Bodkin / Patterns

Ben's Foam Face Minnow

Streamer · Trout · Smallmouth Bass · Advanced · 3 versions

Reference Recipe

  • Hook Gamakatsu SC15 (short shank), #1/0
  • Thread any (matched to fly) UTC 210 (or 140)

Materials

  • Keel weight Lead/keel wire (1)
  • Tail (bottom) Craft fur, white (1 clump)
  • Tail (top) Craft fur, olive (1 clump)
  • Tail flash Pink Flashabou (few strands)
  • Body Finesse medium chenille, clear (1 length)
  • Body/dressing EP fiber, olive (top) and gray (bottom) (1 clump each)
  • Face Foam strip (1)

How to tie it

  1. Mount the short-shank hook, helicopter a keel weight onto the underside of the shank, and lock it with super glue to keel the fly.
  2. Start the thread and tie in a clump of white craft fur (about two shank lengths) for the bottom of the tail, then olive craft fur on top.
  3. Tie in a few strands of pink Flashabou over the tail and trim along the edges.
  4. Tie in clear finesse chenille and palmer it forward, preening the fibers back toward the tail and keeping the flash clear.
  5. Optionally mark the top of the body olive with a marker.
  6. Tie in EP fiber for the body (olive on top and gray on the bottom, cut short and tapered) and work it around the hook.
  7. Tie in a foam strip at the front and fold it back to form the raised foam face/gurgler head; secure it behind the eye.
  8. Whip finish and cement.

Other versions

2 more in the app: Fly Fish Food Tie, variant 1, Fly Fish Food Tie, variant 2.

Tying videos

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