Bodkin / Patterns

Headlight Sally

Dry Fly · Trout · Intermediate · 1 version

Reference Recipe

  • Hook Standard dry (TMC 100), 14-16
  • Thread Yellow 8/0

Materials

  • Opal Flashabou Opal/pearl flashabou (one strand (rear tag))
  • Ultra Chenille / Vernille Yellow chenille (rear body)
  • Calf tail or poly yarn White calf body hair (wing post)
  • Superfine dubbing Yellow superfine dubbing (thorax)
  • Dry-fly hackle Grizzly or ginger hackle (one (parachute))

How to tie it

  1. Start thread mid-shank and tie in a short piece of opal Flashabou at the bend so a bright stub trails just past the bend, the sunk 'headlight' egg sac.
  2. Tie in a section of yellow Ultra Chenille and let it extend a half hook-gap beyond the bend; taper or singe the tip, then bind the chenille down along the rear of the shank as the low-riding body.
  3. At the 65% mark, tie in a white calf-tail (or poly) wing post as tall as the shank and post the base with thread wraps.
  4. Tie in a grizzly hackle at the base of the post.
  5. Dub a yellow thorax around the post base.
  6. Wind the hackle 4-5 turns down the post parachute-style and secure the tip.
  7. Whip finish under the eye and cement the thread.

Tying videos

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