# Fly Fishing Tip # 91. Removable Weed/Snag Guard.



## captken (Feb 24, 2008)

Fly Fishing Tip # 91
Removable Weed/Snag Guard
I fish shallow, grassy and snaggy water at least 90 percent of the time. A fly without some sort of snag protection gets fouled or hung every few casts. I've experimented with every sort of weed guard imaginable and have settled on a few that work for me.
Weed guards that are tied right into the fly sometimes make tying an awkward experience. I've experimented with removable weed guards for at least 10 years and my latest version works best and is super simple to make.
Here is how I make a removable weed guard.
All I use is my el-cheap-o rotary vise, small wire cutters a sewing needle and a little #2 or 3 single strand leader wire.
First: Lock a regular sewing needle into your rotary vise as shown below with the needle eye extending about 5/8” past the end of the vise jaws.








Second: Insert the end of the leader wire through the needle eye and wind a tight coil of wire (about 20 turns) around the needle as shown.

Third: Remove the needle from your vise and slip the coiled wire off the needle.
Fourth: Trim the almost completed weed guard as shown. The guard on the far right side of the photo shows how to make the final little bends. After making a few, you will get it exactly right. The final photo shows how the weed guard is used.









To install the weed guard, simply slip it on to your leader before tying on the fly. Tie on your fly then slip the long end of the wire through the eye of your hook and carefully pull the leader tight through the coil.


----------



## fishingcanada (Oct 21, 2010)

Nice post, that a great information about fishing .........That,s a great post.


----------



## captken (Feb 24, 2008)

*No, it is not hard.*

If you use #2 or #3 wire you simply spin the wheel on the vise but you must keep constant tension on the wire as you spin the vise. It takes about 3 seconds to coil the spring part. The only part that is the least bit tricky is adjusting the tiny length between the spring and the hook eye. My best guess is that this would be about 1/8-3/16" depending on the size of your leader knot.

An additional benefit of this particular tyoe guard is that it gives the fly a little more weight down low to help keep it tracking straight.


----------

