Bodkin / Patterns

Marabou Tube

Nymph · Trout · Steelhead · Salmon · Advanced · 1 version

Reference Recipe

  • Hook Large rigid plastic tube (e.g. HMH) with junction/loop hook
  • Thread Fluorescent pink 3/0 (210 denier)

Materials

  • Blood-quill marabou Orange marabou
  • Blood-quill marabou Pink marabou
  • Polar/reflector chenille Hot pink polar reflector chenille
  • Ripple ice fiber flash Pink wing n flash fibres
  • Saddle hackle Hot orange saddle hackle
  • Cone head

How to tie it

  1. Mount a large rigid tube in the vise. Start 210-denier pink thread well back from the left (front) end, leaving plenty of room. Remember this fly is tied backwards, so this end becomes the head.
  2. Tie in an orange blood-quill marabou feather by the tip; fold the fibers back and take three to four wraps to flare it evenly, binding back any strays.
  3. Just ahead of that, tie in a pink blood-quill marabou feather by the tip and take three to four wraps, stroking the fibers back; tie off and trim.
  4. Tie in a length of hot-pink polar chenille and wrap about four turns forward, stroking fibers back as you go; tie off and trim.
  5. Build a small thread head, whip finish, and cut the thread.
  6. Slide the tube off, reverse it, and remount it so the tied section now points rearward.
  7. Restart the thread just ahead of the marabou. Tie five to six strands of pink ripple-ice flash along each side, leaving the ends about even with (or just past) the fly's length; leave the ends uneven.
  8. Tie in a hot-orange saddle hackle by the tip and wrap a few turns of the softer fibers, folding them back to form a soft collar; tie off.
  9. Slide a cone head onto the front over the collar, build a small thread dam behind it to seat it, whip finish and cement.

Tying videos

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