Bodkin / Patterns

Mil Spec Cripple

Nymph · Trout · Intermediate · 1 version

Reference Recipe

  • Hook Barbless dry-fly hook, 16
  • Thread Olive UTC 70

Materials

  • EP/trigger point international fibers (tail and wing) Dun/natural ep trigger point international fibers (5-6 fibers tail, small clump wing)
  • Brown marker (rib) Brown permanent marker (as needed)
  • CDC (wing case) Natural cdc feathers (2 tips)
  • Superfine dubbing (thorax) Brown olive ice dub (tiny pinch)

How to tie it

  1. Stroke the flat thread out smooth and lay a base; tie in 5-6 floatant-treated trigger point fibers at the back of the hook for a long tail (a touch longer than a standard dun) and wrap them down.
  2. Spin the bobbin counter-clockwise to flatten the thread, build a slight taper by wrapping almost to the bend and back, then untwist again and lay smooth wraps to the rear.
  3. Color a section of the flat thread with the brown marker, twist to a fine cord, and wrap it forward in evenly spaced turns to create a segmented quill-look rib.
  4. Align the tips of two CDC feathers, trim, and tie them in as a small forward wing case at the front of the body.
  5. Figure-eight a small clump of trigger point fibers across the shank as upright wings, using loose wraps first then snugging them, without adding bulk.
  6. Dub a thin brown-olive noodle and figure-eight it between and around the wings to build a slightly bulky thorax.
  7. Pull the CDC forward over the thorax, tie it down behind the eye, lift it, and whip finish; add a touch of cement.
  8. Trim the CDC to a short nub over the eye, trim the wings where the body ends, and crumple/fluff them to look like a stuck adult.

Tying videos

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