Bodkin / Patterns

Egg Sucking Leech

Salmon/Steelhead · Streamer · Steelhead · Salmon · Trout · Smallmouth Bass · Intermediate · 4 versions

Egg Sucking Leech fly

Classic Recipe

  • Hook Streamer, 3x long, 2-6
  • Thread Black 6/0

Materials

  • Tail Black marabou (full)
  • Body Black chenille or estaz (full)
  • Hackle Black saddle (palmered)
  • Head Fluorescent orange or pink chenille (egg shape)
  • Bead Brass or tungsten bead (1 optional)

How to tie it

  1. Mount hook. Optionally slide on a bead first (it hides neatly inside the egg head).
  2. Tie in a full black marabou tail at the bend, one shank length.
  3. Tie in the saddle hackle by its tip and the black chenille at the bend.
  4. Wrap the chenille body forward to the 75% mark, then palmer the hackle through it in 4-5 turns.
  5. Tie in fluorescent orange or pink chenille and wrap a round, distinct egg-shaped head. 3-4 touching wraps, built into a ball.
  6. Tie off behind the eye, whip finish.

Substitutions

  • Head instead of Fluorescent orange or pink chenille: Fl. orange Estaz — Sparkly egg head; Fl. pink McFlyfoam — More realistic egg shape; Chartreuse chenille — Bright attractor egg; Cerise chenille — Hot pink variant
  • Body instead of Black chenille or estaz: Olive chenille — Common leech color; Purple chenille — Effective in stained water; Crystal Chenille (black) — Adds flash throughout body
  • Tail instead of Black marabou: Olive marabou — Natural leech color; Purple marabou — Surprisingly effective; Rabbit strip — More undulation, Bunny Leech variant

Other versions

3 more in the app: Purple, Beadhead, Squirmy.

Tying videos

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