Step 1. In the illustrated squid fly, Tim starts with a Mustad 34011 2/0 hook and ties in four long thin white feathers, leaving about 1/4 inch to the hook eye. These long feathers will extend 4 to 6 inches beyond the hook and will be tied opposite the hook shank. Additional feathers can be tied in depending on the size of the hook.
Step 2. Tie in 4 to 6 strands of pink crystal flash or flashaboo around the feathers.
**Step 3. **Tie in 8 to 10 shorter white feathers near the base of the hook. The feathers must be curved out and surround the hook as even as possible. They will extend one to three inches beyond the hook. Tie in an additional 4 to 6 strands of pink crystal flash or flashaboo and whip finish to near the base of the hook.
**Step 4. **Affix a pair of 1/4 inch witchstix eyes to near the base of the hook. The eyes are self sticking, however, they must be epoxied. A five minute epoxy made by Devcon can be used. Tim applies a liberal amount of epoxy around both eyes, but he advises to make sure excesses are removed prior to set-up. Although chartreuse eyes were used in the illustrated fly, he advises that other colors such as silver and red have been equally successful.
**Step 5. **After the eyes have dried, white crystal chenille is tied in next to the eye, then is wrapped up the shank of the hook to 1/8 inch from the hook eye. Do not whip finish at this point.
**Step 6. **Starting at the hook eye, tie in a liberal amount of white deer hair, wrapping it around the hook, and extending to ½ inch past the eyes. Whip-finish the thread just behind the eye; trim the excess thread. The head can be glued at this point to finish the fly or can be epoxied for added durability. Captain Tanis advises that this fly can be tied in various colors, although white and pink are the most popular. He has tied this fly up to a 4/0 hook, although hooks up to 6/0 could be used for larger species such as Sailfish and Marlin. Make sure to sharpen all hooks, and have fun catching all that swims in the ocean.
