Bodkin / Patterns

Poor Man's Whistler

Streamer · Baitfish · Pike · Largemouth Bass · Intermediate · 1 version

Tyer Recipe

  • Hook Wide-gap saltwater/predator streamer hook, 1/0-4/0
  • Thread Red 210 denier / UTC 280

Materials

  • Bead-chain or dumbbell eyes Silver bead chain eyes medium (1 pair, large)
  • Bucktail or synthetic fiber (Slinky/SF Blend) Red and white (or yellow/gold) bucktail synthetic fiber (tail wing)
  • Flashabou Pearl / gold flashabou (flashtail)
  • Grizzly saddle or schlappen hackle Grizzly / to match saddle or schlappen hackle (collar)
  • Chenille or synthetic dubbing blend Red ice dub (body/head)

How to tie it

  1. Start the thread near the eye and tie in the large bead-chain (or dumbbell) eyes about one-fifth of a shank-length back from the eye with figure-eight wraps; add a drop of cement.
  2. Wrap the thread back to the bend and tie in a bundle of flash for the flashtail so it extends well past the bend.
  3. Over the flash, tie in a full bucktail (or synthetic) wing, white on the bottom and red on top, about two shank-lengths long, building a bushy whistler tail.
  4. Select a webby saddle or schlappen hackle and tie it in by the tip at the front of the wing.
  5. Wrap the hackle two or three turns to form a full palmered collar that flares over the body, then tie it off.
  6. Build up a red chenille or dubbing head between the collar and the eyes, figure-eighting around the eyes to lock them in.
  7. Whip finish behind the eye and coat the head and thread wraps with cement.

Tying videos

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