Spuddler SBS

All about flies Fly Tying
1

Another marriage of two well-known flies, the Muddler and Spruce Fly by two guys, Red Monical and Don Williams
who worked at Dan Bailey’s shop in Livingston. I’ve seen a few different dressings; reverse engineered this one from
a fly I picked up at Harry Murray’s shop although I left the head a little bigger. Others use brown calf tail for the
underwing and tail and skip the fox squirrel shoulders; as slippery as squirrel is, I endorse that omission.

hook - Mustad 79580 #9
thread - UTC 140 tan
underbody - lead free .025
tail - fox squirrel tail
body - acrylic yarn cream
gills - dubbing red
underwing - fox squirrel tail
wing - 4 grizzly saddle hackles dyed brown
shoulder - fox squirrel tail
head - antelope

Part 1

mash barb and wrap lead-free

attach thread and cover underbody

cut some squirrel for tail (extend about 60% hook shank length)

tie in

trim and cover butts with thread

tie in yarn

wrap tapered body up to 66% mark

apply some dubbing

and wrap gills

2

Part 2

some more squirrel for underwing; extend back to tail

tie in underwing; try to maintain smooth head for wing

4 saddle hackles, 2 per side facing each other

tie in hackle (shank x2 length)

a few squirrel tail fibers on top

and on the sides

cut, clean and stack a clump of antelope; tie in on top

repeat underneath

pack it, move thread forward and repeat

one more time, then half hitch x2 and SHHAN

3

Part 3

flip fly over, lay razor on hook eye for reference

and push straight back carefully

flip fly back over and angle cut top of head

trim head to wedge shape

finished fly

Need to break out my Garcia fiberglass 8wt and Pfleuger Meadalist and swing this through a few deep pools

Regards,
Scott

4

Nice fly! I might tie some up without the weight and see how they do for bass down here. Great SBS !

5

Excellent “Spud” very nice SBS on this one Scott… I really like this pattern and the red hot spot!