Nick Davis | How To Add A Weed Guard To An Already Tied Fly | Tom Rowland Podcast Ep. 455

Nick Davis is the owner of 239 Flies, a fly shop located in Bonita Beach, Florida, and a skilled fly tier and fishing guide who specializes in saltwater fly fishing techniques for species like tarpon, bonefish, and redfish in Southwest Florida and the Keys. In this How To Tuesday episode, Nick demonstrates a critical skill that can turn a zero-fish day into a successful outing: how to add a weed guard to an already-tied fly. You'll discover the exact pound test monofilament Nick recommends for different situations, the one tool trick that makes this process dramatically easier for non-fly-tiers, and why weed guards have a "mixed relationship" with hook performance. If you've ever been frustrated by follows that never turn into eats because your fly keeps fouling with grass, this episode reveals the solution you can implement tonight in your garage.

Why Weed Guards Have a "Mixed Relationship" with Fishing Success

Nick Davis opens this tutorial with a philosophical point that changes how you think about weed guards entirely. As he explains while demonstrating on an EP tarpon streamer, weed guards are designed to stop the hook from doing exactly what the hook was made to do. This creates a fundamental tension: you need protection from weeds, but too much protection can turn your weed guard into a fish guard. Nick shares his approach to finding the right balance, including why he never goes heavier than 40-pound Mason hard mono for single-strand applications and when you might drop all the way down to 15 or 20 pound for mangrove situations. The key is understanding that depression is actually desirable—the mono needs to push out of the way when a fish eats. Nick's full explanation of the weed guard paradox and how to avoid turning it into a fish guard starts at 03:44.

The Debarbed Pliers Trick That Changes Everything

If you've ever tried to tie round monofilament onto a round hook shank, you know the frustration—it slides, it spins, it refuses to stay put. Nick reveals the simple trick that makes this process easy even for non-fly-tiers: flattening the mono with debarbed pliers. As he demonstrates, debarbed pliers are perfect for this because they're not sharp enough to cut the mono, they only press it flat. This creates a square-to-round tie-in point that grips the hook shank instead of sliding around. Tom emphasizes that while debarbed pliers are ideal, any pliers that can smash the monofilament flat will work. Nick even drops the bobbin at the start of the demo, joking "that's really good for it" and "that's definitely how you wanna start every fly." Watch Nick flatten the mono and explain why this one step eliminates hours of frustration at 04:26.

Measuring and Positioning: Why the Barb Matters More Than the Point

The measurement step separates functional weed guards from those that either snag constantly or fail to protect. Nick explains that you need to follow the memory of the mono and bend the curve back with the hook, visualizing how weeds will slide along that curve when the fly is pulled through the water. The critical measurement point surprises many anglers: you trim at the barb of the hook, not the point. As Nick demonstrates, if you cut it right at the hook point, the weed guard isn't long enough—when it depresses even slightly under pressure, you'll leave the hook point exposed and start snagging. The wrapping technique also matters: Nick wraps his thread around the weed guard three to four times behind it, then pulls to push it more perpendicular to the hook shank. The complete measuring and positioning sequence, including why perpendicular matters, starts at 08:03.

The Travel Kit That Saves Trips

Tom shares a critical insight about travel preparation that applies whether you're heading to the Keys or a remote location with no fly shop access. He emphasizes taking a spool of Mason hard mono and a bobbin on every trip, especially to places without resources. As he explains, you could arrive and discover that every cast results in grass on your fly, with follows and follows but no eats from tarpon, bonefish, or redfish. Having the ability to add weed guards at night back at your accommodation can transform the next day from frustration to success. Nick agrees this is essential travel gear, invoking fire department wisdom: "Better to have it, not need it than need it, and not have it." The conversation makes clear this isn't about being a skilled fly tier—it's about having the tools to adapt to conditions and customize flies when the situation demands it. Tom's complete breakdown of the essential travel kit for fly customization starts at 09:44.

Final Thoughts from Tom

This is exactly the kind of How To Tuesday episode that puts practical skills in your hands. Nick Davis breaks down a technique that might seem intimidating but becomes completely manageable once you understand the key steps. I've been in those situations where you're getting follows but the fly keeps picking up grass, and it's maddening. Having the ability to add a weed guard to your existing flies—right there at your accommodation or even on the boat—is a game-changer.

What I really appreciate about Nick's approach is his honesty about the weed guard paradox. He doesn't oversell it as a perfect solution. He explains that you're deliberately interfering with hook performance, which means you need to think carefully about pound test and positioning. That kind of nuanced understanding separates guides who know their craft from people just going through motions.

If you're planning any trip to weedy water—whether that's the Keys, Southwest Florida, or anywhere else where grass is a factor—watch this episode and practice the technique before you go. Take that spool of mono and bobbin with you. You'll thank yourself when conditions demand it. This one's absolutely worth your time.