Rudy's Improved Halfback Nymph SBS

All about flies Fly Tying
1

Found this neat variation to a vintage pattern on a B.C. stillwater site.

hook - Mustad 9671 #8
thread - Danville 6/0 brown
underbody - .030 non-tox (optional, depending on where you want it in the water column)
rib - small wire copper
flashback - large tinsel opal
tail - marabou olive
abdomen/thorax - peacock herl
wingcase/legs - pheasant tail

Part 1

cover front 1/3 of shank with non-tox; mash barb/start thread, tie in rib, wrap to bend

strip off some marabou fibers; tie in long, pinch/rip to length

tie in tinsel

tie in some peacock herl, twist, wrap to 2/3 mark; tie off/trim

2

Part 2

pull flash forwrd; tie off/trim

counterwrap wire; helicopter end, cover with thread

strip some pt fibers, measure (a bit longer than thorax) tie in with tips over hook eye

tie in some more peacock, twist, wrap to eye; tie off/trim

pull pt forward over thorax; tie off/trim butts (a little wax on the thread helps)

3

Part 3

divide pt tips evenly

pull tips back; tie off, whip finish, SHHAN (ended up shortening the tail a bit more)

Regards,
Scott

4

Nice fly and SBS. Should be a bluegill killer.

5

That’s what I’m thinking, Dave. Thank you, Scott! I’m adding this to my tying list. Hopefully get some tied up here soon.

6

Marabou, peacock herl, tinsel and pheasant tail. They are all great fish catchers and putting them together should make for a great fly.

7

I have two tied with yellow peacock and two with read peacock.
Used turkey body feathers instead of pheasant tail.

Rick

8

Rick,

Do the legs still have the taper that you get from pheasant tail when you use the turkey body feathers?

Regards,

Alberto

9

Scott,

I love the technique you use for the legs on this nymph and other nymph SBS you have posted. I have incorporated this into most of the nymphs I tie when legs are called for.

Regards

Alberto

10

I tied a few last night. Tried to do some size 14’s for Bluegill. Talk about tough! I’m out of practice. Ended up doing a couple 14’s nd a couple size 8’s to get it down. Might do some more with some 3xl curved-shank hooks.