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Thread: Head Banger sculpin variation using a single-hook

  1. #1

    Default Head Banger sculpin variation using a single-hook

    I adapted the recipe of the Head Banger sculpin which is an articulated fly to a single hook variation that would still have good bulk and length to entice hungry fish. This is the pattern recipe:

    Hook: 4XL, straight-eye streamer hook, this one is a size 4
    Thread: Olive
    Tail: Small bunch of black Krystal Flash, surrounded by black and olive marabou
    Body: Black and olive marabou, overwrapped with black sparkle chenille
    Body Hackle: Grizzly dyed olive hen neck
    Legs: Rubber legs
    Collar: Olive arctic fox then a couple turns of over-sized grizzly dyed olive hen neck
    Head: Fish skull



    A couple tying notes, to make the marabou tail and underbody, tie the two (one olive and one black) marabou feathers by their tips. Tie them in almost at the bend where the Krystal Flash tail is. Then wrap them together forward towards the eye of the hook. Stroke the marabou fibers back after every wrap. It's going to look messy but it will all come together in the end. Wrap the feathers to the point where you want to body to end. Secure the feathers and trim the excess, stroke all the fibers back towards the bend and wrap back towards the bend with the tying thread. You will end up with a nice marabou tail that mixes two colors and a thicker underbody. You can then tie in the hackle feather and the chenille to complete making the body.

    The pattern uses olive Craft Fur for the collar, I used Arctic Fox and reverse tied it. I added the extra turns of hen hackle because the tail and body had the two colors (black and olive) but the collar was monotone. The little bit of black from the grizzly dyed olive hackle made a big difference to the final look I was going for.

    Enjoy,

    Alberto
    Last edited by Alberto; 02-07-2019 at 01:40 PM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Dublin, NH
    Posts
    1,049

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    Thanks Alberto, finally a use for the Arctic Fox fur I have!
    Mike

  3. #3

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    Thanks for sharing this. Looks great!
    David Merical
    St. Louis, MO

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    Lakeland, FL USA
    Posts
    2,186

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    Very nice pattern. I have switched over to Arctic fox for pretty much all of the patterns I tie that call for a marabou tail. I find that the Arctic Fox fur is MUCH more durable and doesn't break off like marabou tends to do.

    Jim Smith

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