Saltwater teasers do you weight them down?

hi. as you can see I'm new to this forum and fly tying. I was wondering after seeing some incredible flies being tied on this forum. I was wondering if would mind answering this newbie question.
on saltwater flies that will be used as teasers to plugs, do you add beads or use dunbell eyes as the weight to get the teaser to sink? or do you rely on the weight of the plug to get the teaser down below surface?
thanks
chuck

Well first off .. When i tie my teasers i don't add any extra weight.. But im sure others may have better info on this then me

well chucker.....u realy dont have to add weight to a teaser... do to the fact that the lure will get it down......plus im not a fan of useing teasers on plugs speaking for my self only..... but if ya do the action of useing a pencil or a popper will keep the teaser up bounceing off the surface.............i use at times clousers with metals do to the fact that the clouser cuts threw the wind better than a bucktail teaser.........i fly fish so all my teasers are the flies i fish with..........now if you wanted your fly to sink when fly fishing u can use clousers .....or wrap fine wire lead and wrap the hook shank... or tie in the lead side by side.....dumbbell eyes work well to get your teaser to cut threw the wind...........good luck and ask as many question as you like there is a lot of great talent here

Thanks Handyman
I started FW flyfishing last yr.(its not as easy as people make it look) thought I give SW a shot using teasers early in the upcoming season. Since my eyes are getting so old and I can see the SW flies and hooks a lot better thought i would try my hand tying some simple bucktail teasers on 4/0 hooks. and since they are so light I was just wondering if I was suppose to be using some form of weight when tying? You answered my question.. Thanks
I hope to pick the brains of the members here and if I ask to many question ..just let me know
thanks again..
chuck

Chuck Welcome

I hope you enjoy it here on the site. Alot of good people on here.
Now about your question, Handy answered it as good as anyone could.

I myself never weight teasers. I don't even see a need for eyes on them. I usually never use above a 3/0 hook either, but that's just me.

Tho flies can be another story altogether.
One thing with a fly is the way you want it to track threw the water. When striped and also when drifting in the current or wash. If you tie a fly to fish straight up and down the hook can be used as a keel or weight to keep it from laying over on it's side. And it's profile has a good deal to do with that also. A slab fly won't drift like a normal hair fly.
Some flies you maybe want to have it flop over on it's side and back upright when stripped. Like a slab fly that imitates a small spot or peanut bunker.

Some flies you want to ride and track straight like say a clouser fly or a surf candy.
The action on them will come from the materials used to tie them and your striping action.

Feathers will move more freely and pulsate then say bucktail in water. When you do tie up a fly take it to the sink or some water and examine how it sinks, moves. Also how the materials act in the water. Do they swell at rest and lay back and hug the body when moved.
Things like this may not seem important to some but who really knows what attracts a fish to strike or be turned off by your fly.

One thing I have learned is you can only catch fish with your fly or bait in the water. So get out there as much as you can.
Again Welcome to the site and please post some of your flies when you get them tied up.

I long line my salt flies so I really do not want them to have any extra weight -

Longlining is using a three way rig with about 6" to the weight (anywhere from 1 to 8 oz depending on depth and current) and about 30" to the fly - you bounce the bottom so the fly flutters with the current and the bass eats it


Deadly!

I dont fly fish the surf but i do tie mainly bucktails and teasers. I started using a casting egg a couple years ago paired with my teasers. When the bass are feeding on smaller bait and wont touch traditional lures this finesse tactic just plain works.

and i don't see a need to weigh a teaser, may actually take more away from your cast.

I agree with all the above but would add that if you do put weight in a fly, just like weight in a plug, it can also give it an extra dimension.
To illustrate.. made up some epoxy-headed pike flies last week, sort of tarpon-style, with the head well back on the hook shank. No lead but epoxy weighs a bit; got a lovely dipping & consequent 'pulsating' action as a result.. 'cos the fly kept moving after every pull I gave it.
So, without that weight, even just epoxy, you couldn't get that action. It was an eye-opener for me!
BIG advice from CharlieG, "..take it to the sink or some water & examine how it sinks, moves."
As FJR told me 'bout plugs, "It's not the paintjob that kills them, it's the 'action.." (& how many primed plugs have been swimming in the stream out my front door, recently, I am reluctant to admit.. but it's a lot of fun & some of them are beginning to move quite well, I think..).
So, same with flies I think.
I'm new here too, mate & learning far more than I thought possible. Please don't worry how old the threads posted are, "There's gold in them thar hills.." No, seriously, there's a lot of chaps here know what they're on about.
A word of warning though; even if you think you're not into plug-making, stay away from those threads.. it's a highly contagious disease & one sniff/a little glimse/the merest peek.. oh dear, another victim is sucked into the abyss!
But it's great.