Anthony Cole, Executive Chef over at Chatham Bars Inn, guest on this week’s Seven Stripes pod, and overall very fishy dude, is a man who likes to catch bass on squid flies. So really, he’s just like all of us.

There are lots of ways to catch striped bass–and they’re all fun (except trolling). But if you’ve never found yourself in the midst of a full-on squid massacre, you haven’t lived.

If 2020 is to be anything like 2019, you’re going to want a few of Anthony’s Splayed Squid Gurglers in your Bugger Box. Keep reading for step by step instructions to tying this killer topwater fly.

Make sure to check out Anthony’s other work on Instagram. And check out the 7S podcast with Anthony here.

Materials List

● Hook: Long shank 4/0

● 2 cm Sequin

● Thread: orange 210 denier

● Thread: GSP for deer hair

● Senyo’s fusion dubbing

● Deer belly hair

● 5- Strung hackles 5 to 6 inches

● 5-Rubber legs

● 6 millimeter foam

● Dubbing brush

● Super glue gel

● 8 millimeter google eyes

Cut a piece of 6 mm thickness foam 9cm long and 1 1/2cm wide

Using a stiff piece of cardboard, cut a template that is 7 mm wide and a 1 1/2 cm mark on it

Press the template at the 1 ½ cm mark to create an indentation.

Trim the foam with an Exacto knife to create a tab.

Put the sequin on the hook.

Cover the hook with thread.

Tie in dubbing.

Spread the dubbing 360 degrees around the hook and tie in.

Switch to GSP thread.

Prep a clump of deer hair removing the under hair.

Tie in the deer hair spinning it 360 degrees around the hook.

Trim the butt ends of the deer hair.

Strip the base of the feathers to expose the stems. Flatten the feather stems with a pair of pliers.

Tie in the feather using the deer hair as a ramp to splay the feather.

Add another feather on the opposite side.

Invert the hook and continue to add feathers.

Tie in rubber legs.

Continue to add rubber legs 360 degrees around the hook.

Tie in the pre-cut foam strip at the base of the feathers and deer hair.

Tie in a dubbing brush.

Palmer the dubbing brush to the eye of the hook. Tie off the brush and cut the tag end.

Trim the dubbing fibers on the top of the hook.

Add some super glue gel to the top of the hook.

Fold over the foam and tie in at the eye of the hook but behind the sequin. Use three loose wraps first so you do not cut the foam with the thread.

Trim the foam to a ¼ inch lip.

Turn the fly over and trim the dubbing to shape like a squid.

Trim the sequin on the bottom part of the fly.

Glue the eyes with super glue gel.

Press eyes into the foam and hold in place for one minute.

The finished fly.