Bodkin / Patterns

Beetle Bailey

Terrestrial · Trout · Advanced · 1 version

Consensus of RiverKeeper Flies and Feather & Hide Co.

  • Hook Daiichi 1280 (RiverKeeper), 12
  • Thread Black

Materials

  • Body Black 2 mm foam, strip about the width of the hook gape
  • Legs Barred rubber legs
  • Indicator Orange foam
  • Hackle Saddle hackle

How to tie it

  1. Put a base layer of thread on the hook and tie in a tail of a few hair fibers on top of the shank.
  2. Tie in a strip of black foam at the rear, facing backward.
  3. Bring the thread forward to just behind the eye, fold the foam forward over the shank, and hold it so it does not roll to the side.
  4. Secure the foam with a loose wrap, then several tight wraps, leaving a spot behind the folded foam for the hackle and legs.
  5. Tie in a rubber leg on each side, evened up to the same length.
  6. Tie in an orange foam strip, slightly narrower than the body foam, as the strike indicator and fold it over.
  7. Tie in a saddle hackle in the crevice, wrap about four turns, tie off and trim.
  8. Pull the foam tight over the thread, make a few wraps, add head cement and whip finish.
  9. Trim the foam ends and trim the hackle even with the hook so the fly rides lower.

Tying videos

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