This post is from my fishing buddy Thad, who not only taught us how to catch halalu this past year, but also catches the bait we use to catch oama, and finds great deals on Japanese Domestic Model (JDM) lures so we can get the best stuff at reasonable prices. Here’s how we did on that inaugural halalu training trip. Frank caught on quickly and I’ve since decided to avoid further halalu frustration. Search for “halalu” in the search box on this site to see how we did on Trip 2 and Trip 3.
Aloha Hawai‘i Nearshore Fishers! A reader of Scott’s blog had asked for tips on how to make the flies that were mentioned in his first halalū article so I was asked if I’d be willing to write a simple “how-to.” Hopefully my first guest blog is coherent enough for readers to understand as I can tend to ramble on with my thoughts.
So this past season, Scott, Frank, Erik and I gave halalū fishing a try – my first time going after these juvenile akule in over 12 years. Me and a buddy of mine used to frequent the usual west side spots every weekend for akule many years ago, jigging simple homemade flies on ultralight gear. I had never used these flies for halalū so when I was preparing for our trip, I got my usual plastic strips and red beads ready but decided to take a few flies with me just in case.
When we arrived at the spot, there were already a few fishermen whipping the school but two individuals in particular were hooking up consistently on what looked like flies very similar to the ones I made for akule. Encouraged by this, I tied a fly to my 3lb test fluorocarbon leader and cast just past the edge of the pile. Immediately, a halalū swallowed my fly and got hooked deep in the throat. I was happy to know the flies I made over 12 years ago still worked!
Since that first trip, I’ve noticed many people using similar flies for halalū with a lot of success. It could be that people were using flies for halalū back then as well and I was just too dense to notice. I also see flies being sold online and in stores now. We had to make our own back then and couldn’t buy them even if we wanted to, but you can’t beat the feeling of catching fish on a lure you made yourself.
I’ll just throw in my little disclaimer here. I don’t consider myself an expert fly maker in any way – not even close. I was never shown how to make these flies so I’m sure there are better, more efficient methods of making these but I think I can at least cover the basic concepts to help get you started.
I should begin with a list of the supplies I use.
- A simple fly tying vise
- Lumaflex thread cut to 2” to 2 1/4″ lengths
- Flash thread (optional)
- Beads
- AH style gold hooks size 12 or 13
- Monofilament line
- Scissors
I recently bought a cheap vise online to replace a broken one. I later saw the same vise being sold at a local tackle shop at the same price so if you can, you should buy this locally. This vise easily clamps to the edge of any work table.
The lumaflex thread is basically a spandex thread that comes in a variety of colors so you should buy several to experiment with different color combinations. Lumaflex or similar spandex thread can also be found at many local tackle shops. The beads I use are made of glass but I have used plastic ones too. Same with the lumaflex, I would buy several different colors to try. The important thing with the beads is finding ones that will be able to slide past the barb and sharp curve at the bottom of the hook. The hooks I use are AH style gold in size 12 or 13. Gold seems to be the preferred color for most people so I go with that. The monofilament line I use is 8 or 10lb test. For this example, I’ll be making a fly using a size 12 gold hook, blue and red beads, white wings, aurora blue flash thread, and orange body.
The first step is to slide two beads onto the hook, past the barb and sharp curve. They should be able to slide all the way to the eye of the hook. The hook is then clamped to the vise.
Thread one end of the mono in through the bottom of the second bead, then back through the same bead, creating a loop. Place 4 or 5 pieces of the pre-cut lumaflex thread and optional flash thread in the mono loop and slowly pull both ends of the mono. Most flies I’ve seen use 4 lumaflex threads, creating 8 wings. As a personal preference, I use 5 threads to create 10 wings on my flies.
This is where it gets a little tricky, especially with glass beads because they crack easily. Carefully pull both ends of the mono until the centers of the lumaflex get pulled through the bead and begin showing on the other side. I then remove the mono and slide the second bead up against the first one. Adjust the wings so they fan out nice and even. The tension in the bottom bead should be enough to keep it from sliding back down.
In the past, I left the fly like this as you can see in the picture Scott posted in his first halalū article, but I have now been finishing the flies with additional lumaflex wrapped around the shank of the hook. This helps gives added support to keep the bottom bead from sliding down and gives it a nicer, finished look. When I’m done, I remove the fly from the vise and clip the wings to the desired length.
Hopefully this simple how-to will help get you started on making your own homemade halalū/akule flies. I would love to hear of better, more efficient methods if anyone is willing to share. Mahalo for reading!
Update: Thad details how to fish this fly.
For your halalu fly rig, I would suggest you run the lightest egg lead you can cast which will allow you to reach just beyond the school. The lighter lead will not scare the fish as much as a heavier one. I run 2 or 3lb test fluorocarbon leader. As for the length of the leader, look at how long the other fishermen are running them for that spot. I use a 5ft ultralight rod and normally run my leader about 6-7 feet. There are some spots where I would run leaders as long as 10-12 feet. It depends on the wind, the amount of room you have to cast, and how easily the fish are spooked. Obviously, you shouldn’t run a long leader when it’s windy or crowded. You don’t want to snag your neighbor on a cast.
I cast my lead just past the school if possible. Make sure you keep track of where your neighbor’s lines are before you cast and know the approximate location and distance of their lines. I let your lead sink all the way if the bottom is snag free. Otherwise, let it sink a little but begin your retrieve before it reaches the bottom. There are many retrieval techniques. I like to jig my fly up from the bottom, and through the school. I hold the rod with my right hand near the stripper guide and shake the rod up and down quickly as I slowly crank the reel. Others like a much slower, sweeping movement of the fly. Watch your neighbors and try different techniques to find what works best for you.
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Brah, those flies look mean! I like go catch halalu soon!
