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Fly of the Month

Bob Ireton brings together his experience in fly fishing, aquatic entomology, and knowledge of fly tying techniques and materials, to design and tie durable and effective flies.

Volume 3, Issue 7 July 2002

GRAY SCUD

Fly and Text by Bob Ireton
Photography by Bob Kimsey and Bob Ireton

Scuds are crustaceans that live in and on aquatic vegetation. They are important and can be found in nearly every pond and lake you'll fish, and in most moving waters slow enough to allow vegetation to take root. Scuds often reach dense populations in spring creeks and tailwaters with stabilized flows, and beds of attached algae and rooted plant beds. Because they have no set mating and emergence period, these crustaceans are in the water at mature size, and available at all times of the year.

Scuds vary in size from 5 to 25mm, and occur in colors of yellow, olive, gray, and tan. They usually turn a pale to dark orange when they die. Fish this fly in and around the habitats they are found either dead drift, or with a slow, twitching retrieve.

MATERIALS

Hook - TMC 2457, 2487, Dai-Rikki 135, Daiichi 1150, 1130, 1120,
Mustad 80250BR, 80200BR Size 10-18

Thread - 6/0 for size 12 and larger, and 8/0 for size 14 and smaller

Antennae - Gray mallard flank feather fibers

Tail - Gray mallard flank feather fibers

Back - Gray scud back or equivalent, with pearl flashabou underneath

Rib - 6X tippet material, or equivalent

Abdomen/Underbody - Scud gray dubbing

TYING STEPS

1 - Secure hook properly in vice by inserting the bend of the hook in the vice jaws. Do not insert any of the barb/point in the jaws, and don't apply excessive pressure on the hook. Doing this could cause the metal to crystallize, and break with the pressure of a nice fish! Pinch down the barb, if desired. Attach the thread to the hook shank a hook eye space behind the eye of the hook, and lay on a thread base rearward. Stop a little behind the barb, and tie a half hitch. Using undersize lead wire approximately half the diameter of the hook shank, apply 8-10 wraps to the mid section of the hook shank. Now build a sloping thread ramp on each side of the lead wraps, and over the lead wire. Tie a half hitch. Cover the lead wire with a thin coat of head cement to seal the lead, but not enough to seep through the dubbing, and cause the latex back material to be damaged later.
2 - Attach some gray mallard flank feather fibers on the upper side of the hook at the bend for the antennae, and on the underside of the hook behind the eye for the tail. See picture. Tie a half hitch after each step.
3 - At the tie in point above the hook barb end of the hook, tie in in this order; the rib material, the latex scud back material, and the flashabou. Tie a half hitch.
4 - Make a dubbing loop at the same location, and dub a body forward, stopping a little behind the hook eye, and secure. Tie a half hitch. Note in the picture how the materials from step 3 are laid out in the material clip of the vice. Now with a pair of curved scissors, clip the dubbing closely on top only of the fly.
5 - Bring forward the flasfabou over the top of the body, and secure. Trim butt, and tie a half hitch. Next bring forward the latex back material, and while holding with a slight tension applied to the material, tie off with the thread. Trim butt, and tie a half hitch. Finally, palmer the rib over the body to get a segmented look. Trim butt, and tie a half hitch. Form a small head with the thread, tie a half hitch, then a whip finish. Cut off thread, and apply a small amount of head cement to the thread only. Pick out the dubbing on the underside to form the legs. Trim if needed.

The Buckeye United Fly Fishers, Inc is a non-profit corporation organized under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, incorporated in the State of Ohio for the preservation, conservation and wise use of our fishing waters and game fish; and to assist in the protection and improvement of our natural resources