One of my favourite patterns for dusky kob is the flat nose silicone mullet. This fly has got an absolutely deadly action if tied correctly, and will bounce about erratically on a jerky retrieve. It’s my go-to fly for kob and I have taken more fish on this pattern than any other. Juan Coetzee introduced me to the side-to-side action of the silicone mullet tied with a blunt nose, and it’s also a very effective pattern for leervis.

I have modified the traditional silicone in two ways. Firstly, I have replaced sheep’s wool that’s traditionally used for the head with closed cell foam. This essentially turns it into a surface pattern, even on a slow retrieve. For this reason, it’s also an excellent fly to use in shallow rocky bays in the surf. This allows the fly to be retrieved slowly on an intermediate line, without getting snagged on the bottom.

Secondly, I also lay bucktail fibers onto the silicone covered head to form a smooth transition from head to tail, creating a more desirable profile and silhouette.

Tying instructions
1 – Tie in a long but sparse tuft of bucktail at the bend of the hook. Using a Gamagatsu SL12 size 4/0 or similar will keel the fly nicely.
2 – Tie in 3 strands of flash material on each side.
3 – Secure a block of closed cell foam on top of the shank with superglue. Cover the foam with tread wraps, creating a round profile. Tie off.

4 – Cover the Foam with a layer of clear silicone.
5 – Select sparse tufts of long bucktail and lay them onto the foam head and push into the wet silicone. Using different colours bucktail, it is possible to create a dark-over-light coloured fly.

6 – Allow silicone to dry out completely. Trim bucktail fibers sticking out towards the front flush with the foam. Stick on film eyes with Superglue.
7 – Apply a second layer of silicone over the head and also on the nose of the fly. Using a small spatula shaped object, the nose of the fly is molded flat and at right angles with the sides of the body. I like to use the back of a bamboo chopstick for this.