Bodkin / Patterns

Holy Grail

Nymph · Trout · Grayling · Intermediate · 2 versions

Classic Recipe

  • Hook Curved shank caddis/scud, barbless (Heritage C49XS), 12-16
  • Thread Red 6/0

Materials

  • Bead Gold tungsten bead (2.4mm, set one bead-width behind the eye)
  • Rib Opal or pearlescent tinsel (one strand)
  • Body Hare's mask dubbing (buggy, tapered)
  • Wing case Pheasant tail fibers (6-8 fibers)
  • Hackle Hungarian partridge (1-2 turns, full collar)

How to tie it

  1. Slide the tungsten bead onto the hook and lock it a full bead's width behind the eye with thread dams. The gap in front is where the partridge collar will live.
  2. Start the red thread behind the bead and wrap a base down into the bend.
  3. Tie in the opal tinsel rib at the rear of the hook.
  4. Dub a buggy, slightly tapered body of hare's mask forward to the bead, picking out fibers as you go for legs and gills.
  5. Rib the tinsel forward in 4-5 evenly spaced open turns and tie off behind the bead.
  6. Tie in 6-8 pheasant tail fibers just behind the bead and pull them over the top as a short wing case, then tie off.
  7. Move the thread in front of the bead, tie in a partridge feather by the tip, take 1-2 turns for a sparse full collar, and whip finish behind the eye. The red thread head doubles as a hotspot.

Other versions

1 more in the app: Nymph.

Tying videos

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