Bodkin / Patterns

Craven's Two Bit Stone

Nymph · Trout · Intermediate · 1 version

Classic Recipe

  • Hook curved/jig nymph hook, 6-16
  • Thread brown or tan (to match color) 70 denier

Materials

  • Beads 2 brass beads (abdomen) + 1 tungsten bead (thorax) (3 total, sized to hook)
  • Tail Brown/gold goose biots (2, split)
  • Antennae Brown/gold goose biots (2, at the head)
  • Abdomen Brown or golden Ultra Wire + dubbing under (1 length)
  • Wingcase Brown Thin Skin coated with UV resin (1 strip)
  • Thorax Golden stone or brown dubbing (1 noodle)
  • Legs Mottled hen or Hungarian partridge (few fibers per side)

How to tie it

  1. Slide three beads onto the hook: two brass beads that will ride over the abdomen and one tungsten bead at the thorax. The stacked beads keep this slim nymph riding deep and jigging.
  2. Start thread behind the beads and tie in two splayed goose biots at the bend for the forked tail.
  3. Wrap a thin dubbing underbody and wrap Ultra Wire forward over it and between the two brass beads to build a segmented abdomen; tie off behind the tungsten bead.
  4. Tie in a strip of brown Thin Skin and a small bunch of mottled hen fibers per side pointing back for legs.
  5. Dub a buggy thorax around the tungsten bead, then pull the Thin Skin over as a wingcase and tie off.
  6. Tie in two goose biots pointing forward over the eye as antennae, whip finish, and coat the Thin Skin wingcase with UV resin for a glossy shellback.

Tying videos

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