Chase Smith's Spiral Spook
A topwater fly with gliding, zig-zag action that cuts sharply back and forth on the surface and entices some awesome blowups from predatory fish.
The fly is tied on a 180lb stainless steel shark wire shank that I make by hand and it has an Ahrex Salt 274 hook on the back. It has multiple foam pieces that are all fused with adhesives as I tie the fly, and I airbrush and seal each fly by hand. Finally, it is coated and rotated for a smooth, flexible and strong finish. If you fish for predators with sharp teeth, the fly is easily fixed up with e6000 or Gorilla Glue Clear.
Getting the walk
To make the fly walk back and forth, a few techniques will help you get the best action:
- Use supple monofilament or nylon tippet. I really like the Orvis Superstrong Nylon tippet because it is flexible and lets the fly move back and forth. I usually use a 6ft leader with three 2ft sections, 50lb–35lb–20lb.
- Use a loop knot.
- Keep your rod tip just barely touching the surface to prevent slack line between the rod tip and the water from stealing the fly’s action.
- Use very short, very sharp strips. I basically keep my arm still and flick just my wrist sharply down.
- Change the cadence of your strips. Find the speed the fly likes. On a far cast it often takes a couple of quick back-to-back strips to get it moving, then it falls into the slower walking cadence.
If you have any issues at all with this fly, reach out on Instagram @fishchaseflies or by email at fishchaseflies@yahoo.com — I will make sure any problem is solved to your satisfaction.