Bodkin / Patterns

Bird Of Prey-Beadhead

Nymph · Trout · Advanced · 1 version

Consensus of Hackles and Herl Fly Fishing, Tim Cammisa and tightlinevideo

  • Hook 14

Materials

  • Hook Scud hook, size 14 (Hackles and Herl); 2X-short emerger hook, e.g. Dai-Riki 125, sizes 14-18 (tightlinevideo); Allen N204BL, 2X wide and 2X short, tied on a 12 (Tim Cammisa)
  • Bead Gold-coloured brass bead sized to match the hook (Hackles and Herl); 7/64-inch gold (tightlinevideo); tungsten, colour not stated (Tim Cammisa)
  • Thread Black 8/0 (Hackles and Herl: Semperfli Classic Waxed; tightlinevideo: 8/0 or 70 denier); Tim Cammisa uses dark brown Uni 8/0
  • Rib Flash: Semperflash Mirage Iris (Hackles and Herl); small pearl Flashabou (tightlinevideo); pearl Crystal Flash (Tim Cammisa)
  • Tail Brown Hungarian partridge hackle fibers
  • Body Hare's ear / hare's mask dubbing, light (tightlinevideo); Tim Cammisa uses dark brown dubbing for a dark version, tan for a tan one
  • Hackle Hungarian Partridge Hackle
  • Collar / thorax Peacock herl

How to tie it

  1. Put the bead on a debarbed hook and start the thread.
  2. Take a small brown Hungarian partridge hackle, pinch the fibers together and tie them in as a tail about the length of the hook gap.
  3. Tie in the rib flash, then take the thread back to the tail.
  4. Dub a tapered body of hare's ear dubbing, making the first wrap behind the rib so it does not slide; bring it forward and half hitch.
  5. Wind the rib forward, tie it off and clip the excess.
  6. Take a Hungarian partridge feather from nearer the neck, concave side toward the back of the hook so it lays back over the body; fold it back and tie it in, leaving a landing pad for the hackle and herl.
  7. Make only one to one and a half turns of hackle, sweep the fibers back, secure it and trim the stem.
  8. Turn a peacock herl fiber upside down so the taller flues point toward the bottom of the fly, tie it in and wrap it as a collar; trim.
  9. Finish with a four-turn whip finish.

Tying videos

← All fly patterns