Bead Head Ice Dub Leech
submitted by Elaine Cook
This still-water pattern, which is easy to tie, can always be found in my fly box. It's a subsurface fly that works well with both floating and sinking lines. Try a slow start and stop pull to imitate a leech. To use as an attractor, longer, faster strips or twitches work very well. Because of the weight in the front, the bead descends with the strip pause and ascends with the strip.
| Hook: | TMC 5263 sizes 10 - 14 |
| Thread: | Olive 8/0 |
| Bead: | Gold, size to match hook |
| Tail: | Olive marabou |
| Body: | Olive ice dub |
Other effective colors are brown, black, burgundy, and green. Ice dub colors can also be mixed.
1. Crimp barb.
2. Thread small hole side of bead onto hook.
3. Attach thread behind bead and wrap to mid shank.
4. Put small clump of marabou barbs from stem of feather. Lay on top of shank, butts against bead, tips extending hook length (or shank length) beyond shank. Tie in place with close wraps up to bead then back to rear of shank.
5. Make dubbing loop. Wrap thread forward to bead. Sparsely fill loop with ice dub. Twist into tight loop. Wrap forward in touching wraps to bead.
6. Tie off with 4 - 5 thread wraps. Cut thread.
7. Trim very long wild ice dub fibers but finished fly should look shaggy.