Bodkin / Patterns

Barbe Bleue

Salmon/Steelhead · Wet Fly · Salmon · Intermediate · 1 version

Tyer Recipe

  • Hook Black salmon single (up-eye), 2 (down to 12 for salmon)
  • Thread Black Veevus A / 8/0

Materials

  • Oval tinsel Silver (extra small) (Tag and rib)
  • Black squirrel tail Black deer hair (Sparse, for tail and wing)
  • Floss or wool Fluorescent hot orange floss or wool (Butt)
  • Uni-yarn / wool Black yarn (Body)
  • Saddle or hen hackle Black saddle hackle (1 feather for throat)

How to tie it

  1. Start the black thread just ahead of the hook point and tie in the silver oval; wind a small, short tag over the return and bring the thread forward.
  2. Tie in a very sparse tail of a few black squirrel hairs, measured back to about the tag, keeping it on top.
  3. Tie in fluorescent hot-orange floss and make two passes to build a short, bright butt over the tag so no black bleeds through.
  4. Tie in the silver oval rib, then tie in the black yarn and wrap a slim body forward in about three passes to just short of the eye.
  5. Rib the body forward with the silver oval in evenly spaced open turns and tie off.
  6. Tie in a sparse black hackle as a throat/beard, its tips reaching back about level with the orange butt.
  7. Tie in a sparse black squirrel wing reaching to the hook point, using soft wraps so it sits down low, then whip finish and add head cement.

Tying videos

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