Bodkin / Patterns

Burkus Riffle Robber

Dry Fly · Trout · Intermediate · 2 versions

Classic Recipe

  • Hook standard dry-fly hook (e.g. TMC 100 or Fulling Mill 5065), 14-18
  • Thread Pale olive, orange, or primrose to match 8/0 (70 denier)

Materials

  • Trailing shuck Amber Antron Zelon, knotted into a tube (1)
  • Abdomen Pale olive/PMD turkey biot or Superfine dubbing (1)
  • Wing Natural dun CDC (2-3 feathers)
  • Thorax PMD/pale olive Superfine dubbing (1 pinch)
  • Sighter Hot orange dubbing or thread hot-spot (trace)

How to tie it

  1. Take a length of Antron Zelon, tie a triple surgeon's knot near one end, add a drop of glue, and trim to leave about four short tails; this forms the tubular trailing shuck that mimics an exuvia still attached to the emerger.
  2. Tie the tube shuck in at the bend so it trails one shank length.
  3. Wrap a segmented pale-olive biot abdomen forward to the 65% mark.
  4. Stack and tie in two or three CDC feathers as an upright/forward wing at the 65% mark.
  5. Dub a PMD thorax, then add a tiny hot-orange dubbing hot-spot ahead of the wing as a sighter to keep the fly visible in failing light.
  6. Whip finish behind the eye.

Other versions

1 more in the app: Burkus'.

Tying videos

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