Angling Publications - Index

Angling Publications - april2008 - Index

64
FLY TYING CLINIC
Al & Gretchen Beatty
Rabbit Egg Sucking Leach
HOOK: Size 2 to 6. Mustad
80500BL, 90240, 36890;
Daiichi 2151, 2161; or TMC 700
THREAD: Black. Gudebrod
BCS #118, UNI-Thread Black
or Danville 100
TAIL: Black rabbit strip
WEIGHT: Lead or non-lead
wire (optional)
BODY: Black rabbit strip
EGG: Chartreuse sparkle
chenille or Estaz
HEAD: Thread
When we’re looking to kill time or need a fly pattern for some reason,
we usually turn to our friend Will Mullis’ website (www.flytyingforum.
com) located in Amelia, Ohio. This time we found a great steelhead
pattern offered by Alex Cerveniak. As luck would have it, the pattern
turned out to be a really great fly and the fish here in Idaho love it.
Al and Gretchen Beatty
are FFA’s fly-tying editors. To
submit your favorite pattern
for publication, e-mail them
at albeatty2@aol.com
1 Set the hook in the vise and attach the tying thread at the back
of the shank using several tight wraps. Clip a very short section of
straight-cut rabbit strip and tie it to the end of the shank to form a
tail. Our tail is black and about as long as the hook shank; you can
easily adjust the tail length to fit your personal needs or preferences.
Here is where you can really have some fun with this fly. Changing
tail colors drives the fish here in Idaho crazy. Let us know what color
the fish in your part of the world like.
2 If you’re going to use lead or lead-free wire for weight, wrap it
onto the hook shank now. Cover the entire length of the lead wire
with thread wraps, apply a coating of Super Glue to cement it in
place, then allow the glue to dry.
3 Tie on a segment of crosscut rabbit strip at the tail/lead wire
junction and wrap it forward around the hook to form the body. Tie
it off near the front of the hook and trim any waste as needed. Be
sure to leave enough space behind the eye to wrap an “egg head.”
4 Attach a length of Estaz, wrap the egg head just behind the hook
eye, tie it off and trim the excess. Build a small thread head and whipfinish.
Trim off the thread and apply head cement to complete the fly.