Bodkin / Patterns

Dirty Hairy

Attractor · Striped Bass · Bluefish · Jack · Tarpon · Snook · Redfish · Intermediate · 1 version

Reference Recipe

Hook Wide-gap saltwater hook (Gamakatsu saltwater series), 2 (tie 4 up to 2/0)
Thread Brown 3/0 (140 denier)

Start brown thread and wrap back to the bend of the shank.
Tie in a good length of ultra fine chenille running well up the shank (a long tie-in guards against short strikes), leaving the tail about a hook-length long; trim it and taper the tip with a lighter.
Tie in a few strands of Crystal Flash right next to the chenille tail.
Tie a brown hackle feather in on top, leaving a big bushy mess of a tail.
Wrap forward and tie in the 5.1 mm tungsten dumbbell eyes set back a little from the hook eye (so the body chenille can build a nose in front of them); lash tight and return the thread to the tail joint.
Pull a few fibers off the end of the large brown Cactus Chenille for a clean tie-in, tie it in, and wrap forward pulling the fibers rearward and wrapping in front of them each turn to keep it bushy; at the dumbbell eyes cross under the nose, behind, and over again to figure-eight around them, then tie off in front with about three firm wraps.
Make two whip finishes and add head cement, making sure you are catching thread and not just chenille fibers.
Take a lighter to the underside/face of the fly: melt the ultra-chenille tail tip and press the melted face flat against the bench so the fly rides hook-up and slides over oyster shell.