Bodkin / Patterns

Burkus' Sedgeback Skwala

Dry Fly · Terrestrial · Trout · Intermediate · 1 version

Classic Recipe

  • Hook wide-gap 2XL dry/terrestrial hook, 8-10
  • Thread Olive or tan 6/0 (140 denier)

Materials

  • Tails/antennae Brown/black round rubber legs (2 (front and rear))
  • Abdomen 2mm olive/yellow foam strip (1)
  • Underbody Olive Ice Dub or dubbing (1 pinch)
  • Wing/case Mottled brown foam or elk/deer hair sedge-style over the back (1)
  • Indicator Orange hi-vis yarn tuft (1 small)
  • Legs Brown/olive round rubber legs (2-3 pairs)

How to tie it

  1. Lay a thread base and tie in long durable rubber tails at the bend, leaving them full length as antennae/tails.
  2. Tie in a strip of 2mm olive foam at the bend and dub a thin olive underbody up the shank.
  3. Pull the foam forward and segment it with thread wraps to the 60% mark, building the low sedge-backed abdomen.
  4. Splay two or three pairs of rubber legs to the sides at the thorax.
  5. Fold a mottled foam (or a wing of deer/elk hair) over the back to form the down sedge-style wing and tie down at the 70% mark. Why: the sedge (tent) back gives a low, natural adult-skwala silhouette.
  6. Tie in a small tuft of orange hi-vis yarn over the thorax, then wrap a foam or dubbed head and whip finish behind the eye.

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