Can anybody make a reccomendation for what type of mono (or any other material for that matter) should be used for tying in weed gaurds and any tips about how big a loop I need.
I have just tied a few flies (5/0 hooks) with Drennan 100lb mono but it seems a bit too stiff and I'm worried that it may be just as effective as an 'anti hook-up gaurd' as a weed gaurd...

Cheers

Andy

Mason hard mono is quite good, whipped onto the outside of the hook bend and following the line of the hook up to the shank just before the eye. Hope this helps, works for me anyway.
Good fishing,
Andy.

As per previous post in terms of how. The loop needs to extend just outside the point of the hook, using mono stiff enough to hold out weed but not so stiff as to impair hook up. I use 40 lb amnesia, which is quite a soft mono .

There are two routes to this.

a) Tie in a length along the hook shank and let it stick out behind the hook like a long "tail" for about three inches. Dress the fly as normal. Then when finishing the fly and whipping the head bring the length back forward to the head and whip in, pulling taught so that it almost mimics the bend on the hook. For this you can use fairly light nylon. Say the equivalent of 20lbs BS.

Some use a "double" guard with two lengths dressed in so that you have these two loops with the hook bend sandwiched between them.

b) Dress the fly. Then when finishing the fly and whipping the head tie in a length of very stiff nylon - 40lbs BS - with a deliberate bend in it so that it projects downwards just below the the hook point. Almost like a "prong". Whip some of the thread behind it to keep it projecting almost perpendicular to the hook.

These are two distinct methods. The beauty of them is that you can choose either according to what BS nylon you have to hand.

Method a) has the advantage that you can use a lighter nylon BS than method b). It is said by some that this obstructs a "bite" less. Others say that method b) by being well forward of the hook point is better and deflects the weed better.

If you are not happy then cut your 100lb BS and articulate it forward and put a whipping of thread behind it so that you have a weed guard as per method b) finally trimming so that it is just below level of the hook point.

There is a third method to use springy wire which is bent double then whipped in like method b) with the fold of the bend in the wire being whipped in to just touch the top or barb side of the hook point. Acting like the "gate" on a carabiner or snap hook.

Top image method a) bottom image method b) I have used fly line backing so as to better show up.

Hi

I do a lot of fly fishing in Thailand and a large proportion of that is done in the jungle - fly fishing in very weedy waters for Giant Snakehead and Striped Snakehead. The technique is to cast flies into heavily weeded margins.
I have used a variety of weedguards and found that the loop type of weedguard can significantly reduce the number of hookups. Whereas using a doubled piece of mono (0.27" dia, I use RIO Hard Saltwater Mono 33 lb) tied in close to the eye of the hook, with the single strand doubled over the top of the hook, leaving two pieces of straight mono perpendicular to the shank. When stoked back the mono ends should lie to each side of the hook point and end just behind the hook point. This gives excellent protection from weed yet does not adveresly effect hook-ups.

The Enrico Puglisi weed guards are of this style and provide an excellent pattern to emulate.

I hope this is o f help to you.

__________________
Tight Lines !
Yours Aye
Capt. Max Mackenzie Skues

flyfishing.guide@mac.com

http://www.flyfishthailand.net