Previous Flies
Fortnightly Fly
Fire Tiger (Lightning Bug)
This is a new nymph that we've been whacking them on these last two weeks. My friend Dave came up here for the last Free Fly Tying Saturday and caught fish on a Lightning Bug, which is a flashy fly from head to hook. This fly is the same, but tied with the new Fire Tiger Flashabou. The trout...they like.
Hook: Daiichi 1130 #12-#16
Bead: Copper to match hook size
Thread: Uni 6/0 Chartruese (or other)
Tail: Pheasant Tail Fibers
Body: Fire Tiger Flashabou (Gold and Green Strands Only)
Rib: BR Copper Wire
Thorax: Rabbit or Squirrel
Legs: Buggy Nymph Legs, Lt. Olive
Wingcase: Fire Tiger Flashabou
This Fortnight's Fly
For a printable version of this fly recipe, please click on the icon located on the left side of this page.
We are still working on the image viewer below. Please click the full-screen button in the lower right to see unobscured image.
Step 1
Place hook with bead toward the top of the vise jaws so you can see the bend of the hook. This will let you tie on the tail. Wrap thread evenly up and down entire hook shank and well into the bend, as pictured.
Step 2
The tail is a half-dozen pheasant tail fibers tied in short. Almost all nymphs have short tails. It's possible that tails are something that nymphs don't need but they are easy to tie on and don't add much time to the fly. Don't just tie in the pheasant tail tips and clip them. Instead, cover them with thread all the way up to the bead. This will give you a bulkier body, which you'll want, as this fly is not dubbed and needs all the bulk that it can get.
Step 3
This is Fire Tiger Flashabou. It is an even mix of gold, olive and yellow fibers. I isolate the gold and olive fibers...
Step 4
Tie in BR (brassie-sized) Copper Wire and then tie in three or four strands of appropriate colored Flashabou. While not necessary, it would not be a bad idea to put a base of head cement on the thread at this point -- it will lock down the flashabou.
Step 5
Wrap all the strands of flashabou at once, and in the same direction. Tie down. Next, wrap the copper wire in the opposite direction and tie it down. Wrapping your body and rib in opposite directions will result in stronger and more durable flies.
Step 6
Don't cut off the flashabou -- that'll be your wing case. Just let it lay off the back of the fly. If you have a material clip, use it! Adding a material clip is the easiest and cheapest way to make your vise work for you. Now, tie in rubber legs. The easiest way to do this, in my opinion, is to attach both legs to the top of the hook with a few medium-tight wraps and then pull the legs into place, before locking them down with several strong wraps of the thread.
Step 7
Dub the thorax heavily with a good spiky squirrel dubbing. Use the dubbing to give your legs a good X pattern when viewed from above.
Step 8
Put a good healthy dollop of glossy glue on the back to give it some shine and the Fire Tiger is done!
© 2010 Gates Au Sable Lodge ▪ Website by Clear Creek Media LLC