Cajun Tickler

[breambuster 0]

The Cajun Tickler is a time-consumer fly to tie, but it looks great once it is done. Here is a picture of a completed Cajun Tickler.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The materials I used are:

 

 

 

Hook: Daiichi 2220 #12

 

Bead - 1/8 ounce Gold

 

Thread - Black

 

Tail - Grizzly Hackle

 

Body - Black and Gold Embroidery Thread

 

Thorax - Peacock Herl

 

Legs - Black and Chartreuse Banded Rubber

 

 

Begin by placing the bead on the hook and bending the shank of the hook, just a little forward of center to give the fly a "buggier" profile.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next tie in a tail using just a few fibers from a grizzly saddle hackle or equivalent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next, it's time to weave the body of the fly. I used 3 strands each of the black and gold embroidery thread. Bind it down on top of the hook shank from the bend you made in the shank to the tail position at the bend of the hook. I positioned the embroidery thread on top of the shank so that the gold thread was toward the near side of the hook and the black thread was on the far side of the hook. Tie off your tying thread and cut it. It will be in the way during the weaving process. The woven body is, basically, a series of overhand knots. Always begin with the black thread BEHIND the gold, then bring the end of the black thread up and over the gold and through the loop that is formed. Then position the black thread, at the knot, above the shank and the gold thread beneath the shank and pull snug. When you do so, the running end of the black thread will now be on the near side of the hook and the gold will be on the far side. Make the next knot, again making sure that you position the black thread BEHIND the gold, then up, over and back through the loop. The woven body is simple to do, but it's hard to explain. I learned by looking at the very excellent photos on pages 122 and 123 of Jim Schollmeyer's "Nymph Fly Tying Techniques," and recommend that if you are having trouble with the woven body, that you take a look at the pictures there.

 

 

 

Also, take a look at this picture:

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the above photo, the black loop which is part of the overhand knot goes above the hook shank and the gold part of the knot goes beneath the hook shank. The result will be a woven body with a gold belly and a black back.

 

 

 

 

 

Continue the woven body to the bend you made in the hook shank, then tie on your tying thread again, bind down the ends of the embroidery thread and cut off the excess.

 

 

 

Next, tie in a peacock herl in the thorax position so that the peacock herl extends back over the bend of the hook. You will use it later.

 

 

 

Now, it's time to tie in the legs. Cut 3 pieces of leg material about 1 inch long. Fold 1 leg over the tying thread, even up the ends, and tie in into position on top of the shank, in the center of the thorax area. Then using figure eight wraps with medium tension, position the first set of legs across the shank of the hook like the wings of an airplane. Position them like this:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now it's time to add the second set of legs. Again, using an inch long piece of rubber leg material, fold the rubber around the tying thread, even the ends and position it just beneath the "airplane wing" on the near side of the shank, binding it down with figure eight wraps at medium tension. Now you should have one leg in front and one leg behind the "airplane wing," like this:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next, bind in the third set of legs on the far side of the hook, just below the "airplane wing" on that side using the same procedures. A rotary vice is a handy thing to have at this point. Here is a picture of the last set of wings. Notice that I have rotated the vice for easy access, notice that the hook point is now pointing up, and that this is a picture of the far side of the fly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next step is the make the thorax using the peacock herl you tied in earlier. I made one or two wraps behind all the legs and just in front of the body, one or two wraps right behind the junction of the "airplane wings" (this will be in front of the two most rearward legs made up of the second and third strands of leg material), one or two more wraps right in front of the "airplane wings" and behind the two most forward legs, and finally one or two wraps in front of all the legs and right up against the bead head. Tie off, and you're done.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope you have as much fun learning to tie this fly as I did.

 

 

 

Take care

 

 

 

BB

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[flyfishing idiot 0]

were the picture?

[Fred H. 0]

[breambuster 0]

Sorry guys, a MUCH needed thunderstorm came through, giving us a whopping 1/2 of rain in one of the most drought-stricken areas of the good old USA! But the power went out, and that is all that was posted. I had been working on it, and had 3 pictures downloaded on my slow dial-up. So let me try again.

 

 

 

BB

 

 

[flyfishing idiot 0]

nice step by step the pics show up this now might try to tie this fly look like a bluegill getter

[Mickalo 0]

wondering if you can use floss in place of the embroidery thread ?

 

Mike

[bigdewy 0]

Great looking tie but the name sounds like a marital aid. :hyst: :hyst: :hyst: :hyst:

[breambuster 0]

Mickalo, I'm sure floss would work also. I used embroidery thread because that's what they guy who "invented" the pattern used. And you could use other colors as well. I used black and gold in hopes that it would show up well in the photos. You might want to try different shades of green or green and brown, etc.

 

 

 

Thanks, everyone, for the kind words about the step-by-step.

 

 

 

BB