Bodkin / Patterns

Brent's Crafty Baitfish

Streamer · Baitfish · Trout · Advanced · 1 version

Tyer Recipe

  • Hook Gamakatsu Octopus (wide gape), 4
  • Thread White Danville 210 denier flat waxed nylon

Materials

  • Craft fur, extra select (tail + body) White/natural craft fur extra select (3 clumps)
  • Polar flash (lateral lines) Mirage opal (about 5 strands, folded)
  • Craft fur underfur (throat) Natural craft fur underfur (small pinch, folded)
  • Poly fiber (topping layer 1) Gray antron (thin wisp)
  • Ice wing fiber (topping layer 2) Bluish gray (small pinch)
  • Mirage dome eyes Mirage (1 pair, 5/16")
  • Black felt marker Black ostrich herl (for barring)
  • UV resin (Solarez) + Marine Goop Clear uv resin (head + eyes)

How to tie it

  1. Tie in a generous clump of extra-select craft fur at the rear of the shank as the tail, sized so the fly stays in proportion, and lock it down with heavy tension.
  2. Cut the tips off two more clumps of craft fur and reverse-tie them at the front, fibers facing forward over the eye (hollow-tie style) (one clump on top, one underneath) binding the butts down.
  3. Push the reversed fur back over the fly with your fingers and bring the thread in front of it so it sweeps back into a hollow, bulky-looking body with almost no material.
  4. Fold about five strands of mirage opal polar flash around the thread, half along each side, as the lateral flash. That little is plenty.
  5. Fold a wee pinch of craft fur underfur around the thread and tie it under the shank as a short throat.
  6. Tie a thin wisp of gray poly fiber over the top, sweep it back, and thin it out by teasing with a scissor blade.
  7. Add a small pinch of bluish-gray ice wing fiber over the top as the back, pushed back and bound down.
  8. Whip finish a clean head and cut the thread.
  9. Draw barred markings down both sides with the black marker, matching the marks side to side.
  10. Glue a 5/16" mirage dome eye to each side with Marine Goop and finish the head with a touch of UV resin.

Tying videos

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