Bodkin / Patterns

Black Ghost

Streamer · Trout · Smallmouth Bass · Intermediate · 1 version

Classic Recipe

  • Hook Streamer, 4x long, 4-10
  • Thread Black 6/0

Materials

  • Tail Yellow hackle fibers (sparse)
  • Body Black floss (smooth)
  • Rib Flat silver tinsel (4 inches)
  • Throat Yellow hackle fibers (sparse)
  • Wing White marabou or hackle (4 feathers)
  • Cheeks Jungle cock (optional)

How to tie it

  1. Mount the long hook, tie in a sparse yellow hackle-fiber tail.
  2. Wrap a smooth black floss body to the 75% mark, wet the floss to keep it flat, and rib with silver tinsel in 5 turns.
  3. Tie in a sparse yellow throat beneath the shank.
  4. Tie in the wing: four white hackles paired concave-to-concave (or a white marabou plume), extending to the tail tip.
  5. Add jungle cock cheeks if you have them. Neat tapered head, several coats of lacquer.

Substitutions

  • Body instead of Black floss: Black thread wraps (built up) — Simpler, no floss needed; Black dubbing — Slightly more texture
  • Wing instead of White marabou or hackle: White saddle hackle — Traditional feather wing; White marabou — More movement, modern approach
  • Cheeks instead of Jungle cock: Stick-on eyes — Much cheaper than jungle cock; Painted eyes — Budget option; Skip them — Fly still fishes fine without cheeks

Tying videos

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