Bodkin / Patterns

Macgruber

Nymph · Trout · Advanced · 1 version

Reference Recipe

  • Hook Standard nymph hook, 2X strong (Umpqua U105), 16-18
  • Thread Black Fine black (Semperfli or UTC 70)

Materials

  • Pheasant tail fibers (tail) Natural (or black) pheasant tail fibers
  • Ultra Wire, extra-small (rib)
  • Hen or partridge feather (wing/hackle)
  • Small tinsel (flashback) (or Krystal Flash)
  • Ice Dub (thorax) Peacock ice dub
  • UV resin (finish)

How to tie it

  1. Lay a thread base along the shank.
  2. Tie in a couple of pheasant-tail fibers at the rear for a short tail; keep it modest, not overly long. Clip or pull off the front excess.
  3. Tie in a length of extra-small Ultra Wire at the rear. Build a slightly tapered thread body forward to about 75% of the shank, then candy-cane (open spiral) the wire forward over it and tie off; helicopter or clip the wire.
  4. Tie in a short length of small tinsel (flashback) on top pointing rearward, and set it back out of the way.
  5. Select a small thin hen or partridge feather sized to the hook with fibers sweeping rearward; expose a little quill and tie it in upside down (concave side up) at the front of the body so it will fold back with the fibers pitched rearward.
  6. Dub a tiny tuft of peacock Ice Dub on the thread and make a short thorax in front of the feather tie-in, not crowding the eye.
  7. Fold the feather forward over the thorax, combing the downy fibers back to form a soft wing, and secure. Pull the tinsel flashback over the top of the wing and secure; lift and tug the wing and flash to sweep everything rearward, then trim close.
  8. Take a few thread wraps and whip finish. Optionally coat just the flashback with a thin layer of UV resin for a small shell, keeping it off the wing so the fibers still move.

Tying videos

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