Bodkin / Patterns

RastaCARPian

Nymph · Carp · Advanced · 1 version

Reference Recipe

  • Hook Gamakatsu SL45, 6
  • Thread black any strong size

Materials

  • Bead chain eyes Chartreuse dumbbell eyes small (one pair, medium)
  • Ultra Chenille, fine Yellow chenille (1 strand, shank length)
  • Ultra Chenille, fine Red chenille (1 strand, shank length)
  • Ultra Chenille, fine Green chenille (1 strand, shank length)
  • Cohen's Carp Dub, Northern Lights Black dubbing (enough for a butt ball and a dubbing loop body)
  • Grizzly soft hackle Chartreuse grizzly soft hackle (1 feather)
  • Grizzly soft hackle Yellow guinea fowl dyed (1 feather)
  • Grizzly soft hackle Red grizzly soft hackle (1 feather)
  • Loon water-based head cement Clear head cement (small amount)

How to tie it

  1. Start the black thread behind the hook eye and lash the chartreuse bead chain eyes on top of the shank just behind the eye with tight figure-eight wraps.
  2. Run the thread to the bend and twist on a pinch of the black carp dub; take a few wraps to build a small dubbing ball at the butt. This will splay the tails apart.
  3. Measure the yellow, red, and green Ultra Chenille tails each one shank length. Tie one on top of the shank against the dubbing ball and one along either side; snug them down, trim the excess, then touch a flame to the tail tips to keep them from fraying.
  4. Bind down all the butt ends to leave a smooth base, then form a dubbing loop at the tail tie-in.
  5. Load the loop with Cohen's Northern Lights carp dub and spin it, not overly tight, so the rubber legs and flash in the blend stay free to move. Tease it out by hand, then wrap it forward one or two turns at a time, sweeping the material back, and stop two eye-lengths behind the bead chain; tie off.
  6. Brush the body with a Velcro brush or dubbing pick to free the trapped fibers and legs, sweeping everything toward the back.
  7. Strip the downy fluff from the chartreuse, yellow, and red grizzly soft hackles and tie all three in by their butts in front of the body; trim the stems.
  8. Grip all three tips together in hackle pliers and wrap them as one collar for one to two turns; tie off, clip the tips, and bind down any strays, pushing the collar fibers rearward.
  9. Dub a little more carp dub around and between the bead chain eyes with figure-eight wraps to finish the head.
  10. Whip finish behind the eyes, cut the thread, and coat the wraps with head cement. Brush the whole fly forward to blend the hackle into the dubbing, then brush it all back to finish.

Tying videos

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