest SexyFly to tie. In order to tie a Bendback you will need, in addition to your vise, bobbin, scissors, head cement, and a pair of pliers:
- hooks (Gamakatsu SC-15 or equivalent);
- Danville Flat Waxed Nylon thread (or equivalent);
- Sexy Fiber in the color(s) of your choice;
- flash material (we use Fire Fly from Hedron for our larger flies, and Flashabou Accent for the smaller ones);
- a small brush;
- Witchcraft 3-D eyes (sized to fly)*;
- Zapadapagoo 2;
-Sharpie markers, red and black (color tyer's choice).

*For size 1 hooks we use the 1/8th inch eyes, for size 1/0 the 3/16th inch eyes, and for size 2/0 and 3/0 the 1/4th inch eyes. The fly in this example is tied on a 1/0, and will be the "Electric Chicken" color when finished.
1.

Use your pliers to bend the hook shank SLIGHTLY. The biggest mistake people make with bendbacks is putting too much bend in the hook. The shank on this hook would be perfectly straight had I not bent it. You can see it's not bent very much. 'Tis better to err on the conservative side here. A hook with too much bend can't set at the strike. Start the thread and wind it most of the way back towards the bend of the hook, then wind it forward to about the midpoint.
2.

Take a sparse clump (a pencil lead in diameter or less) of Sexy Fiber and tie it in at about the middle of the shank. It's easy to tie these flies too bushy, so be careful! The "tail" should extend out about three to four times the length of the hook shank. The excess should extend forward, past the eye of the hook.
3.

Bend that excess material back on itself and tie it in. If it extends back too far just snip off the excess. Taper the wraps smoothly, and hit them with some head cement.
4.

Tie in your flash material. Again, don't get carried away. Five strands bent back on itself is plenty.
5.

Take another sparse clump of Sexy Fiber and tie it in in front and over the top of what's already there. Again, the excess sticks out past the eye of the hook.
6.

Fold the excess back over the fly and finish tying in your wing. Try to work the fibers so that you spread this top layer around the top half of the fly. Whip finish and cement the head.
7.

Remove the fly from the vise and brush it out...
8.

...then use your scissors to trim it to shape.
9.

Here's our fly, brushed and trimmed. We could fish it this way, but we are going to do the finish work- eyes and some light barring with the Sharpie, as in the other styles of SexyFlies.
10.

Here is the finished fly. As soon as the Goo dries it's ready to fish. As you can see, it's a very sexy fly!

Click here for tying directions for the Mistress!

Click here for tying instructions for the Slender Minnow!

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