May Fly of the Month: Laser Leech

May Fly of the Month: Laser Leech

This is hands down my all around favorite stillwater leech pattern.  I've always done well with shades of black and maroon or burgundy, tying Simi Seal, Angora or Mohair Plus bodied leeches.  These long, coarse dubbing blends make great flowing leech bodies, however the rough fibers in the dubbing never quite move in the water as I'd like them to.  Immersing the fly in near boiling water for a second can help soften the fibers and make them swim a little better, but I'm usually pressed for time or reluctant to take this added step the night before a trip. 

Years ago, a customer showed me some leeches he'd tied with chopped up hanks of soft alpaca fur.  I loved the way they looked but kind of forgot about them until I ran across Senyo's Laser Dub for the first time.  My initial attempts at spinning the dubbing in a loop were frustrating and didn't quite produce the end results I was hoping for.  With a little practice on proportioning, using a wire loop and some liberal brushing my vision came to fruition and the Laser Leech was born.  This is my favorite color variation but the brown and olive Laser Dub colors make some pretty wicked flies too. 

Laser Leech Recipe:
Hook: #10 Tiemco 5262 or Daiichi 1710
Bead: 7/64" Black Ruby Dazzle Bead
Thread: 70 Denier Red Ultra Thread
Tail: Burgundy Rabbit
Dubbing Loop Wire: Small Red Ultra Wire
Body: Black Senyo's Laser Dub

 



Confluence Beer Pairing:  So many beers to choose from and most a welcomed treat to enjoy on a sunny day fishing or after the latest quarantine home improvement project.  Kulshan's Mexican Lager with a big squeeze of lime is oh so refreshing and heeds the call when that bright yellow orb in the sky finally peeks out from behind the clouds.

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