Bodkin / Patterns

Copper Killer-Beadhead

Nymph · Trout · Steelhead · Intermediate · 1 version

Reference Recipe

  • Hook 2XL heavy wet/nymph hook, 6-10
  • Thread Fluorescent orange 6/0

Materials

  • Bead Copper or gold slotted tungsten bead (1, sized to hook)
  • Tail Fluorescent orange egg sac (hackle fibers)
  • Body Copper thorax stripe (copper wire or copper tinsel)
  • Hackle Hot orange hackle (1 soft hackle feather)
  • Wing Natural brown material (deer or squirrel hair)

How to tie it

  1. Slide the copper bead to the eye, mount the hook, and start thread at the bend.
  2. Tie in a short tuft of fluorescent orange hackle fibers for the tail, about half a shank long.
  3. Bind in the copper wire and wrap touching turns forward to the 80% mark for a bright metallic body; tie off and snip.
  4. Tie in a hot orange soft hackle feather by the tip and take 2-3 turns for a collar, then sweep the fibers back.
  5. Stack a sparse bunch of brown deer hair and tie it in as a wing over the top, reaching to the hook bend.
  6. Trim the wing butts, build a neat head behind the bead, and whip finish.

Tying videos

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