Color Version

Hook:  #2 or #4 Tiemco 800S or other short-shank hook

Thread:  clear mono, fine

Belly / Back:  tapered bundles of Unique Hair

Lateral Line / Stripe:  lt. blue Flashabou Mirage

Eyes:  size 3EY prismatic eyes, covered with 5-minute epoxy

Note:  Softex or Soft Body glue must be applied to the back / belly areas to prevent the fly from fouling during the cast.

My friend Jaime Boyle came up with this Mushmouth variation during albie season a few falls ago.  The Whitebait Mushy shares a trait with the Mushy Squid as it does not have a Super Hair spine for the tail like most of the Mushmouth variations.  The Super Hair tail would be superfluous as the entire fly is made up of Unique Hair, a close relative to Super Hair.  Super Hair is not a recommended substitute for Unique Hair, however, as it is too thick to make a nice-looking fly.

The name "whitebait" is a generic term for a number of small baitfish that display a translucent body and a silver stripe down the side.  Smelt, juvenile sea herring, silversides (spearing) and bay and striped anchovies (rainbait) are all examples of whitebait.  This pattern is one of Capt. Corey Pietraszek's favorites for the sometimes fussy inshore oceanic bonito around Newport, Rhode Island.

The finished fly ends up looking a lot like a Surf Candy although there are differences in the way the flies fish.  Surf Candies are far more durable when fishing for toothy species and they are definitely a more "finished" looking pattern.  The Whitebait Mushy is much faster to tie though, and it does not crack when you whack the gunwhale or a jetty rock with an errant cast.  It's just another choice in the world of saltwater fly tying.

1) Start clear mono thread tight to the hook eye and wrap back 2 hook eye-lengths.

2) Clip off a bundle of white or polar bear Unique Hair.  Clip the bundle in half so that you now have 2 bundles that are 1/2 as long as the original.  You now have 2 belly bundles for 2 flies.  Pre-taper the bundles by pulling out the center strands.  Tie in the belly bundle 2 eye-lengths back from the hook eye.  Arrange the fibers so that they are evenly distributed around the hook bend.

3) Repeat with the same or a darker color for the back.  Keep in mind that you only want to use less material for the back (about the 2/3 the amount used for the belly).  Advance the thread forward tight to the hook eye, taking care that the light color stays on the bottom and the dark color stays on top.  DO NOT trim off the butt ends.

4) Clip out 3 strands of light blue Flashabou Mirage.  Fold the strands in half and hold the tips of the strands on both sides to form a large loop.  Guide the Unique Hair butt ends through the loop of flash and hook the flash loop underneath the shank right behind the hook eye.

5) Apply the Flashabou Mirage lateral line / stripe by holding the ends of the flash loop above the fly and advancing the thread rearward toward the bend.  Lower the angle of the flash loop with each turn of thread so that the flash comes down the SIDE of the fly, not on top.  Return the thread forward tight to the hook eye.

6) Apply a liberal dose of Softex or Soft Body glue to the Unique Hair body from the hook eye all the way back to just beyond the hook bend.  The Unique Hair must be thoroughly saturated with glue all the way down to the hook shank.  Glue that has become too thick will not penetrate properly.

7) Fold back the remaining Unique Hair bunches and tie down.  I typically reverse and tie down the dark color first to prevent any spillover of the dark color to the belly.  Whip finish.  Clear the eye area of any random filaments of flash as they will make the epoxy head application messy and difficult.

8) Trim the fly to shape with long-bladed scissors so that the fibers closest to the top and bottom of the fly are the shortest.  The longest fibers will be in the center.

9) Apply size 3EY prismatic eyes to each side of the head.  Cover the eyes with 5-minute epoxy.