FLYMPH FORUM

and here is the same fly wet


Redneck Killer Bug (aka - Garden Hackle)
Hook - Mustad Model 37160 (Size 6)
Thread 1 (underbody) - 3/0 UNI-Thread (White)
Body - Berroco Ultra Alpaca Fine Yarn (Color #1214) - Chadwick 477 Sub
Rib - UTC Ultra Wire (Size Small/Copper)
Thread 2 - 8/0 UNI-Thread (Light Cahill)
Collar - Mike Valla Tups Blend (Pale Pink Wool Blend)



Mount the hook in the vice and then attach the white tying thread. The white underbody is intended to lighten the coloration of the fly when it gets wet. Wrap the thread back to the middle and forward to the eye of the hook. By folding the yarn in half, you are tying in two parallel strands of yarn in the front section of the fly. This helps broaden this front and to get a more realistic profile for the finished earthworm.

Tye in the piece of wool yarn, roughly 10" long. When you tye it in, leave roughly 1" hanging out over the eye of the hook.

Fold the yarn back and then wrap the thread back to the middle of the hook.

Attach the piece of copper wire and then wind the tying thread back towards the bend, in close touching turns. You are trying to form a smooth underbody.


It is helpful to flip the hook over when tying the back half of the pattern. It is easier to work the tying thread around the point of the hook.


Wind the yarn forward in close touching turns.

Wind the copper wire forward in open turns for form a rib and segment the body. Then whip finish the head.

Color the head with a Sharpie marker to make it blend in with the body.


The fly would be perfectly fishable at this point, but the next steps add a bit more realism. (Okay. Fine, this is just "gilding the lilly.)

Wax and attach the Light Cahil thread slightly forward of the middle of the body.

Dub the thread and wrap the center section of the fly.

Wrap the whip finish back thru the dubbing.

This if very cool Ray, (if one would admit they fish with garden hackle), Nicely done tutorial and I like the thought put into the pattern. It's like a Redneck Killer Tups. I want to tie a couple (not that i would fish with them...cough...cough) and maybe use the pearl tinsel for the ribbing.

Funny you should mention the Killer Bug. The idea for this pattern came to me when I was playing with different combination of the Killer Bud/Tups dubbing flies. I decided to elongated Killer Bug body, and then add in the tups dubbing for the collar. I tyed several of these to get it dialed in the way I wanted it. I put some thought into the thread color, to control how much the body would darken when the fly is wet.

There is no additional weight in the underbody of this fly. The hook seemed plenty heavy enough without any additional weight. The slender profile should also ensure this pattern drops quickly thru the water column.

I may be an embarrassment to the fly tying community, but I will console myself by catching fish while others make fun of me.

How about calling it a "Redneck Killer Bug" or "A Redneck's Killer Bug".

I wasn't as creative as you when I needed a worm fly. I was being heckled by a bunch of BC fishermen and this is what I showed them.

Hey, that does qualify as garden "hackle". Sweet fly Bill.

I may be an embarrassment to the fly-tying community, but I will console myself by catching fish while others make fun of me.

That could be a masthead . . . or at least a signature.

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So, why the cabin and not the tutorial section?
Every bit as much a 'fly" as a killer bug is.

Or scud/shrimp patterns....... speaking of which, there was a section in a British fly fishing/fly tying magazine recently which highlighted adding hot spots to shrimp patterns, much the same as you have done with your Tup blend "collar". You could do exactly the same with a killer bug, add a hot spot midships.

Great idea folding the yarn back to make the thorax bigger than the abdomen. Super tutorial Ray!

I have sometimes caught grayling with nothing but snails and worms in their stomach. This was back in the days when I kept and ate my fish. There are plenty of snails and worms down at the bottom where they feed when the insect activity is low. (They are bottom-hugging fish, with under-slung mouth perfect for grazing and with a keen eye for surface activity). I would expect this Rayneck Killer Bug to be very effective during these circumstances, matching the non-hatch. Not a fancy fly at all, just trigging natural behaviour.

dd

letumgo wrote:
How about calling it a "Redneck Killer Bug" or "A Redneck's Killer Bug".

What do you think of: Redneck Killer Tups??

Suggestion: put a little softhackle just after the eye and you can post it in the Soft hackle without a wing section.


greeting


Ruard