Bodkin / Patterns

Black Maria Tube

Salmon/Steelhead · Streamer · Salmon · Advanced · 1 version

Tyer Recipe

  • Hook Copper tube (pairs with your choice of trailing hook), Tube fly - 1/8 in copper tube, 1.5 in long
  • Thread Black 6/0 Veevus

Materials

  • Flat tinsel Gold oval tinsel (one strand (rib, about 6 turns))
  • Yarn Black yarn (body)
  • Bucktail Black bucktail (healthy stacked clump (wing))
  • Flashabou Black holographic tinsel (small hank (over-wing))
  • Flashabou Red (fuchsia/pink also fine) (small hank (topping))
  • UV glue and top coat Clear head cement (head)

How to tie it

  1. Mount the copper tube (they grip well. You can pull hard without it spinning) and start the black thread near the rear.
  2. Tie in the flat gold tinsel for the tag and rib, keeping the springy tinsel clear of the thread.
  3. Tie in the black yarn, take the thread to the back, and wrap the yarn body from the rear forward. Hold tight at the back over the bump, then ease off, keeping wraps close so no copper shows through; tie off.
  4. Wind the gold rib forward, a turn at the very back, then about six evenly spaced turns up the tube (long tubes earn extra turns); tie off.
  5. Stack a healthy clump of black bucktail and tie it in as the wing, reaching back to the rear of the tube; if it looks sparse, add a second smaller clump. Easier to add than remove.
  6. Add the black Flashabou: grab the hank by its middle, trap it with a wrap, fold the front half back over, and cut roughly square at the wing tips.
  7. Repeat with the red (or fuchsia) Flashabou on top, also squared off.
  8. Fill the space toward the tube nose with soft wraps (this keeps the thread off the sharp copper/plastic junction that can slice it), building a bulky head that will push water; whip finish.
  9. Coat the head with UV glue and a top coat; cure.

Tying videos

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