Albie Mix
Disclaimer – False Albacore (“Albies”) can be impossible to catch. It can drive you mad. And when that happens, you question everything: the weather, the tide, the bait, are they boat shy?, is your strip fast enough?, too fast?, etc. But nothing gets more scrutiny than your fly. Not biting? Even though you “threw it right in there!”? Must be the fly…
Offering up an ‘Albie Fly’ collection is a dicey proposition. We’re just setting ourselves up for blame. Surely, some of these flies will get refused. And then who’s fault will it be? OK. We understand the risks. But here’s the thing – you have to try something. So, what we do is: try what worked last time. This collection includes the fly patterns that actually caught albies for us last season. When the albies show up again, we’ll work through this selection first.
Twiggy
We developed this variation of the classic gurgler pattern specifically for albies feeding on bay achovies. We wanted a narrower profile, so we cut the foam thinner. And we wanted a two-tone foam top, so we made a foam sandwich. On its first voyage, this fly caught an albie while blind casting. Rocketted out of nowhere. Proof of concept.
Slim Jim
The classic Slim Jim is a great fly for mimicking a dazed baitfish. We like to twitch it slowly through the fray, which helps it stand out among the faster-fleeing (real) baitfish and keeps it in the zone longer.
Glass Minnow
When the bait is really really small, this our go-to fly. We’ll also lighten up the tippet a bit with this one, to preserve more natural movement.
Epoxy Sand Eel
Sand eels are the most common bait you’ll encounter in coastal New England. The Epoxy Sand Eel pattern is a good imitator and is easy-to-cast, which makes it ideal for the quick casts you need when chasing albies.
Pop Fleye Silverside
This fly utilizes Bob Popovics’ foil ‘wrapper’ that looks a little like the fly is smiling. It doesn’t know it’s about to get chomped by an albie.
Parker’s Silver Tail
After a stretch of super-fussy albies were driving us and our fishing friends crazy, Captain Mauck went into the lab and emerged with this fly. On its first voyage, this fly caught an albie. Score one for science.
Albie Whore
In case you’re new to this fly, we did not come up with the name. Please – no emails. Forget the name; this fly catches fish. All kinds of fish – including albies. When in doubt, tie this on.
EP Peanut Bunker
This fly is a great imitation of a peanut bunker. It utilizes “stiff” EP fibers to create a tall-bodied profile that keeps its integrity whether you’re stripping fast or slow.
Tan/White Clouser
Clousers are very versatile for albies. They can be stripped fast through a break to keep them near the surface, you can allow them to drop a few feet below the break before stripping, or you can strip them slowly at greater depths to try to find albies milling around between breaks. This color pattern is pretty universal, mimicking bay anchovies, sand eels, or silversides.
Tutti Frutti Clouser
Sometimes, you have to stand out from the crowd. This fly, in pink and chartreuse, fits the bill. Whether you know the color combo as ‘Tuttii Frutti’, ‘Electric Chicken’, or ‘Grapefruit’, this fly screams for attention.
Twiggy
We developed this variation of the classic gurgler pattern specifically for albies feeding on bay achovies. We wanted a narrower profile, so we cut the foam thinner. And we wanted a two-tone foam top, so we made a foam sandwich. On its first voyage, this fly caught an albie while blind casting. Rocketted out of nowhere. Proof of concept.
Slim Jim
The classic Slim Jim is a great fly for mimicking a dazed baitfish. We like to twitch it slowly through the fray, which helps it stand out among the faster-fleeing (real) baitfish and keeps it in the zone longer.
Glass Minnow
When the bait is really really small, this our go-to fly. We’ll also lighten up the tippet a bit with this one, to preserve more natural movement.
Epoxy Sand Eel
Sand eels are the most common bait you’ll encounter in coastal New England. The Epoxy Sand Eel pattern is a good imitator and is easy-to-cast, which makes it ideal for the quick casts you need when chasing albies.
Pop Fleye Silverside
This fly utilizes Bob Popovics’ foil ‘wrapper’ that looks a little like the fly is smiling. It doesn’t know it’s about to get chomped by an albie.
Parker’s Silver Tail
After a stretch of super-fussy albies were driving us and our fishing friends crazy, Captain Mauck went into the lab and emerged with this fly. On its first voyage, this fly caught an albie. Score one for science.
Albie Whore
In case you’re new to this fly, we did not come up with the name. Please – no emails. Forget the name; this fly catches fish. All kinds of fish – including albies. When in doubt, tie this on.
EP Peanut Bunker
This fly is a great imitation of a peanut bunker. It utilizes “stiff” EP fibers to create a tall-bodied profile that keeps its integrity whether you’re stripping fast or slow.
Tan/White Clouser
Clousers are very versatile for albies. They can be stripped fast through a break to keep them near the surface, you can allow them to drop a few feet below the break before stripping, or you can strip them slowly at greater depths to try to find albies milling around between breaks. This color pattern is pretty universal, mimicking bay anchovies, sand eels, or silversides.
Tutti Frutti Clouser
Sometimes, you have to stand out from the crowd. This fly, in pink and chartreuse, fits the bill. Whether you know the color combo as ‘Tuttii Frutti’, ‘Electric Chicken’, or ‘Grapefruit’, this fly screams for attention.