Bodkin / Patterns

Little Olive Stone Skwala

Dry Fly · Trout · Intermediate · 1 version

Reference Recipe

  • Hook 2XL dry-fly hook, 8-12
  • Thread Olive 6/0 (140 denier)

Materials

  • Foam (body/underbody) Olive frog foam (1 strip)
  • Dry-fly dubbing (body) Olive / brown-olive dry fly dubbing (pinch)
  • Elk or deer hair (underwing/wing) Natural dun deer hair (small clump)
  • Rubber legs Olive/brown barred rubber legs (2 per side)
  • Poly yarn or foam (indicator post) Orange or pink poly yarn hi vis (small tuft)
  • Grizzly hackle (optional) Grizzly dyed olive hackle (1 feather)

How to tie it

  1. Cut a slim strip of olive foam and bind it along the shank from the eye to the bend to form a segmented underbody, ribbing the thread in 4-5 turns to lock the segments.
  2. Dub a thin layer of olive dubbing over the shank to blend the body.
  3. Bring the foam forward over the top to form the back and body, binding it down at the 70% mark to leave a short foam tab past the bend.
  4. Stack and tie in a sparse elk-hair wing lying flat over the body, tips reaching the bend.
  5. Add barred rubber legs, two to a side, splayed off the thorax.
  6. Tie in a short poly indicator post on top for visibility, palmer a turn or two of hackle at the thorax if desired, then whip finish and cement.
  7. Trim the wing butts to a squared head.

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