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There’s really only two ways to tie scuds.

Of course the skies the limit on if you want to add flash, shellbacks, antennae or any other bright ideas. But if you want to catch trout at Taneycomo the basic scuds work better than the fancy ones. The bottom line to all fishing is getting their attention to come take a look at what you have to offer. They might hit it or refuse it, but the key is to keep trying new things. It helps to watch the trout’s behavior because you will learn the ways of a trout.

Step 1.

Wrap the lead about twelve turns. Secure it with thread dams on each side of the lead and cover the lead wire with thread. Your thread should be at the bend of the hook.

Step 2.

Apply dubbing to the thread and you’re ready to build the body.

Note: When building the body make sure you add more dubbing in the back and taper it as you get the front. Scuds have a tapered body when they swim back down towards the bottom. If you pick a rock up and look at them when they're not swimming you can tell the back is the highest part and the two ends are tapered, but while your fishing them you need to think about the way the trout see them in action. And more times than any I’m sure trout see them washed up and try to make it back to the bottom.

There’s also a technique where you can throw scuds out and leave them for a minute and drag them for a second to create a look like they are crawling on the bottom and stop. They’ll usually swim right over and pick it up. You can do this presentation in dead still water or where there’s minimal current speed.

When dubbing straight to the thread your body will turn out like this. You’ll have to brush the dubbing to make the legs. I also apply red thread and tie off the olive because I like all my scuds to have a red head. Other people like orange, but no matter what it’s definitely a “local thing”.

Same steps as the top one. One thing I forgot to mention when using lead wire is not to wrap it the whole length of the hook shank.

Wasatch makes a wide variety of neat tools. They make several different styles of dubbing brushes. Your local fly shops can order them if they don't have it in stock. There's a lot of stuff you never see in fly shops because they might not cater to that crowd.

Example: size 14 usually takes the .015 lead wire.

Step 1.

Make a dubbing loop in the middle and wind over it and force the loop to the bend of the hook.

Advance the thread back to the eye. Your ready to put dubbing inside of the loop.

Step 3.

This part can be tricky because you have to gage how much dubbing to put in the loop before tying it. The best dubbing tools to me are the ones that are heavy at the base. The reason why is when you go to twist the dubbing it will keep it twisting when you let go. Edgin makes one that I think is the best.

Step 4.

When you finish wrapping up to the eye there shouldn’t be any dubbing left in the loop. If there is you can tie it down with a few turns and cut the excess off.

Step 5.

Tie in some red thread and tie off the other color. Cut both tag ends and make a thread head. Whip finish the fly and glue it.