Bodkin / Patterns

Carp Sculpin

Streamer · Carp · Intermediate · 2 versions

Note: Contested against a published dressing: Same fly in outline — black lead dumbbell eyes, an olive-barred rabbit strip and a dubbed body on a size 4 hook — but three things differ. (1) The source uses no rubber legs; we store a pair of barred brown round rubber. Source: Fly Fish Food — "Carp Sculpin" (fly tying tutorial) — https://www.flyfishfood.com/blogs/fly-tying-tutorials/carp-sculpin

Reference Recipe

  • Hook Jig streamer hook, 4-6
  • Thread Olive 6/0

Materials

  • Eyes/weight Black ostrich herl (Lead dumbbell or sculpin helmet)
  • Tail Olive ostrich herl (Rabbit strip)
  • Body Olive-brown material (Sculpin/leech dubbing)
  • Legs Barred brown rubber legs (Round rubber, 1 pair)
  • Head/collar Olive ostrich herl (Palmered dubbing or sculpin wool)

How to tie it

  1. Mount the jig hook and add a lead dumbbell or sculpin helmet at the front so the fly rides hook-up.
  2. Tie in an olive rabbit strip at the bend for the tail, about one shank long.
  3. Dub a tapered body forward, leaving room behind the eyes for a head.
  4. Figure-8 one pair of barred rubber legs at the midpoint to suggest pectoral fins.
  5. Build a broad, flat dubbing or wool head around the eyes and sweep a collar back over the body.
  6. Whip finish, then trim the head flat top and bottom so it wedges down like a sculpin.

Other versions

1 more in the app: Fly Fish Food Tie.

Tying videos

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