Bodkin / Patterns

Bumble Bee

Dry Fly · Trout · Intermediate · 1 version

Reference Recipe

  • Hook Standard dry-fly hook, 10-14
  • Thread Black 6/0

Materials

  • Body Alternating black and yellow (Two colors of dubbing or chenille)
  • Wing White / natural material (Calf body hair or poly yarn)
  • Hackle Brown or grizzly hackle (One or two feathers)

How to tie it

  1. Mount the hook and start the thread at the 75% mark, base-wrapping to the bend.
  2. Dub a black band at the rear third, switch to yellow for the middle, then black again to the 65% mark for the classic banded bee body.
  3. Tie in a white calf-hair or poly wing post at the 70% mark, standing upright, and post the base with a few thread turns.
  4. Bind in a brown hackle behind the wing and palmer 4-5 turns through the front third, splitting the turns fore and aft of the post.
  5. Bind off the hackle, sweep stray fibers back, and clear the eye.
  6. Whip finish behind the eye and add a drop of head cement.
  7. Trim the wing to one shank length so the bee sits level.

Tying videos

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