Bodkin / Patterns

Love Bug

Streamer · Panfish · Advanced · 1 version

Tyer Recipe

  • Hook 3X long curved shank terrestrial/nymph hook (J. Stockard 430), 14
  • Thread Red (white or black also work) 70 denier

Materials

  • Ice Dub or similar flashy dubbing Pink ice dub (A small pinch)
  • Foam, 3 mm Pink foam mm (1 strip cut to a rounded abdomen shape with a V tab at the front)
  • Silly Legs / barred rubber legs Red and white banded (2 strands (two legs per side))
  • Dry fly hackle White dry fly hackle (1 feather)

How to tie it

  1. Mount a size 14 3X-long curved shank hook and start red thread, taking a base back to above the hook point.
  2. Wax the thread and dub a short body of pink flashy dubbing over the back third of the shank only.
  3. Cut a strip of 3 mm pink foam with a rounded rear and a V-shaped tab at the front. Lay it over the top with the rounded end to the rear and tie the V tab down just ahead of the dubbing. It will want to roll, so lift it and take wraps under it and back over it to really lock it in place.
  4. Squash the front tab down flat and bury it with thread.
  5. Tie in the red and white banded rubber legs with a couple of loose wraps first so you can position two legs per side, then tighten.
  6. Tie in a white dry fly hackle immediately behind the legs.
  7. Wrap the hackle forward, putting a couple of turns between the legs to hold them apart and the rest of the turns in front of them. Tie off and trim.
  8. Push everything back, build a clean head, and whip finish.
  9. Trim the legs to length, the front pair a little shorter than the rear pair.

Tying videos

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