My introduction to using luminescent flies was on a trip to New Zealand fishing the north island some years back. Excited to fish and arriving late in the day at a local fly shop in Rotorura, the owner of the shop suggested I try night fishing the small creek mouths that feed into the nearby lakes. He went on to explain how the big rainbows come up to feed at night on the small minnows that gather at these outflows. When I asked what patterns to use, he reached into a bin next to the counter and handed me a couple of unusual looking little white streamers. He then told me to cup them in my hand and peek into the darkness. I was amazed, those little flies lit up like neon. I asked what they were tied with and he showed me a white rubbery material used for skirts on billfish lures off the coast. I bought a couple packs thinking it might be cool to incorporate into some of the flies I tie back home.
I caught and lost some great rainbows that night on the little glow flies. The next morning found me fishing the mouth of a creek at another nearby lake. I had one of the same flies that worked so well from the night before tied on. These big NZ rainbows absolutely ate the heck out it, and during the day! An angler from down the shore walked up and asked what I had on after watching me land a couple fish. I told him, he shook his head in disbelief and tied one on that I offered him. Ever since then I have become a believer that luminescent flies are not just for night fishing. Saltwater Origins & New Materials
Back here in the Everglades, I came up with a shrimp fly using the NZ material that looked great but was complicated to tie and somewhat hard to cast. The upside was that it really worked on snook and redfish, especially in our tannin colored waters. I knew I was on to something, but had to find a better solution. Luminescent materials have come a long way since that trip. Flashabou, Crystal Flash, Enrico Puglisi and Uni all offer products that glow-in-the-dark. These materials not only glow, they are available in different textures and density which varies the amount of luminescence the material produces. This combination of texture and luminescence offers the fly tier a lot of possibilities for new patterns, from bonefish to tarpon. Problem Solved
The tide was low and the water off-color as we approached our first shoreline of the day. We were sight fishing the 10,000 Islands in Southwest Florida. I was poling and my angler was packing a new fly that I had just tied the day before. I was anxious to try it. Just down the shore I spotted a dark shape on the edge of an oyster bar. Sure enough, it moved ever so slightly. “Good fish at nine o’clock, forty feet, can you see him?” I said. “Yup,” was all he said. The cast landed close, about 2 feet to the right and settled for a second, short strip. The snook charged hard and we were connected.” Yes, we have a new fly,” was all I could say as we landed a great snook. Then I remembered my manners and congratulated my angler. He understood. This fly triggered an awesome strike, did not spook the fish and solved all of the problems of previous attempts. And so was born the Neon Knight. Since then, it has become my go-to fly here in the Everglades. These guys are easy to tie, swim great and catch fish.
Fishing & Theory
The Neon Knight is fished in the same manner as any baitfish imitation. Let it sink a bit and vary the retrieve from short to long strips depending on your target. You will find that it lands soft and sinks slowly as the synthetics do not absorb water. It is one of my favorite flies here in the Everglades for skinny water snook and reds as well as an excellent fly for tarpon. Tarpon can’t resist the greenish glow it produces in deeper water situations. I am not a biologist or scientist, just a fly fisherman, but I have a theory, luminescent flies attract fish, period. End of theory. Enjoy.
Captain Bill
Materials
Hook: Gamakatsu 2/0
Thread: Clear Mono 3/0
Eyes: 3-D Asymmetric mirage eyes,
Flash: Flashabou white glow-in-the-dark
Body & Wing: EP Fibers, white glow-in-the-dark
Throat: Flashabou, pink, glow-in-the-dark
Topping: Crystal Flash, white glow accent
Tying Instructions
Step 1: Attach the thread midpoint on the hook and wrap a base to apply a small bunch of EP Fibers. Add a small bunch of the Flashabou directly on top of the EP Fibers.
Step 2: Turn the hook over and tie in a throat of pink Flashabou, trim just short of the hook point.
Step 3: Wrap the thread forward to the eye to provide a base for the wing. Cut a medium sized bunch of EP Fibers and tie them facing forward with the back end aligned with the throat. Secure by wrapping toward the eye.
All of the fibers for the wing should be forward of the eye. Pull them all back together and move the thread to the eye. Once all of the fibers are pulled back, jump the thread on top of the EP Fibers and wrap a tight, neat head.
Step 4: Add a small bunch of Crystal Flash as the topping for the wing. Secure the head and add the mirage eyes.
Step 5: Trim the excess material at an angle starting at the back and cutting toward the hook point. This step is important as the tapered fibers keep the longer material in back from fowling around the hook. You can also add a bit of thinned clear acrylic cement to the entire head to maintain the shape.
