Bodkin / Patterns

Jawbreaker

Dry Fly · Streamer · Largemouth Bass · Smallmouth Bass · Panfish · Advanced · 1 version

Classic Recipe

  • Hook 90-degree jig-style streamer hook (Ahrex PR376 or equivalent), heavy wire, #2-6, #2-6 (approx.)
  • Thread To match body (rust/olive/black/white/purple/chartreuse) 140 denier (or 50D GSP for strength)

Materials

  • Cone Tungsten or brass cone head, gold or black (sized to hook). Rides the fly hook-point-up (1)
  • Weight Lead or lead-free round wire wraps behind the cone (8-12 wraps)
  • Curly tail Soft plastic grub 'curly' tail (e.g. Wapsi Fly Tail / Buggerboy), rust or color to match (1)
  • Tail flash Krystal Flash, pearl or matching color (6-8 strands)
  • Marabou tail Marabou, rust/olive/black to match (1 plume)
  • Body Medium pearl (or color-matched) chenille (-)
  • Rib Ultra Wire, brassie, to reinforce the palmered hackle (6 in)
  • Body hackle Barred saddle hackle (MFC), color to match. Palmered over the body (1 feather)
  • Legs Barred Sili Legs / rubber legs, color to match (3-4 per side)
  • Collar Barred schlappen, color to match (1 feather)

How to tie it

  1. Slide the cone onto the 90-degree jig hook and seat it at the eye. Behind it, add 8-12 wraps of lead wire and shove them into the back of the cone to lock it; cover with thread.
  2. At the bend, tie in the soft-plastic curly grub tail so it trails and can swim/twist on the retrieve. This is the signature 'jigging' action, like a bass plastic.
  3. Over the base of the curly tail, tie in a marabou plume tail about a shank length long plus a few strands of Krystal Flash for flash and volume.
  4. Tie in the ribbing wire and the pearl chenille at the tail; wrap the chenille forward to just behind the cone to form the body.
  5. Palmer a barred saddle hackle forward over the chenille body (Woolly Bugger style), then counter-wrap the wire forward through the hackle in 5-6 turns to lock it and tie off.
  6. Tie in 3-4 barred rubber legs on each side just behind the cone so they splay out.
  7. Wind a barred schlappen collar behind the cone for a big, mobile front, sweep the fibers back, tie off, whip finish behind the cone.
  8. Tip: fish it on a loop knot to maximize the jigging swim.

Tying videos

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