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Current Tags for This Pattern
/ Antron / Brown / Dubbing / Hare's Ear / Hare\'s Ear / olive / realistic / SLF / swiss straw /

Realistic Sowbug

 
tied by mnorwood
Fly Type: Nymphs,
Target Species: Trout,
Recommended Region: Southeast US,
Material List:
Hook: TMC 3761 (size 12-18)
Thread: UNI- Thread 6/0 (Tan)
Antennae: Brown, Olive, or Dun hackle fibers
Back: Swiss straw/ brown, olive, or Gray
Eyes: Monofilament
Body: Dubbing blend= 75% gray Antron + 25% olive hare's ear; or SLF Whitlock Dubbing (sowbug gray or sowbug tan)
Rib: UNI- Thread/ Same
Lead wire: 0.15

Tying Instructions: If you prepare your own dubbing, blend gray Antron dubbing with olive hare's ear. Also prepare your monofilament eyes (after burning the ends, I usually dip the tips in black Sally Hansen FingerNail Polish). Secure the thread on the hook shank just behind the eye. Wrap lead wire around shank. I usually make 12 to 15 wraps. Just don't crowd the eye of the hook or the bend. Build a thread dam in front of the lead wire. Flatten your thread and make several wide wraps over the wire towards the hook bend. Build up another thread dam behind the wire, then wrap a smooth thread foundation back to the hook bend. Return the thread to mid-shank and tie in a strip of Swiss Straw (equal in width with the hook gape). Wind back to the bend. Using several tight figure 8 wraps, tie in your mono eyes one or two thread wraps in front of the rearmost thread wrap holding down the Swiss Straw (it sometimes helps if you flatten the mono between the two eyes with a pair of flat nosed pliers). Wind your thread back to the hook eye. Spin your dubbing on the thread. Your aim is to build a tapered body, slightly slimmer towards the eye of the hook and fatter towards the hook bend. When you reach the eyes make one or two more figure 8's and one or two wraps in front and behind the eyes with your dubbed thread. With a pair of flat-nosed needle nose pliers, smash the lead flat along the rear-most half of the body (the half towards the hook bend). Gently pull the end of the Swiss Straw forward over the body to the hook eye. While keeping the Straw centered, firmly wrap the thread forward, creating equally spaced segments (5-6 wraps, depending on hook size). With a pair of scissors, snip the excess Swiss Straw square, leaving a short crinkled "tail" extending out over the hook eye. Whip Finish. Tease out dubbing fibers along both sides, but clip any long, wild fibers on the underside so that it is flat.
Presentation Tips: I've had a lot of luck fishing it "down and across", letting it bump along the bottom. I also tie this using either Olive and Brown Stalcup's Flashback instead of Swiss Straw. I wish I could take credit for this pattern, but basically, its Shane Stalcup's, with a few minor variations. I posted pics of this fly when I first jump on board here at FTF, and several people have messaged me, asking for the recipe and instructions.