Scott: don’t give up … NEVER GIVE UP!
hahahaha
Kelly Boy,
Maybe next season when the halalu are biting good I’ll try again. Your soft pole helped but not enough for my meager skills last time. Had I known how well the halalu would work as bait for you and Frank I would have tried harder!
-scott
Wow! Amazing how this is made. Looks easy with the photo instructions.
I wondered how these Halalu flies were made as seen lot of fishermen using it.
Mahalo’s for making this possible & appreciate your time & effort .
Happy fishing ? guys!
Hi Pat! I’m glad this was helpful. It is very simple once you get the hang of it. Getting the lumaflex through the bottom bead is what a lot of people ask about. My 5 threads make it a very tight fit so I hold the bead between two fingers when pulling the mono. This way, if it cracks, I don’t get tiny glass pieces all over the place.
Mahalo’s for the tip Thad!
Nice work! The mono loop is an interesting technique. Not sure how much better (or worse) this might work, but have you considered wrapping the Lumiflex and Krystal flash directly onto the shank using thread, then sliding the smaller bead up over the thread wraps? I wonder if it would avoid the risk of damaging the bead. It may also make the fly more durable. Just an idea, since you did ask 😉
That’s an interesting idea. I’ll try that next time. I’m not really good with fly tying knots and pulling the threads through the bead is very simple once you get the hang of it. I rarely break beads like I used to when I first started. I just met someone who is pretty adept at tying flies since he did it as a job in Alaska. I’ll ask him to help me try your idea. Thanks Jason!
Hi, great article. I always wanted to learn how to make these type of halalu flies, thank you for sharing. I was wondering what size beads are those?
Thanks. I use size 8/0 beads. Sometimes I see a bead color I like and if doesn’t say what size, I just eyeball um.
Right on, thank you!
Where can I buy some of those hooks?
Most local shops should carry them. I buy my silver and gold AH style hooks from Charley’s Fishing Supply.
Hi. Your flies looks great! I need to make like this one. But the oroblem is I am a newbie on this. May I ask how it is rig? As I read your article you mentioned JIGGING using this flies. As I have seen on your picture above it is made of very light material, i wonder how to jig it. It would be very helpful for a newbie like me if you could show how to set the flies or is there another weight attached so that it coud be jig.
Thanks for the reply.
Hi Allan! I slide an egg lead on the mainline and tie a swivel. Then I tie 2-4lb fluorocarbon leader and attach the fly. The length and strength of the leader really depends on the conditions of the area you’re fishing and how finicky the fish are. Its best you observe everyone else and mimic what the successful people are doing. I would go with an egg lead that is within your rod’s specs and one that is light enough and still be able to reach past the school.
The “jigging” of these flies are not exactly the same as jigging actual metal jigs. The action you give the flies comes from the rapid up and down movement of the rod as you slowly retrieve the fly through the school. Halalu fishers refer to this action as “jigging.” Some people will do this with plastic strips too and it works. Try giving the lead some time to sink to test the bite at different depths but just be careful not to let it reach the bottom if its a rocky area.
Great article. Nice flies too. Next time you should do some Papio flies!
Thanks! Unfortunately, I’m not familiar with making papio flies although I wouldn’t mind learning just for fun. I learned how to make the halalu flies because no one sold them years ago. There are so many awesome makers of the papio flies these days.
Where can we get those Lumaflex thread
I get mines from local tackle shops. I’ve seen them at Charley’s, J&E, and J.Hara. Other shops might have them so I suggest you call them before going. Someone told me bead stores sell it too for making things like elastic bead bracelets.
Thanks for the great article! I have one question- how do you wrap the lumaflex thread around the shank of the hook to finish in the last step, is it started like tying thread to the hook then finishing with half hitches? Also to all who are trying to buy the lumaflex online-be careful as most of the sizes sold (especially on Ebay) are at least 2-3+ times as thick as the thread sold locally and will not work, I have tried and failed miserably lol…
Yes, I finish with some hitches. The material is so grippy, it stays put and I haven’t had any become undone. Thanks for the info on buying the material online. Do you know what diameter size you purchased? A friend of mine bought online in the bulk spool and it worked for him. I didn’t get a chance to ask him what size he purchased though.
Aloha Thad, I don’t know what size I got, only that the sellers stated it was lumaflex so I assumed… wrong lol. I’m not sure what diameter I should be looking for so buying online is hit or miss….Also I haven’t had a chance to check out the local stores as they’re mostly COVID closed. I think I’ll “borrow” another of my friend’s local bought flies, use my digital calipers to get a measurement then try to find something in similar thickness online…..I’ll let you know how it goes.
They’re sold online as elastic crystal string for beading and jewelry making. They come in all kinds of colors. I still don’t know what size to get but I’ve seen them as small as 0.5mm.
Mahalo Thad, I’ll check that out too although I just realized that the material I have can be split into thinner strips like string cheese so I’ll have to experiment more.
I wandered around Hilo for a while including the fishing stores before I ended up at Ben Franklin, a craft store chain. They have crystal thread in 0.3 and 0.7 mm sizes in small (~20ʻ) lengths for ~$3 each. I didnʻt know before but glass beads come in numbered hole sizes ( as mentioned above). I brought one of my hooks with me and it turned out that a #6 Tarpon hook fit through the hole nicely. So I got a tube of reds for ~$5. A little expensive but probably a lifetime supply. Itʻs pretty easy to pull three (3) of the 0.7 mm threads through the bead and 4-5 of the 0.3 mm threads. Also you can pull the 0.7 mm threads through both beads with the splayed out threads facing each other. A drop of super glue on the hook side seems to hold both beads pretty well…
Thanks for the heads up. I used to check out the Ben Franklin stores in my area regularly and they never carried crystal thread. I need to go look again. Super glue sounds like a great idea.