Bodkin / Patterns

Icelandic Finn

Streamer · Largemouth Bass · Advanced · 1 version

Tyer Recipe

  • Hook 3X-long, 1X-strong barbless streamer hook, #2-6 (6 shown)
  • Thread Black 140 denier

Materials

  • Holographic tinsel, medium Silver flashabou (One 4 in. length for the rib)
  • Chenille, small Red chenille (One 4 in. length for the body)
  • Icelandic sheep wool Red poly bear fibers (One tuft for the lower wing)
  • Icelandic sheep wool Yellow wool yarn (One tuft, same size, for the upper wing)
  • Saddle hackle (webby, inexpensive) Red saddle hackle fibers (One feather for the collar, 5-6 turns)
  • Head cement Clear head cement (One drop)

How to tie it

  1. Start the black 140 denier thread mid-shank and take it all the way back to the bend. No tail on this one.
  2. Tie in the medium silver holographic tinsel at the rear where the body will start.
  3. Strip the fibers off the end of a length of small red chenille and tie in the bare core at the rear. Wind the chenille forward in touching turns, stopping a good bit behind the eye. You need room for the wing and collar, then tie off and trim.
  4. Counter-wrap the tinsel rib forward over the chenille in evenly spaced turns and tie off. Counter-wrapping keeps the tinsel riding on top of the chenille instead of sinking into the grooves.
  5. Take a tuft of red Icelandic sheep wool, pull out the longest fibers by hand until the bunch is even, and tie it in on top at about one and a half shank lengths long. Trim the butts.
  6. Tie a same-sized tuft of yellow Icelandic wool directly over the red, the same length or a hair longer. Spin the thread tight and use several firm wraps.
  7. Take a few thread wraps over the butts to smooth and ramp the area so the collar hackle has a level base to sit on.
  8. Tie in a webby red saddle hackle by the tip (long side first) so the barbs sweep back nearly to the hook point, ramp the stem down, and take five or six turns of hackle, wrapping the feather and not the wool.
  9. Sweep everything back, build a big streamer head over the butts, whip finish and add a drop of head cement.

Tying videos

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