Fly Bible: Flash Head Leech

This can be a really good pattern with murky water for steelhead or for small mouth during the spring run. The rabbit fur and articulated body has great movement in the water and the flash head allows for awesome visibility. This is definitely a pattern that you should always have a few in your box if your swinging in the fall with heavy rains or in the spring with a big melt off. Other color combos could be: olive-silver, black-purple, black-orange, black-blue (any color combo is possible, but I prefer these ones).

*I tied this pattern with pink thread to help you see the thread wraps in the pictures. As always, use color coordinated thread when you tie this pattern regularly.*

Materials: Krystal flash, rabbit fur strip, flashabou, bead chain eyes, dubbing, 50 lb. braid, cross cut rabbit fur strip.
Tools: Vise, scissors, bobbin, dubbing loop spinner.
Hook: Articulated hook shank (main body), tube fly or egg hook (any shorter shank hook. You could use an octopus hook but I don't like using them for this pattern).

Step 1: Make a thread base on back hook and tie in krystal flash

Step 2: Tie in the rabbit strip with enough off the back to cover the flash. Tie it in in the back and then wrap the thread to a little behind the hook eye and tie down the rabbit strip again (tie it down in two different spots). Leave enough of the rabbit strip off the front so that it can be tied in on the main hook shank. Whip finish and apply head cement.

Step 3: Tie the bead chain eyes on the underside of the hook shank.

Step 4: make a loop using Braid (this is one of the rare cases that you want to use braid instead of original fire line. The braid is more limp in the water and will allow for greater movement), and connect the back hook to the loop the way you would attach an octopus hook or stinger hook. Tie the loop down to the main hook shank and secure. Apply super-glue to make certain that it will stay secure.

Step 5: Tie in the end of the rabbit strip that was tied in on the rear hook.

Step 6: Tie in a cross cut rabbit strip.

Step 7: Wrap the cross cut rabbit strip up the hook shank creating the body of the fly. Tie off the rabbit strip behind the bead chain eyes and clip any extra.