Barracuda Fly

The Barracuda Fly is a long, slender needlefish imitation built for one of the fastest predators on the flats. Needlefish are a staple food for barracuda, and a slim fly that is stripped fast and keeps accelerating is one of the most reliable ways to draw a strike.

This black version has a slim tubular body, a glossy resin head with eyes, and black flash at the wing and tail for movement and a strong silhouette. Black shows up well in overcast conditions and off-colour water. A second, trailing hook sits well back on the fly, because barracuda tend to hit the middle or tail of a fly and many fish are hooked on the rear hook.

How to fish it

• Retrieve: strip fast and keep the fly speeding up. Barracuda rarely take a fly that slows down.
• Leader: barracuda have sharp teeth, so use a bite tippet of wire or heavy hard monofilament.
• Where: flats, channels and reef edges, and also as a bait-and-switch fly from the boat.

Typical materials

• Hooks: Saltwater hooks in tandem, front hook with a trailing stinger hook
• Body: Slim tubing
• Wing and tail: Black flash
• Head: Resin with eyes

Hand-tied and quality-checked. Sold by the dozen; samples available on request.