Bodkin / Patterns

Christmas Island Special

Shrimp · Bonefish · GT · Jack · Intermediate · 1 version

Classic Recipe

  • Hook Tiemco 811S or Mustad 34007, 4-8
  • Thread To match body (pearl, orange, or pink) 6/0 or 140 denier

Materials

  • Eyes Silver bead chain (1 pair)
  • Tail/wing Pearl or colored Krystal Flash (10-15 strands)
  • Body Krystal Flash wrapped over thread, or Diamond Braid (1 length)
  • Wing Same Krystal Flash carried forward (continuation)

How to tie it

  1. Start the thread one eye-length behind the eye and lash on bead-chain eyes with tight figure-eight wraps at the 80% mark. The fly rides hook point up to crawl over coral without snagging.
  2. Wrap the thread back to the bend and tie in 10-15 strands of Krystal Flash by their midpoint, leaving the rear half as a tail about one shank length long.
  3. Twist the forward strands into a rope and wrap them up the shank in touching turns to just behind the bead-chain eyes; tie down but do not trim.
  4. Figure-eight the remaining strands around the eyes to cover them, then fold all strands back over the top of the shank as a wing.
  5. Bind the wing down in front of the eyes so it lies over the hook point, and trim it even with the tail.
  6. Whip finish a small neat head and cement.

Tying videos

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