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| Fly recipe Hook: 3X Long Nymph (Dai Riki #730) Thread: 6/0 Uni Thread Tail: Pheasant Tail Fibers Abdomen: Silver or Gold Holographic Tinsel Thorax: Peacock Herl Wingcase: Silver or Gold Holographic Tinsel Legs: Grouse or Partridge Ribbing: Gold or Copper Wire Bead: Gold or Silver Cyclops Bead Tying instructions: Step 1: Secure your hook in the vise and attach the thread to the hook. Step 2: Wrap the thread to the back of the hook and tie in a small clump of 6-8 pheasant tail fibers. You can either clip these off right after the tie in if you want a slim body, or leave them to tie down and build up your abdomen. Step 3: Now tie in your wire and tinsel at the back of the hook, making sure that you still have room for the thorax. Wind the tinsel forward to the ¾ point of the hook leaving room for your peacock herl, but do not clip the tinsel. Step 4: Now counterwrap the wire over top of the tinsel body and secure at the ¾ point and break off the wire. Step 5: Tie in your peacock herl at this point of the fly and wrap enough to make a sizeable thorax, tie off and snip. Step 6: Now select your piece of partridge or grouse and hold it on the tip of the feather. Holding the tip with one hand, gently pull the rest of the feathers downward, this will be used for your wings. This is tied in soft hackle style. Tie in the tip of the feather with the stem being left out for wrapping. Step 7: Once the hackle is in place grab the stem with your hackle pliers and make several wraps in front of the peacock herl and tie off and trim off the stem. Step 8: Now pull forward the remaining portion of your tinsel over the peacock herl and the soft hackle. This will split the soft hackle into two sections forming your legs. Step 9: Whip Finish and apply a drop of head cement to the fly. You're done. Notes: I don't know the specific history behind the lightning bug, but I can tell you from personal experience, it is extremely effective. Whether fished mid summer as a dropper fly, or mid winter as an attractor for slow moving trout, the lightning bug is another go to fly. It looks somewhat like a mayfly nymph perhaps in an air bubble or some other state of emergence. Conjecturing what trout might take it for seems worthless to me, however, taking trout on it right and left when nothing else seems to work is quite worthwhile. My only caution on this bug is lookout for whitefish, they love the lightning bug as well. For interesting twists and variations you can tie this fly with in red, blue, or purple, or whatever color comes to mind by simply changing the color of tinsel. Make this an epoxy back by simply adding a bit of epoxy over the top of the tinsel wingcase for added sparkle. |
