The first time I saw a striper spit up a baby bunker, I knew I had to tie a fly that closely imitated the favorite prey of so many predators that swim in my home waters along the Northeast coast. It took me awhile to find the right combination of materials, but in 1991 I came up with a fly that has proven to be a killer on both coasts and for numerous species. I call it the Peanut Butter, partly as a play on the name "peanut bunker" but also because so many fish seem to find the fly "delicious."
The search for a durable material that could be shaped and that came in a variety of colors led me to develop EP Fibers. EP Fibers and other synthetics have transformed fly-tying traditions and made it possible to create patterns previously out of the reach of tiers using natural materials like marabou, hackle and bucktail. In addition, because saltwater fish are not your father's trout, I needed to create patterns that were durable. While very little can stand up to a 12-pound bluefish, synthetic materials like EP Fibers stand up better than all natural fibers.
Skeptics insist that you can't make synthetics look "alive" like natural materials, but if a fly is designed correctly, it will look and act more natural. That's why my Peanut Butter is so successful. It can be tied in a variety of sizes. Many of you have written me and told me about the variations you tied. Keep the proportions, but experiment with size and colors. Let me know at enrico@epflies.com how you make out.
This is how I tie the 3-inch version of the Peanut Butter gray/white on a 2/0 Gamakatsu hook.
Using the Peanut Butter, I have found that slow retrieves outperform the quick strips we use for other flies. If you're fishing in strong currents, let the fly drift along as you slowly retrieve it. Let the current add action to the EP Fibers. For more information on Enrico's Peanut Butter Family, visit www.epflies.com.
Hook: Gamakatsu SC15 No. 1 to 5/0
Thread: .004 mono thread
EP Body: Gray, pink and white
EP Sparkle: Pearl Magic and Holographic Silver
EP Silky Fibers: Red
Eyes: EP Plastic Eyes, 6mm Blue Pearl
Glue: Zap-CA and Zap-A-Dap-A-Goo II
Weed Guard: 20-pound hard mono (optional)
Tying Instructions
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Step 1: Place the hook in the vise and wrap clear mono thread about six turns right before the hook bend. Add a few strands of Pearl Magic EP Sparkle, give it two turns and apply a small bunch of the red EP Silky Fiber for the gills. Cut them 1/4 inch. |
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| Step 2: Select a small bunch of gray EP Fibers as thick as the hook shank when compressed. Cut the fibers 6 inches long and secure them on top of the hook shank with three turns, with half the fibers extended to the rear and the other half toward the front. Fold the front portion back to the rear and take another three wraps over to secure the material. |
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| Step 3: Select a small bunch of white EP Fibers the same thickness as the gray and cut them 6 inches. With three turns, secure fibers to one side of the shank, with half the fibers extending to the rear and the other half toward the front. Be sure to match the rear portion of fibers with the length of the top fibers as each step or bunch is tied in. Fold the front portion back along the other side of the hook shank and secure with three turns. |
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| Step 4: Cut pink EP Fibers 5 inches long but about a quarter of the thickness of the white and gray. Fold over hanging thread by its midpoint and lash to one side of the hook so it streams back between the white and gray. Do the same on the other side of the hook. Now you should have gray on top, white on the bottom and pink on both sides separating them. |
| Step 5: Take a small pinch of EP Sparkle Holographic Silver and lay it all around the hook shank. Wrap two turns of thread, then fold everything back and secure again with another two turns. Apply one drop of Zap-CA. Repeat the applications of sparkle four times. |
| Step 6: Now brush the fly, "combing" the fibers so the various colors blend together, and then shape the fly with a sharp pair of scissors. |
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| Step 7: Once you trim the fly to the desired profile, burn eye holes with a pencil-point soldering iron. Burn the eye holes up the shank of the hook closer to the eye. The holes should reach the hook shank and be burned on both sides of the fly. |
| Step 8: Cut back the stem from the eye leaving a very small knob so that the glue has something to grab onto. Put a drop of Zap-A-Dap-A-Goo II glue on the head of a bodkin and carefully put it in the eye hole. Put the EP Plastic Eyes into the hole. (Try not to get glue on your fingers.) Do the same on the other side. Press the eyes to the shank of the hooks. |
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| Step 9: For best results, allow the glue to dry overnight, but if the fish are biting you can use the fly in a couple of hours. |
