Bodkin / Patterns

Jumbo John-Beadhead

Nymph · Trout · Advanced · 1 version

Reference Recipe

  • Hook 2XL-3XL curved nymph hook, 6-8
  • Thread Black 70 and 140 denier

Materials

  • Tungsten bead Gold bead (3/16 (4.6mm))
  • Lead wire Natural lead wire (.020, 10-12 wraps)
  • Goose biots Brown goose biots (2 (split tail))
  • Ultra Wire (medium) Amber + black ultra wire (1 strand each (abdomen))
  • Thin Skin Mottled natural thin skin (1 strip (wing case))
  • Mylar tinsel Peacock/orange mylar tinsel (1 strand (flashback))
  • SLF/stonefly dubbing Brown stone (1 noodle (thorax))
  • Rubber legs (sexi-floss) Barred brown floss (2 pairs)
  • Hen saddle Speckled brown hen saddle (1 feather (collar))

How to tie it

  1. Seat the gold tungsten bead at the eye, then wrap 10-12 turns of.020 lead behind it and shove them into the back of the bead to lock it. This is a scaled-up Copper John built as a golden stone.
  2. Start thread and tie in two brown goose biots at the bend, splayed into a short V-tail.
  3. Tie in one amber and one black wire strand at the bend. Wrap them forward together as a two-tone segmented abdomen to the 60% mark; tie off and helicopter the wire to break it.
  4. Over the top, tie in a strip of Thin Skin and a strand of peacock/orange Mylar for the flashback, both pointing rearward for now.
  5. Dub a thick brown-stone thorax noodle forward over the front third, stopping short of the bead.
  6. Figure-8 a pair of barred rubber legs on each side of the thorax so they splay out; trim to a shank length.
  7. Pull the Mylar flashback forward over the thorax, then the Thin Skin wing case over that, and tie both down behind the bead.
  8. Wrap a speckled hen saddle as a soft collar between thorax and bead, 1-2 turns, and sweep the fibers back.
  9. Whip finish behind the bead and add a drop of head cement; a coat of UV resin over the wing case adds durability.

Tying videos

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