Bodkin / Patterns

Rainbow Warrior

Nymph · Trout · Grayling · Intermediate · 10 versions

Classic Recipe

  • Hook Jig or standard, 16-22
  • Thread Red or pink 8/0

Materials

  • Tail Pheasant tail fibers (3-4)
  • Body Pearl tinsel (wrapped)
  • Thorax Rainbow Sow Scud dubbing (small)
  • Wingcase Pearl flashabou (folded)
  • Bead Silver tungsten bead (1)

How to tie it

  1. Slide a silver tungsten bead onto the hook.
  2. Tie in 3-4 pheasant tail fibers at the bend, three-quarters of a shank length.
  3. Wrap pearl tinsel in smooth, flat, touching turns to the thorax.
  4. Tie in a strip of pearl Flashabou pointing back, dub a small thorax of Rainbow Sow Scud dubbing, and fold the flash over as a wingcase.
  5. Whip finish behind the bead. Keep the whole fly slim. It should sink like it means it.

Substitutions

  • Body instead of Pearl tinsel: Pearl Flashabou (wrapped) — Similar flash body; Pearl Diamond Braid — Easier to wrap, more texture
  • Thorax instead of Rainbow Sow Scud dubbing: Pink Ice Dub — Similar flash and color; Rainbow dubbing blend — Any multicolor flash dubbing; Fl. pink Superfine — Bright without flash
  • Wingcase instead of Pearl Flashabou: Holographic tinsel — More flash colors; Mirage Flashabou — Subtle color shift
  • Bead instead of Silver tungsten: Copper tungsten — Warmer tone; Fl. pink tungsten — Adds hotspot to match thorax

Other versions

9 more in the app: Fly Fish Food Tie, Egan's CDC: Classic Recipe, Egan's CDC: Fischer's Flies, CDC Tungsten, Extra Heavy, Wet Fly, Jig, Rubber Legs, Tungsten.

Tying videos

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