Bodkin / Patterns

Martinez Black

Nymph · Trout · Advanced · 1 version

Tyer Recipe

  • Hook 1XL barbless nymph hook, #8-12 (shown: #10)
  • Thread Black 70 or 140 denier

Materials

  • Guinea fowl fibers (tail) Natural black-and-white guinea fowl fibers (8-10 barbs)
  • Oval tinsel (rib) Gold oval tinsel (Medium, one strand)
  • Seal's fur, or angora/lamb's wool (body) Black dubbing (Enough for a spun dubbing loop)
  • Raffia grass / Swiss straw (wing case) Dyed green raffia grass swiss straw (One narrow strip)
  • Chenille (thorax) Black chenille (Small or medium, 3-4 wraps)
  • Hungarian partridge (legs) Natural partridge (One small feather, one to two turns)

How to tie it

  1. Start black thread mid-shank on a size 10 1XL nymph hook and wrap back to the start of the bend.
  2. Tie in 8-10 guinea fowl fibers as a tail, rolled between the fingers to unmarry them, about two-thirds of a shank length long.
  3. Tie in medium oval gold tinsel at the bend for the rib, then run the thread forward to the 65-70% point where the body will end.
  4. Wax the thread, make a dubbing loop at the bend, load it with black seal's fur, and spin it about 30 turns into a shaggy rope; swap the spinner for hackle pliers.
  5. Wrap the dubbed rope forward to the thread, re-spinning it tight every couple of turns, and tie it off. It should look buggy and unruly.
  6. Counter-wrap the oval gold rib forward in evenly spaced turns, binding down stray fibers, and tie it off.
  7. Tie in a bunched strip of green raffia grass at the front of the body for the wing case, folded back out of the way.
  8. Tie in black chenille and wrap a thorax three or four turns, slightly fatter than the body, then tie it off.
  9. Pull the raffia forward over the thorax, tie it down, trim, and add a few smoothing wraps to make a clean base for the hackle.
  10. Tie in a small natural Hungarian partridge feather by the tip, take one to two turns for legs, tie off and trim.
  11. Wet your fingers, stroke the barbs back, build a small head, whip finish, and add head cement. Pluck a few barbs or trim the shaggiest body fibers if needed.

Tying videos

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