Brindle Bug V.

[Old Hat]

This is a variation on the classic steelhead pattern the Brindle Bug. Original calls for brown hackle, brown hackle tips for tail with a body of black and yellow variegated chenille.

Brindle Bug V. (Imnaha Brindle)
Hook: #2-#8 heavy hook
Thread: black
Weight: Lead or lead substitute underbody
Hackle: Coq de Leon saddle hackle, brown speckled
Tail: Coq de Leon saddle hackle fibers, brown speckled, propped up with one wrap of chenille underneath
Body: Cactus Chenille, black and copper

Brindle Bug V.jpg (180.5 KiB) Viewed 5186 times

[letumgo]

What hook did you use? I don't recognize it. Does it have a loop eye?

Great fly, btw.

[Old Hat]

Thanks Ray. The hook is a #4 Daiichi 2151. Yes it is a loop eye. Targus makes a very similar hook as well, don't know the model off the top of my head though.

[letumgo]

Thanks Carl. I was guessing it was a special Ken Sawada hook.

[hankaye]

Old/New Hat, Howdy;

Excellent looking bug you've got there.
If this is V where are IV, III, II and I ???

hank

[Old Hat]

Var.

[tie2fish]

I don't know enough about steelhead and what attracts them to venture a guess about the success of this bug, but I do know that it is very well tied indeed.

[ScottP]

Carl,

That's a beautiful fly. Thanks for posting.

Regards,
Scott

[DOUGSDEN]

Carl,
Yum! Think of the trouty possibilities in still smaller sizes!
Great work friend! Your tying is tops!
Doug

[Old Hat]

Thanks gentlemen.

Bill, the steelhead really aren't too removed from trout in what they like. Hardware needs to be a bit larger do to strength of the fish but other than that, what works for trout will generally be fine as far as nymphs and wets anyway.

Doug, I'm sure in smaller sizes this would work well. Funny thing is I go mostly small all year long but I catch a lot of trout on #6-#8 steelhead flies while steelheading. That size doesn't seem to work well in the spring and summer but as soon as September hits and I start going after steelhead, those sizes work.