Our Man From Canada

PEACOCK BUMBLEE

Tom Deschaine - Dec 02, 2013

Tying and fishing with bee patterns has always been a favorite pass time with me.  I can't explain my passion for it.  No matter where my travels take me I always manage to purchase some local bee patterns and tinker with variations once I get them back to my bench.  After tying a lot of fancy concoctions utilizing plastic wings, heavy bodies, legs and hackle I've discovered that simpler is better.  Today I give you a pattern which I have perfected over the last few years. It's clean and simple … and it works great!

Materials:

 

 

Select your hook size based on the size of the bees in your area.  Lay in a good thread base.

 

 

Take a clump of black dyed deer hair and lay it across the shank of the hook.  Wrap tightly and pull on the thread, spinning the hair around the hook.  Some tiers prefer not to use a good thread base claiming that the hair spins better.

 

 

Using a hair packer or a hollow ink pen tube (which I prefer),  pack the hair to the rear of the hook. Add additional clumps of hair and repeat the packing process.  The amount of hair that you spin and pack will be determined by the size of hook that you use.  Continue the process until approximately ½ the hook shank is covered.

 

 

Now trim the hair, leaving the hair extended beyond the bend of the hook.

 

 

It is important to taper the cut of the hair from the front to back.  This will allow the next batch of hair to lay down over the top, as if wings

 

 

Now spin and pack in a clump of yellow deer hair.  Continue this process until half of the remaining exposed hook is covered.  Once you have finished, trim the fly so that it is flat on the bottom.

 

 

Now trim the wing portion so that extends only to the bend of the hook.  The remaining portion of the yellow deer hair should be clipped short, forming the thorax of the bee.

 

 

Now wrap in three strands of peacock herl and twist them together.  This will provide a stronger and more secure wrap.

 

 

Wrap in the peacock head and secure your thread.  Give the fly its final trim.  Be generous with head cement.

 

The "Peacock Bee" is a high floater and an extreme producer of fish.  In the late summer or early fall carry a few of these patterns with you.  Trust me on this one; you'll get a real 'buzz' out of it.

See you on the water…..

Tom Deschaine
~www.michigandryflies.net~

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