Bodkin / Patterns

Cali 420 Leech

Streamer · Trout · Smallmouth Bass · Intermediate · 1 version

Classic Recipe

  • Hook 3XL nymph/streamer hook (e.g. TMC 5263), 8-12
  • Thread Olive 6/0 (140 denier)

Materials

  • Bead Metallic olive tungsten, 1/8in (3.3mm) (1)
  • Tail/collar Grizzly Chickabou/soft hackle, dyed fl. yellow-chartreuse (1 clump + 1 feather)
  • Flash Root-beer Krystal Flash (few strands)
  • Body Arizona Mega Simi Seal, California 420 (dark olive with red/green UV) (as needed)

How to tie it

  1. Slide the metallic olive tungsten bead to the eye and start the thread behind it.
  2. Tie in a chartreuse Chickabou/soft-hackle tail about one shank length at the bend with a few strands of root-beer Krystal Flash.
  3. Spin the California 420 Simi Seal in a dubbing loop and wrap a shaggy, buggy body forward to just behind the bead. Why: the multi-color UV Simi Seal mimics the mottled sheen of a real leech.
  4. Take a turn or two of the chartreuse soft hackle as a collar behind the bead for a hot-spot flash of movement.
  5. Whip finish behind the bead and brush out the dubbing to make it breathe.

Tying videos

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