Bodkin / Patterns

Barry's Pike Fly

Streamer · Pike · Musky · Intermediate · 1 version

Classic Recipe

  • Hook Standard saltwater or pike streamer, 1/0-3/0
  • Thread To match pattern (red, white or chartreuse) 140-210 denier

Materials

  • Tail Rabbit zonker strip (1, about 3-4")
  • Flash Krystal Flash (6-8 strands)
  • Body Cross-cut rabbit strip (1)
  • Eyes Prismatic stick-on (2)
  • Head Epoxy or UV resin (coating)

How to tie it

  1. Start thread at the bend and tie in a rabbit zonker strip so two to three shank lengths of strip trail behind. The tail that does all the swimming.
  2. Add six to eight strands of Krystal Flash on each side of the tail.
  3. Tie in a cross-cut rabbit strip at the bend by its end. Cross-cut (rather than zonker-cut) matters: the hair sweeps naturally rearward as you wrap, so the body lies slick and never fouls.
  4. Palmer the cross-cut strip forward in touching turns to just behind the eye, stroking the fur back after each wrap for a dense, breathing body.
  5. Tie off, build a smooth thread head, and whip finish.
  6. Stick a prismatic eye on each side of the head and coat the head with epoxy or UV resin so pike teeth can't peel it.

Tying videos

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