Fly Tying

If you go fly fishing, you should always have a selection of scuds in your fly box.  In just about every trout water where you find underwater weed beds, these crustaceans will be present.  Trout will always go for the protein packed scud snack when they have the opportunity.  Fish them near the bottom, especially in pocket waters where the turbulence can turn these bugs up. (See the Trout Diet section)

 

I really like adding some flash to my flies when I can get away with it.  I had a pile of sparkle dubbing left over from a batch of Caddis Pupas I tied recently and I thought it would make an interesting scud body.

 

 

The dubbing was a mix of olive and chartreuse antron with some fire-star caddis mylar dubbing - nice and bright and flashy.  I wanted it darker for my scud so I added some dark green dubbing and partridge feather scraps - Perfect!

 

 

INSTRUCTIONS

 

 

HOOK: Heavy Scud Hook 8-16 (TMC 2457)

WEIGHT: Lead 

THREAD:  Olive

ANTENNAE:  Partridge

TAIL:  Partridge

BODY: Olive dubbing mentioned above

BACK: Scud back (I make my own from baggies, 'cause I that's how I roll)

RIB:  Copper wire

 

 

 

Tie in the antennae and tail.  Add 8-12 wraps of lead.  Make sure to center the lead on the hook shank.  Create a damn on either side of the lead to make sure the dubbing creates a nice body.  Remember, scuds should be a little meatier from the center and back.  Tie in back behind the lead.  You will be pulling this over the body later.  Tie in the rib.  Begin dubbing deep in the hook bend leaving the tail exposed.  Be generous with your dubbing.  It doesn't have to be too tight. stop about a hook eye length behind the eye.  Pull over back and tie it down with 2 - 3 turns of thread.  Wrap the rib forward evenly with 5-6 wraps and tie down.  Whip finish and add head cement.  the final step is to use a dubbing needle and/or brush (I have velcro on a chop stick) to pick out the body, creating very buggy legs.  Done! Now go tie some more flies of this excellent pattern.

 

 

 

 

 

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