Suspended Epoxy Spoon

w . w . w . r e d c h a s e r . c o m

Another Variation On a Deadly Pattern.

I first saw this type of spoon years ago at a shallow water expo in Houston in either 1998 or 1999.  I saw them at a fly shop booth there, and I wish I could remember who they were credited to, but I can't.  Capt. Rich Waldner has made a similar spoon popular lately, the difference being that I bend these hooks bend back style, Rich bends his hook shanks toward the point giving it a more cupped effect.  While the spoons that Capt. Rich ties have great action, I don't have quite the touch that he does, and find that I get better action tying these on hooks bent into a traditional bend back style. One techniquie I did incorporate (read blatently steal) from Capt. Rich is to use 4 strands of wire to form a frame instead of 2. The 2 additional strands form an interior frame that makes it much easier to get the epoxy to suspend. Learn more about Capt. Rich Waldner and his guide service at Fish With Rich  

Materials

Hook - Mustad 34007 #2.  I make a bend 1/8 inch behind the eye, moving the eye away from the point just a few degrees bendback style.

Thread - Danville flat waxed nylon

Frame - 2 strands of 26 or 28 gauge copper or gold "Beading wire" aprox 12 inches long.  Wire is available at hobby stores.

Body - 5 minute epoxy

Color - Sharpie or other permanent marker in choice of color.

Overcoat - 2 ton epoxy mixed with extra fine hobby glitter.

TIPS - 

       1.  In the kids art section of Hobby Lobby they sell packs of 144 plastic paint brushes for $3.99.  These are great for applying epoxy.

       2.  Styrofoam plates are great for mixing epoxy on

       3.  Don't get epoxy on the new and expensive dining room table.  It will really piss your wife off.

Step 1. Wrap a base of thread over the hook shank from just behind the eye to the bend of the hook..  Tie heavy mono in at the back of

            the hook bend for week guard. 

Step 2. Take 2 strands of #26 copper "Beading wire" (available at hobby lobby) aprox 12 inches long. Tie wire in at bend of hook with a 

            few wraps of thread.

Step 3. Advance the thread forward making wraps around the wire and hook shank, keep wire centered on top of hook shank. Once 

            thread is advanced to where the hook is bent bendback style, tie off with a couple of whip finishes and cut thread off.

Step 4. Take both strands of wire together and make tight wraps around the hook shank, progressing the wire all the way back to the 

            bend of the hook, just above where the weed guard is tied in.

Re start thread at this point and tie wire to bend leaving 4 strands of wire 2 - 3 inches long extending behind the hook.

Make a few whip finishes and cut thread off.

Step 5.  Re start thread behind the eye, take 2 strands of wire, one on either side of the hook, pull forward and make a couple of thread  

             wraps.  Make the width of the space crated by these 2 strands of wire about half the width you want the finished spoon.

Step 6.  Take the other 2 strands of wire, one on either side of hook, pull forward and tie in behind hook eye. Adjust length of wire and 

             shape to form outline of spoon.

Step 7. Trim excess wire off of front of fly, bring mono weed guard forward and tie in behind hook eye. 

Step 8.  Mix a batch of 5 minute epoxy, stir it until you just notice some thickening, then using the stirrer paddle that comes with the 

             epoxy, spread it across the wire letting is suspend in much the same way liquid soap suspends across a hoop when a child

             is blowing bubbles.  Once the epoxy suspends across the frame, rotate spoon until the 5 minute epoxy is dry.  For this step I

             don't use my drying wheel.  I hold the hook in a pair of hemostats and rotate the spoon front to back and side to side while 

             leaving the top of the spoon pointing down the whole time.  This makes the epoxy dry in a concave shape like a spoon.

(MY APOLOGIES FOR THE POOR QUALITY OF THIS PICTURE.  I HAD TO SHOOT ONE HANDED)

 Step 9.  Color the spoon body with a Sharpie or Bic permanent marker.  To get a darker, more opaque look, color both sides.

Step 10. Mix a batch of 2 ton epoxy with extra fine glitter in it.  Using a plastic (disposable) paint brush re coat spoon with 2 ton epoxy 

Put spoon on drying wheel and rotate for about 30 minutes, then allow to finish curing for about 8 hours.