Bodkin / Patterns

Cupid's Arrow

Streamer · Trout · Advanced · 2 versions

Savage Flies dressing

  • Hook streamer, 4-10
  • Thread Black

Materials

  • Tail White over pink hackle fibers
  • Rib Red tinsel
  • Body White wool yarn
  • Throat Pink hackle fibers
  • Wing White bucktail
  • Topping Peacock herl

How to tie it

  1. Lay a base of black thread to the start of the bend. For the tail, catch in a clump of about 15 pink hackle fibers, then top it with a smaller bunch of white hackle fibers. Snip the butts.
  2. Tie in the Red tinsel rib at the bend and take the thread forward.
  3. Catch the White wool yarn in near the front (so there is no lump at the rear), bind it down the shank to the tail tie-in, then return the thread to where the back of the head will sit. Wrap the wool forward in touching turns and tie it off with a couple of wraps. The fuzz is intended; it lets the rib bed into the body.
  4. Spiral the Red tinsel rib forward in open, even turns over the wool, catch it off up front with two or three wraps and snip.
  5. Flip the hook and catch in a bunch of pink hackle fibers on the underside as the throat, checking the placement before locking it down. Snip the butts and take a few wraps to smooth the area, keeping the thread at the back of the head.
  6. Wax the thread. Stack a modest clump of White bucktail and measure it to reach almost to the back of the tail. Take one loose wrap around the hair alone, then a pinch wrap around hair and shank, and follow with medium and tighter wraps so the hair stays on top. If it stands up too much, add a wrap or two behind to flatten it.
  7. Lay three strands of Peacock herl on top as a topping, a little longer than the bucktail, and bind them with three wraps then a few forward. Snip the butts rather than breaking them so the strands stay in place.
  8. Build a decent streamer head and whip finish.
  9. Lift the herl (not the bucktail) over a bodkin, press your thumb on top and pull up gently to give the topping a bend, then trim it to length. Add head cement.

Other versions

1 more in the app: Tyer Recipe.

Tying videos

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