The FBC was originally tied as a cricket pattern for the summer months of central Pennsylvania. It’s a versatile pattern that fishes great as intended, and doubles as a warm water popper. It could be called Bluegill candy as well since they cannot ignore it when twitched, and can be irresistible to Brookies when fished along those shady undercut hemlock banks.
The original pattern lacked the Ice-dub chin. But after 2 years of the chin being added, it’s there to stay. Tied from #12 through #8, it’s an extremely effective pattern.
Before my next fly fishing outing, dress some “Foam Butt Caddis” flies for the fly box… this is a so called “Killer” fly pattern for all kinds of fish and fishing environments!
Great pattern, thanks so much for sharing! I’ve been looking for something simple like this for hoppers and crickets. Change a few colors and it should make a great hopper pattern too.
hNt, I have tied this pattern in numerous variations with success, but the black has been my best of all of them. I’ve tied it in a Hopper variation, a Skwala variation, and an Attractor variation as an upgrade to my Tossed Salad pattern. Here is what I used:
Hopper Red Thread
Tan Foam
Light Elk Wing
Grizzly hackle
Olive Centipede Legs
Olive Ice Dub
Skwala Rust Thread
Black Foam
Natural Elk Wing
Brown hackle
Orange Centipede Legs
Amber Ice Dub
Tossed Salad Olive Thread
Olive Foam
Olive Elk Wing
Silver badger hackle
Chartruese Centipede Legs
Insect Green Ice Dub
The variations are countless…none have left me down yet.
