Stonfo Mini Lure Lips review

What are Stonfo Mini Lure Lips?

Stonfo Mini Lure Lips are small clear polycarbonate plastic attachments which are tied into the heads of larger fly patterns, such as streamers and poppers, to make them dive and wobble like crankbait lures.

What sizes are available?

Mini Lure Lips come in three sizes: Size 1 has a 12mm lip, Size 2 has a 15mm lip, while Size 3 has an 18mm lip. All three of these are on the large side for the sorts of flies most commonly fished on UK stillwaters. They'd be considered a bit on the big side for trout fishing over here, as most of our fisheries have maximum hook size regulations.

The smallest Size 1 Mini Lure Lips work well on a size 4-6 hook, which tends to be the sort of size we'd use for targeting perch. We've used them on size 8s, but this is probably the smallest hook size we'd use. The larger ones are great for smaller pike flies.

How do you tie them?

Stonfo Mini Lure Lips are really easy to use. You simply select one that's a good match for your chosen hook size and then tie it to the shank of the hook, with the lip pointing down. They hold in place securely with just the thread wraps, but you can also give a brush of varnish, a bit of UV resin or superglue for a stronger bond.

They're also supplied with small solid metal ball bearings (with a choice of sizes included), that you need to superglue into the little well on the front of the lip. While you can fish them without the ball bearing, they definitely improve the action and make the fly dive on the retrieve. I'd recommend using plenty of superglue, as a few of our earlier attempts lost the ball in action.

What are they like to use?

Unlike some of the other attachments you can tie to the heads of flies to make them wiggle, these don't impede casting much. They make the flies move in a really erratic fashion and they'll change direction and wiggle enticingly even on a straight retrieve. They look incredible in the water. Even a slow retrieve imparts an amazingly lifelike wiggle into the flies, and you can see why they attract fish.

The fish definitely seem to like them. We've had some nice trout on flies tied with Mini Lure Lips as well as several perch. In fact, several perch have now fallen to the flies we tied with the Mini Lure Lips attached, while we've not had them on other patterns during the same sessions, so they do seem a good choice if you specifically want to target perch on the fly.

How much do they cost?

Stonfo Mini Lure Lips cost £4.80 for a pack of 10, which is good value given the way they can improve your chances of catching!

More information: Stonfo