Bodkin / Patterns

Don's Magic Leech

Streamer · Trout · Intermediate · 1 version

Tyer Recipe

  • Hook Mustad C53S 3X-long curved hook, 12
  • Thread Sly brown wax 8/0

Materials

  • Magic bead Brown bead (7/64 inch, one)
  • Arizona Simi Seal tail Brown brick (A small amount, rolled)
  • Angel hair underbody and tail highlights White flashabou (A sparse pinch, dubbed on)
  • Arizona Simi Seal over-body Brown brick (Enough for a sparse dubbing loop)

How to tie it

  1. Slide the 7/64 inch brown magic bead on with the small diameter toward the eye and lay a full base layer of thread so nothing can slide on the shank.
  2. Take the thread to the bend, roll a small amount of Simi Seal between your fingers, and tie it in right at the bend. Rather than cutting it, keep teasing it out until you have a light, sparse tail.
  3. Dub white angel hair sparsely onto the thread, keeping most of it toward the tail, and wrap it forward as an underbody, thinning it toward the front. Take a couple of wraps at the tail and leave the thread there.
  4. Pick the angel hair underbody out with a dubbing pick so it blends into and extends the tail, trimming any excess at the back so it sits the same length as the brown tail.
  5. Form a dubbing loop a few inches long at the tail, run the thread forward to the eye, and load the loop sparsely with brown brick Simi Seal. Leeches look full but the loop must not be crammed. Spin it into a brush, picking out the excess as you go.
  6. Wrap the dubbing brush forward over the shiny underbody, stroking the fibres back on each turn and deliberately leaving small gaps so the white angel hair flashes through, and tie it off behind the bead.
  7. Whip finish a couple of times behind the bead and cut the thread.
  8. Pick the whole body out with a dubbing pick and brush it all back, pulling angel hair up through the Simi Seal so the flash blends into the darker over-body, which finishes the fly.

Tying videos

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