Bodkin / Patterns

Bubba's Callibaetis

Nymph · Trout · Intermediate · 1 version

Reference Recipe

  • Hook 2XL nymph hook, 14-16
  • Thread Gray 8/0

Materials

  • Tail Wood duck or mottled tan (a few fibers, short)
  • Abdomen Gray-tan (callibaetis) (fine dubbing)
  • Rib Fine gold (wire or tinsel)
  • Wingcase Mottled brown thin skin (turkey or pheasant slip)
  • Thorax Darker gray-tan (fine dubbing)
  • Legs Brown silly legs nymph size (partridge or wood duck soft-hackle fibers)

How to tie it

  1. Mount the hook and start thread, then tie in a short mottled tan or wood-duck tail, a bit shorter than one shank length.
  2. Bind in the fine gold rib and dub a slim tapered gray-tan abdomen forward to the 60% mark.
  3. Counter-wrap the rib forward in 4-5 turns to segment the abdomen, then tie off.
  4. Tie in a mottled brown wingcase slip pointing back over the abdomen.
  5. Dub a slightly fuller thorax, then sweep a few soft partridge or wood-duck fibers back along each side as legs.
  6. Pull the wingcase over the thorax, tie it down behind the eye, and trim.
  7. Build a small head, whip finish, and cement.

Tying videos

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