Bodkin / Patterns

Damsel Leech

Streamer · Trout · Smallmouth Bass · Intermediate · 1 version

Reference Recipe

  • Hook 3x-long streamer hook, 8-10
  • Thread Olive 6/0

Materials

  • Bead Gold or black bead (3.5mm, or bead-chain eyes)
  • Tail Olive ostrich herl (Marabou plume)
  • Flash Pearl flashabou (Few strands Krystal Flash)
  • Body Olive ostrich herl (Marabou palmered, or olive chenille)
  • Rib Copper thorax stripe (Wire)

How to tie it

  1. Slide the bead on, mount the hook and start olive thread.
  2. Tie in an olive marabou tail about one shank length long, adding a couple strands of pearl flash.
  3. Bind in copper wire at the tail base for the rib.
  4. Wrap or palmer olive marabou forward to build a slim, mobile body up to the bead.
  5. Counter-wrap the copper rib forward in 5-6 turns to bind down the marabou fibers, then break it off.
  6. Sweep any stray fibers back and take a few thread wraps to seat the body behind the bead.
  7. Whip finish behind the bead and snip, wet the fly and stroke the marabou back so it pulses.

Tying videos

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