The Blue Meanie

I have had this kicking around for a while now and it has proved itself time and time again this year (2008) when the going gets tough and fish are not showing on the surface. It is usually fished off a fast glass line with about 14 ft leader and when wet takes on a “bait fish” profile. It was derived from the “Jazzed Up Damsel” I did as an SBS a while back using a slightly longer fibered UV Straggle Black Fritz (Veniards) and Black Bear Hair for the tail instead of marabou. I tried using marabou on the first version but it did not have the taking abilities that the bear tailed version has. Why? I have no idea as marabou has much more motion in the water than bear hair but there you go.
This is the original and has had it’s eyes repainted twice from it’s tying, the fritz is a bit worn out and the tail sparser than what it started out as but it still nails them on those difficult days.
Hook is the Partridge Big Mouth Nymph size 14 and small plain silver dumbbell eyes painted over with Lefranc & Bourgeois’s Translucent Flamingo Pink glass paint. (this gives a better red than red does!)
I suppose I should really tie more but this one seems to be my lucky one and does the business when required. The name came from the Beatles’ Film, Yellow Submarine and is quite appropriate for it!

The lately departed original

It has been a cracking bait fish X lure for me and the original took many fish before it’s demise. The pattern is that good that Murt would not let me use it on a Lough stocked with rainbows!

The Blue Meanie

Materials

Hook - Partridge Big Mouth Nymph Size 14
Thread - UTC 140 Denier Black
Tail - Black Bear Hair
Body - Veniard’s Standard Black UV Straggle
Eyes - Medium Coloured Lead Dumbbells or plain Silver painted to suit

Mount your hook in the vice and wrap about 3mm of thread as a base for the dumbbells
Tie on the dumbbells with figure 8 wraps, make sure this is as tight as possible. Allow 2mm clearance between the dumbbells and the hook eye - you will need this later.
Take an amount of the bear hair and strip it of the under hair and cut to length before securing it to the hook shank with tight turns
Using a really runny super glue (Loctite 495) let the thread and hair absorb it and allow a drop between the dumbbells to give more security.
Catch in the straggle and secure it over the hook shank before bringing the thread to the eye of the hook.
When you wrap the straggle along the shank put a turn between the dumbbells, under the hook eye and back up between the dumbbells. This helps build up the head area and gives a better look to the fly rather than finishing the straggle behind the dumbbells.

Whip finish, varnish and go terrorise your local Rainbows!

This replacement has a lot to live up to if it has to match it’s predecessor’s abilities.

Note:- Although this is tied on quite a small hook it has amazing hooking capability due to the strength of the Partridge Big Mouth Nymph hooks, the size being comparable to an ultra short shanked size 8 so it should suit a lot of your American river trout without scaling up in size.

Very interesting tie and I will be sure to tie some up and give them a try on my local streams. Thank you for sharing the pattern and a big welcome to FAOL from Tennessee. I will look forward to some other patterns from you.

Thanks, again, and welcome