Bodkin / Patterns

Lowrider Sculpin

Streamer · Trout · Advanced · 1 version

Tyer Recipe

  • Hook Lead-headed jig hook, Small jig streamer hook (Mustad hook with molded lead jig head, from WSY Fly Company)
  • Thread Any. It all gets covered 140 denier or heavier

Materials

  • Zonker strip (body) Barred olive zonker strip (1 strip about 3 inches)
  • Rabbit strip (back) Tan rabbit strip (1 piece about 1 inch)
  • Pheasant back feathers (pectoral fins) Dyed olive pheasant back feathers (1 pair, trimmed to about 1 inch)
  • Crystal Flash Rainbow (1 folded 2 inch bunch)
  • Mono dumbbell eyes, extra large Clear/white mono dumbbell eyes extra large (1 pair)
  • Furry Foam (head) Dark olive or black furry foam (1 strip about half an inch wide)
  • Zap-A-Gap and Zap Goo Clear head cement (As needed)

How to tie it

  1. Cut a three inch barred olive zonker strip. Before mounting the hook, push the hook point through the leather near the rear of the strip so the strip trails behind, then set the jig in the vise.
  2. Start the thread right behind the jig head, slide the rabbit strip forward until it butts against the lead ball, and lock it with a couple of wraps. Put a drop of Zap-A-Gap on the thread and follow with several more wraps.
  3. Cut about an inch of tan rabbit strip and tie it in directly on top as a lighter back.
  4. Trim a pair of olive-dyed pheasant back feathers to about an inch and tie one on each side, laid fairly flat and angled so together they form a shallow tent. These are the pectoral fins.
  5. Fold a two inch bunch of rainbow Crystal Flash over the thread and tie it in alongside the lighter rabbit strip.
  6. Tie extra large mono dumbbell eyes in with figure eight wraps, almost touching the lead ball, then whip finish and add a little more Zap-A-Gap. The thread work is done.
  7. Cut a half inch wide strip of dark olive or black Furry Foam, fold it over into a taco, and trim it to a rounded rectangle. Round the ends, then cut the remaining corners off.
  8. Slip the folded foam over the top of the lead ball and the eyes. Push the hook eye through with your thumbnail, then poke a small hole in the foam for each mono eye and push the eyes through so the sculpin face shows.
  9. Turn the fly over and squeeze a pea-sized amount of Zap Goo onto the underside. Spread it with a bodkin, lift the foam and get a little behind it too, then press the two halves of the foam together and hold - Zap Goo grabs on contact and stays flexible when cured.
  10. Spread the pheasant fins out, then put a pupil on each eye with a black Sharpie. Darken the head or add spots if you like.

Tying videos

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