In this week’s “How to Tie†video feature, Gunnar Brammer ties one of the most basic yet effective predator flies, the BULKHead Deceiver.
Difficulty: Easy
Among the predator flies game, no tyer may be more infamous than Bob Popovics. His creations revolutionized tying and fishing for big predator species everywhere in the world. The beauty of these flies is their light weight composition, which is comprised mainly of bucktail, and their exceptional movement. If you have not tied streamers with bucktail before, the BULKHead Deceiver is the fly to break to seal.
Whether you are targeting bass, pike, striped bass, musky, or just about any other predatory species you can think of, this fly will get the job done. The BULKHead construction makes this fly push water when stripped, sparking attention and curiosity which is key especially in pike/musky fishing. Matching the “hatch” for large baitfish can be difficult, as tying larger flies typically means heavier weight and more difficultly when casting. The BULKHead Deceiver will match the profile of those larger baitfish, while being lightweight and easier to cast than almost every other large pattern.
For predator streamers, this comes in at one of the easiest to tie. With limited materials and no complex tying details, tyers of all proficiencies should be able to tie the BULKHead Deceiver with no problem. Bucktail does the work for you in the water, so even if the fly isn’t the best looking, cast it and wait for the magic to unfold. Tying this fly in different colors is a great way to imitate different baitfish and add to your predator aresenal. The BULKHead Deceiver is a fly that all anglers should have in their fly box, and never be without when hunting for predators.
Ingredients:
- Hook: Gamakatsu SL12S 4/0
- Bucktail: 2 sizes
- Flash: Hedron Polar Flash
- Thread: 140 Veevus Power Thread
Now you know how to tie the BULKHead Deceiver!
Video and ingredients courtesy of Gunnar Brammer.
