In this week’s “How to Tie” video feature, McFly Angler shows us how to tie the belly banger fly.
Learn About This Fly:
Difficulty: Moderate
When it comes to warm water flies, the belly banger is about as good as it gets. Tied to loosely imitate a wandering sunfish, this fly is sure to be the favorite snack of any underwater beast daring enough to venture to the sounds of rattling feathers and beads.
The draw of this fly is its unique construction. Not only is its vibrant and busy design visually stimulating, but the rattling beads offer a unique sensory stimulus. As this fly zips through the water, the beads vibrate to alert fish to the location of the tasty morsel (much like an articulated streamer). Along with the lateral line stimulation, the curved hook design offers another bonus, as the fly can maneuver through weeds without picking up excess debris. That means less pulling weeds off of your fly after every cast, which means more fishing, which means more catching.
When tying this fly, it’s easy to become intimidated by the many different materials included. When including shanks, beads, and curved hooks, lots of moving parts can make a novice fly tiers head spin. However, by following this video closely, what seemed like a daunting task can quickly become an exciting endeavor for tiers of any skill level.
Ingredients:
Hook: Eagle Claw Lazer Sharp Skeet Reese Worm Hook size 1
Beads: Risen brass beads
Thread: Veevus 140 Power thread OliveÂ
UV Resin: Solarez ultra-thin
Shanks: Risen articulated shanksÂ
Weed Guard Fiber: Faux bucktail white
Tail Feathers: White Rooster Saddle Â
Flash: Gold Krystal Flash
Accent Flash: Blue Flashabou
Body Feather: Olive SchlappenÂ
Wing Material: White and olive bucktail
Top Accent: Peacock Hurl
Head cap: 4mm Risen ghost fish
heads: 4mm Risen 3D eyes
Now you know how to tie the belly banger!
Video and ingredients courtesy of McFly Angler