Wiggle Leech

[James Smith]

I have been using these Seashell sequins for a number of years to add lips to my floating minnow patterns to get them to dive and have a wiggle action. A while back, I decided to give them a try with leech patterns to give them a bit more action in the water. This pattern is tied on a size 4, 90 degree jig hook. If you use a 60 degree bend jig hook with a bead in front of the sequin, it gives the sequin about a 45 degee position which opens up the wiggle action quite a bit. I use these jig hooks because it gives the "lips" a bit more strength and stability by tying it up against the jig bend in the hook. First, I give the jig bend area a good layer of thread, then tie in the sequin. I add a coat of UV epoxy to the thread and sequin to make sure it locks in place and make it more durable. I add a bit of lead wire to the hook shank to make sure that the pattern rides in the hook-up position. Then, I tie in a bit of Arctic Fox fur for the tail and smaller tufts of the Arctic Fox fur that I have removed the guard hairs from and used the underfur for the body. This pattern has a nice bulky profile with nice movement in the water. I add a color of hackle to finish it off and give it a bit of color. The Seashell Sequins come in three colors, dark blue, light blue and pearl. I color them with markers if I want a different color. With the sequin in a 90 degree position, this pattern has a nice tight wiggle while the 45 degree position opens up to a wider wiggle. This is an easy pattern to tie and the added wiggle action gives a different presentation to the fish that they seem to like. Just thought I'd share this with some of the other fly tyers. The second jpg files shows examples of both 90-degree and 45-degree sequins.




Jim Smith