1. I am using a TMC 5263 #6 for the back and a #8 for the front. Run your thread back to the bend of the hook.
2. You’re going to pick out four long saddle hackles. Pick ones that are about the width of your gap on your hook, they can be a little longer that’s ok. Take two hackles and lay them out. The reason for this is you’re going to wrap one clock wise and the other counter clock wise.
3. After you have tied in both hackles, one on each side, then you will tie in your holographic tinsel. Then wind your thread to the eye.
4. Wrap your tinsel up to the top and tie down.
5. Now wrap your hackle to the top. You will want to leave enough room for your other hackle to go in between each wrap. The closer you go the harder it is to get this fly to go under water, so if you are wanting the fly to stay on top and move some water, then make your wraps tighter. This fly works well as a streamer or a dry fly.
6. Remember to wrap this one the opposite direction as your first one and then tie off. For now you’re done with your back fly.
7. Tie in your base, down to the bend and then back up about half way. Now you’re going to tie in your wire to join the two flies together. I use wire from the craft store, you can also get it at Wal-Mart.
8. Make sure you tie your wire down the bend far enough so that the back fly will sit even with the front one.
9. Run your wire through the bottom eye of the back hook, and then bring it back over to the front hook. As you’re tying in the wire take precaution to keep your wire on top of the hook so it stays uniform. You don’t want your back fly running crooked.
10. Finish wrapping your wire down and then repeat the process that was done on your back fly.
11. Here is a picture with both hackle's tied in.
12. After you have tied in both hackles, one on each side, then you will tie in your holographic tinsel. Then wind your thread to the eye.
13. Wrap your tinsel up to the top and tie down.
14. Now wrap your hackle to the top. As I mentioned earlier, the tighter your wraps are the more this fly will want to work as a dry fly. so you may want to have some designated for both. I will discuss this more later.
15. Remember you are going to tie one of the hackles the opposite direction of the one first tied in on this hook. Now you are ready to tie it off and you finished.
Tips for using this fly:
You can use this fly in many different ways. It can be used as a streamer, by popping it a few times and getting it to go under water. Be persistent it some times can be tricky to get it to dive, but once it does start stripping it in. At this point I like to strip real fast to get a reaction, but you can also pause and not worry about it falling and getting hung-up. It falls slow and the hackle usually protects it from getting snagged. The fish usually want it moving away from them, we call it the take away. It almost works like how you would fish for bass during the rip bite. Try different techniques let the fish tell you how they want it. It’s exciting when the fish are taking it off the top, because now you can bring it across the surface and they will attack it. You can also try just letting it drift, giving it a twitch once in a while, fishing it like a dry fly. It is quite exciting seeing a wake coming at your fly and either seeing the fish explode on it or feeling your rod load up. Have fun with it and if you have any question on how to make it work give us a call.
The idea for this fly originated from just being out and coming across some of these wooly worms last year. So I started replicating them on a single hook. They were still too short so I tried using two articulated hooks to make it longer. Once I achieved the look I was going for, I started trying it out and the fish really started reacting to it. I have been developing different ways to fish it and it has become one of my favorite flies to use. It works like a Crackleback on steroids.
