Bodkin / Patterns

Aggravator

Streamer · Trout · Smallmouth Bass · Advanced · 1 version

Burk's Aggravator, as tied by Robert Eagleson (Hook and Hackle Club)

Materials

  • Hook Daiichi 1270 or TMC 200, #10 (can be tied 6 to 16)
  • Bead Brass or tungsten, 7/64 for size 10
  • Weight .015 lead wire (optional)
  • Tag Flashabou, colour of your preference
  • Tail Marabou, olive dun (sparse)
  • Rib Flashabou
  • Abdomen Antron dubbing, light olive
  • Legs Spanflex, dark ginger, coloured with permanent marker
  • Thorax Antron dubbing, dark olive
  • Hackle Dark webby rooster saddle
  • Wingcase Turkey tail feather, coated with Dave's Flexament

How to tie it

  1. Put a size 10 hook in the vise, slide a brass bead on, and add about 10 wraps of .015 lead wire. Slide it up so it centres the bead, and build a small dam of olive thread behind the lead and over it to lock it in place.
  2. Take the thread to the back. Tie in a short piece of thin Flashabou for a half-inch flash tag at the rear, and leave it.
  3. Tie in a sparse wisp of olive dun marabou just in front of the tag as the tail, with the butts clipped behind the lead.
  4. Bring the thread back to the butt. Dub a thin, slightly tapered noodle of light olive Antron and build the abdomen up to behind the lead.
  5. Rib it forward with the Flashabou in even wraps, tie off behind the lead and clip.
  6. Tie in dark ginger Spanflex legs, the far side first, then the near side; trim them long on purpose, and hold them down while the thread moves back.
  7. Dub a slightly thicker thorax with dark olive Antron, leaving a little space at the front. Fold the legs back and lock them in.
  8. Prepare a webby dark rooster saddle hackle, tie it in at about 60 degrees, and wind two or three turns. Sweep the fibres back.
  9. Cut a V in the end of a turkey tail section coated with Flexament and tie it in as a wing case, reaching just past the back of the lead.
  10. Cover the thread wraps with a touch more dark olive Antron, whip finish and cut the thread.
  11. Speckle the legs with a dark marker if you like, and leave them long for movement.

Tying videos

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