76 Freshwater Fishing Australia

Mudeye MohawksEvEry so oftEn a lurE comEs along that looks so far bEyond thE norm and you know it just has to bE good. thE mohawk and thE thingy arE two of thosE lurE typEs and justin fElix takEs a closEr look at both.

& The Thingy

Freshwater Fishing Australia 77

morE mudEyEsMudeye Lures boasts a range of lures

also suitable for barramundi and offshore applications. To view the full range visit: www.mudeyelures.com

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mohawks: hand-craftEd timbEr modEls

Length Diving Depth Colours

60 mm 20 ft 5

80 mm 24ft 5

100 mm 30 ft 5

130 mm 35 ft* 5

170 mm 30 ft 5

* (also comes in ultra-deep: 45 ft)

Lure Components• Hand cut polycarb bibs• Stainless screw in eyelets• All hooks, splitraings, tow clips and eyelets

come in from Fishing Unlimited.• Rabbit fur zonker strips

FACT

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Jamie Flett began making freshwater lures at the age of 16 when he would carve timber lures with a

Stanley knife. He recalls that the task was slow and arduous but he was only making them for himself and fishing buddies. Little did he know, he would soon be able to produce 300 lures a week and selling them Australia-wide. Jamie initially used a belt sander to shape up to 100 lures a week from white beech or cedar before spending hours hand-painting each lure in a shed in the backyard. He then switched to using polyurethane plastic to mould the lures to help speed-up production time and to cut back on costs. In 2004 it was decided that timber was still his preferred material so he reverted back to but has since streamlined the process to still be able to make over 300 lures a week. The Mudeye label now finds its way to Finland, USA and Norway – no easy feat for a backyard lure maker. He now uses 13 moulds to cover both fresh and

“It as the first time I’d seen anything work when the easterly was blowing at Copeton.” Half an hour later he got busted off… the laughing stopped there. Needless to say Jamie was keen to produce a lure that would mimic the ‘pet shop toy’ and The Thingy was born.

jamiE’s tipsAs with most good lure maker’s, fishing has always been part of Jamie’s life. He caught his first fish on a lure at the tender age of five and excuse the cliché but ‘he’s been hooked ever since’ with many great cod under his belt. He offers some advice to fellow anglers when using his lures in search of the majestic green fish:• The Thingy does an exceptional job of

imitating a water rat. For this reason he advises to work the lure slowly across the surface late in the afternoon or early in the morning.

• Alternatively,castthelureintothesnags but rather than working it back towards you straight away, let it jiggle on the top. By doing so the angler can mimic a water rat splashing about on the surface.

• FishtheMohawk as you would most diving lures for cod. The main difference however lies in the hair standing on the back that sways whilst swimming. This helps the lure to look more life-like.

• The Mohawk also trolls exceptionally well and depending on the size of the lure can dive as far as 45 feet. Jamie also believes the biggest secret to

being successful is to be quiet. He recalls a number of occasions where he has watched people fishing an area whilst making heaps of noise without turning a reel. He has gone back to fish the same area an hour later and caught a number of fish. “If you are fishing from the bank, make yourself look as small as possible by crouching down and blending into the surroundings.” Jamie explains that a lot of fish are not seen or caught because the angler has let them know that they are around. “Most big fish will bite beneath an angler’s nose because a lot of the time you are standing on their roof”.

what to usE and whErE!Lures between 80 to 100 mm are the perfect size for rivers with green cod patterns or black and gold scale patterns preferable. These colours do a great job of imitating the smaller fish that cod feed on. In the lakes, Jamie steps up his lure choice to between 130 and 150 mm to try and entice the big fish to come out of their snags. He prefers colours such as purple, black and gold and green in these areas.

saltwater applications but it’s these two unique designs

that we believed deserved some spotlight. Jamie explains that their

development spawn from jokes and banter between good friends.

mohawksHe originally tested rabbit fur zonker strips on Murray cod and barra flies with relative success. One thing led to another and he went on to test them on a lure – the 130 mm Mohawk was born. Surprisingly or not so surprisingly, depending on which way you look at it, the first fish taken on the lure was a 122 cm Murray cod at Copeton in 2000. Further testing and success soon followed and the lure is now available in five lengths and colours – all of which dive to various depths.

thE thingyThe Thingy, comes in at 100 mm (without tail) and is available in eight colours. The lure is often referred to as ‘the rat’ in fishing circles and one glance is all you need to know why. This lure can be worked across the top or down to 10 feet. It is constructed with timber, coated in rabbit fur and a zonker strip tail. When Bill Classon first introduced me to The Thingy I had to find out how such a lure was produced.

When asked, Jamie laughed and said “It came about after I purchased a cat’s toy from the pet shop”. “It cost me two dollars and I had an idea to secure a bib to it.” Jamie secured the bib to two 4/0 treble hooks via a wire cable and thought nothing more of it. He recalls a day at Copeton when nothing much was happening, mainly due to an easterly wind and freezing cold conditions. “At 10 o’clock I decided to tie on the toy and what do you know, a 93 cm fish fell to my new invention.” He continued,