Streamer · Stillwater · Trout · Intermediate · 1 version
BCFlyguys
Hook chironomid/scud style hook (tied down to size 12), 10
Materials
Bead White or Canadian brown (1)
Body Black with a red butt (buzzer wrap over a thread underbody)
Rib Silver metal tape (wire)
Wing Natural case (pine squirrel zonker strip, tied matuka style)
Collar (optional) Natural case (rabbit fur spun in a dubbing loop)
Finish (Solarez Bone Dry UV resin)
How to tie it
Build the front half of this fly as if it were a chironomid: a tapered thread body with a red butt, black buzzer wrap over it, silver rib, and a white or brown bead. The tyer's whole idea was to put his favourite chironomid body under a leech wing.
Coat the body lightly with Bone Dry UV resin and spread it with a bodkin, making sure to work it right down to the rear of the body before curing.
Tie the pine squirrel strip in at the rear and bind it matuka style: before each wire wrap, part the fur with your fingers and pull up, keeping the wire pulled down so you trap as few fibers as possible.
Part only a few fibers at a time. Separating too many at once lays the whole back of the fly over and spoils the upright fur line. The tyer flags this as by far the trickiest part of the pattern.
On the last wrap break the rule and preen every remaining fiber back, so the fullest part of the strip finishes the wing, then tie off.
Either build a clean head straight away, or add a collar by feeding a small chunk of rabbit into a dubbing loop, trimming close to the thread, spinning it and sweeping the fibers back before wrapping.
Finish the head with cement or UV resin, then cut the tail to length with a razor blade rather than scissors so you do not leave a blunt, uneven end.