Bodkin / Patterns

Shushan Postmaster

Streamer · Trout · Advanced · 1 version

Tyer Recipe

  • Hook Streamer, #4-12 (tied here on a #10)
  • Thread Black 6/0 or 70 denier

Materials

  • Mottled turkey Mottled brown thin skin (1 small slip (tail))
  • Tinsel Gold (mylar or metallic Lagartun) (Medium, 1 length (rib))
  • Floss Yellow floss (About 12 inches (body))
  • Duck or goose quill slip Red duck or goose quill slip (1 small slip (throat))
  • Fox squirrel tail Natural deer hair (1 small stacked tuft (wing))
  • Jungle cock Natural jungle cock (2 nails (cheeks, optional))
  • Head cement (1 drop)

How to tie it

  1. Start black thread mid-shank and take it back to the start of the bend.
  2. Tie in a small slip of mottled turkey at the bend for a modest tail; it will bunch a little, which is fine. Leave the front butt ends in place to help thicken the body.
  3. Tie in medium gold tinsel at the bend with the gold side toward the hook, then bring the thread up to about the middle of the shank.
  4. Tie the yellow floss in at the midpoint, run the thread up to just behind the eye, and wrap the floss forward, back to the middle, then all the way back to the tail and forward again. Four layers at the front and two at the rear gives a tapered body. Tie off at the front.
  5. Spiral the gold tinsel forward, gold side up, in evenly spaced turns; tie off, then fold the tinsel back and add a couple more wraps over the fold to really lock it before trimming.
  6. Turn the fly over and tie a small red duck or goose slip in underneath as a throat, unmarrying the barbs with your fingers or a bodkin. Trim the excess up front.
  7. Stack a small tuft of fox squirrel tail (keep it sparse, easy to overdo), measure it to the back of the tail, cord the thread up, and tie it in on top with a couple of tight wraps and several more going forward.
  8. Lift the butts and cut them at an angle for a tapered head; push any stray fibers up with a thumbnail and bury them with thread.
  9. Tie a jungle cock nail on each side as a cheek with a couple of wraps, check the position, and trim the stems.
  10. Build a big streamer head, whip finish, thin the throat if it looks heavy, and add a drop of head cement.

Tying videos

← All fly patterns