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Saltwater Fishing Flies





Deceiver Flies for Striped Bass Fishing


Deceiver Saltwater Fishing Flies

The Deceiver is a popular saltwater fly for striped bass fishing. This fly is shown in different colors, but all are white on the bottom, as are most baitfish.


Follow this link to see: a Deceiver Fly on Amazon.com






About the Deceiver Fly


The Deceiver is the most-used and imitated saltwater fly. Lefty Kreh designed the Deceiver fly in the 1960s, intending it to be used for catching striped bass in the Chesapeake Bay.

A side view of a Deceiver fly offers a minnow-like silhouette, while from the top the fly is thin and straight, somewhat like a knife blade. As a result, the fly cuts through the air when cast and sinks well for its size. The fly also undulates through the water in a life-like manner during the retrieve. Further, the manner in which it is tied minimizes the possibility of materials fouling around the hook during casting.

The Deceiver is a streamer-type fly with several long hackle feathers tied near the bend of the hook to form the rear half of the fly. These feathers are parallel to one another, tied dull-side to dull-side. They do not splay outward, and they extend straight back; usually one to two hook lengths. Several strips of crystal flash are added to each side of the fly outside the hackles. The collar, usually bucktail or a synthetic hair is tied on next. It is tied on in a manner that distributes it around the hook so that it flows back and merges with the hackle feathers to complete the minnow-like profile. The topping, if used, is added next.

The positioning of the feathers near the bend adds length to the fly and minimizes the chances of fouling during a cast. Being tied on dull-side to dull-side causes the hackle feathers to cling together and accounts for the relative lack of air resistance during casting and the life-like movement during the retrieve.

The Deceiver fly can be tied in various lengths, fullnesses, and colors to imitate many of the baitfish that striped bass prefer. See Baitfish Imitations.

It also has become popular to add a red chin to Deceiver flies. This is to make the imitation baitfish look injured and bleeding under the gills.


Follow this link to see: More Deceiver Flies