Bodkin / Patterns

RIO's Morrish Hitched Tube Skater

Nymph · Steelhead · Salmon · Trout · Intermediate · 1 version

Tyer Recipe

  • Hook Plastic tube, Tube fly (fished with a size 8-10 trailing hook)
  • Thread Black, then tan 8/0

Materials

  • Plastic tube Black ostrich herl (1 short length)
  • Pearl Mirage flash Pearl flashabou (underbody)
  • Crystal hair (Pearl) Pearl anti static bag strip (2 strands (tail))
  • Pheasant rump feather Black pheasant tail fibers (1)
  • Deer hair Black deer hair (spun/stacked head)
  • Super glue (as needed)

How to tie it

  1. Mount a short black plastic tube on a tube needle/vise adaptor. Start black thread and tie in a length of pearl Mirage flash along the tube as a subtle underbody.
  2. Coat the rear of the tube with a little super glue and tie in two strands of pearl crystal hair, folding them back on themselves so they stick out about a hook-gape past the rear.
  3. Tie in a black pheasant rump feather by the tip, fold the fibers to one side, and wrap it as a soft hackle collar.
  4. Spin/stack a bunch of black deer hair, using the tips to form a fake hackle about half the length of the pheasant collar; stroke previous bunches back and add bunches until you reach the front, packing tight.
  5. Whip finish (or half-hitch) with tan thread at the very front, super-gluing the tan section, to leave a small contrasting head.
  6. Remove from the vise and trim the spun deer hair to a rounded skater/muddler head, cutting a clean square rear edge back to the fake-hackle bunch; leave the collar and tail proud.
  7. Add a short section of Junction/silicone tubing at the rear to hold your leader and trailing hook, and cement.

Tying videos

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