Bodkin / Patterns

Red Headed Step Child

Nymph · Trout · Advanced · 1 version

Reference Recipe

  • Hook Curved nymph (Daiichi 1560), 14-20
  • Thread Brown 8/0 (70 denier)

Materials

  • Glass bead Red, small (1)
  • Pheasant tail fibers Natural pheasant tail fibers (tail and abdomen)
  • Ultra wire Red, small (rib)
  • Peacock herl Natural peacock herl (2 strands (thorax))
  • Pearlescent tinsel Pearl mylar tinsel (wingcase)
  • Krystal Flash Red holographic tinsel (legs)

How to tie it

  1. Slide the small red glass bead to the eye, start brown thread behind it and run it to the bend.
  2. Tie in a few pheasant tail fibers as a tail, half a shank long, and leave a length of small red wire hanging.
  3. Wrap the pheasant tail fibers forward to the 60% mark for a slim abdomen and tie off.
  4. Rib the abdomen with 4-5 open turns of red wire (the Copper John accent) and helicopter off.
  5. Tie in a strand of pearl tinsel for the wingcase, then 2 peacock herls, and wrap the herl to just behind the bead for a fat thorax.
  6. Pull the pearl tinsel over the thorax as a wingcase and bind it behind the bead.
  7. Tie a few strands of red Krystal Flash along each side as legs, angling back to the hook point, then trim.
  8. Whip finish behind the bead and cement.

Tying videos

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