Bodkin / Patterns

Crack Back

Nymph · Trout · Advanced · 1 version

Reference Recipe

  • Hook Standard nymph hook, 12-18
  • Thread Brown 8/0

Materials

  • Bead Copper or gold slotted tungsten bead (1, sized to hook (optional))
  • Tail Pheasant tail (3-4 fibers)
  • Abdomen Pheasant tail (wrapped fibers)
  • Rib Copper thorax stripe (small wire)
  • Back Pearl anti static bag strip (Mylar tinsel or Flashabou)
  • Thorax Peacock or brown ice dub (peacock herl or dubbing)
  • Legs Brown silly legs nymph size (partridge or hen fibers)

How to tie it

  1. Slide the bead to the eye (if used), mount the hook, and start thread at the bend.
  2. Tie in a few pheasant tail fibers for a short tail, half a shank long.
  3. Bind in the copper wire and a strand of pearl Mylar for the back, then wrap a slim pheasant tail abdomen to the 60% mark.
  4. Pull the pearl Mylar over the top of the abdomen for the shiny 'crack back' and pin it down at the front.
  5. Counter-wrap the copper rib forward in 5-6 turns over the Mylar to lock and segment it, bind, and helicopter off.
  6. Wrap a plump peacock or dubbed thorax up to the bead.
  7. Fold a few partridge fibers along each side as legs, build a head, and whip finish.

Tying videos

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