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 5, Issue 10 October 2004

MAGGOT

Fly, Text, and Photography by Bob Ireton

If you have fished very long, you no doubt have come upon a rotting animal in the stream or lake. Seems like a wounded or injured animal instinctively goes to water. Could even be a dead fish! Regardless of how, or why they get there, once they die, the flies, and other insects, will lay their eggs in the rotting carcass. The eggs hatch into larva, sometimes called maggots. Some of these maggots will wind up in the water, and the fish, and other stream dwellers, will eat them. Tie a few flies to ‘match this hatch’, and you will be ready the next time you are in this situation!

MATERIALS

Hook – Daiichi 1130, TMC 2487, Orvis 1639, Mustad 80250, or most any Caddis or Scud hook.
Size – 10-18.
Thread – UNI 6/0 or 8/0, in white or cream.
Weight – Lead wire, or non-lead substitute, the diameter of the hook wire.
Rib – 5X tippet material.
Back – Natural latex, or equivalent.
Body – Cream SLF dubbing.
Head – Brown permanent marker.

TYING STEPS - click on pictures for larger view

1 – Mash down the barb, if you like, and insert the hook properly in the vice. Attach the working thread behind the hook eye, and lay on a good thread base. Stop somewhere along the bend of the hook, and tie a half hitch. This is a generic Maggot, and since they come in different sizes, you don’t have to be exact. I am using a Daiichi 1130, size 12, for this fly.
2 – Using lead wire, or substitute, cover the mid half, or so, with tight wraps.
3 – Build a thread ramp at both ends of the lead wire, then cover the lead. Bring the thread to the rear of the fly, and tie a half hitch. Cover the thread with Dave’s Flexament, or head cement.
4 – Tie in the 5X tippet for the rib. Then tie in the material for the back. Even out the thread wraps, and tie a half hitch.
5 – Apply the dubbing to the working thread, and spin it in one direction between your thumb and forefinger, to form the dubbing around the working thread.
6 – Palmer the dubbing rope forward to form a body. If your first dubbing rope is too short, just add more dubbing to the thread until the body is complete. When you are close to the head, pinch off any extra dubbing. Make a couple of wraps with the thread, and tie a half hitch.
7 – Pull the back material forward, over the top of the body. While keeping some tension on the material, tie in with several tight wraps of thread. Snip off any excess back material. Do a couple more wraps of thread, and tie a half hitch.
8 – Hang the working thread over the thread holder, and palmer the tippet material forward to form the segments. Tie off with the working thread, and cut off any excess ribbing. Form a head with the thread, tie a couple of half hitches, then a whip finish. Snip off the working thread. Color the head with the permanent marker. Tease out some of the dubbing on the underside of the body. Now apply some head cement.

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