I have been tying a few Grayling bugs this week , supposedly in readiness for an outing onto the Tweed at the weekend for Grayling but the rain has been hammering down all day and the weather forecast indicates it’s not going to ease for another day so the prospects are looking grim. But there will be other times so no point in not getting a few bugs together. I have decided to do my first attempts at a step by step for the bug I have been tying. It’s a French Nymph variant and while I am making these primarily for Grayling they are effective against Brown Trout too.
You can tie them with or without a tail, and with or without a hackle of CDC, the one I am tying here has a tail but no hackle. You can vary the colour of the bead, the collar and I dare say anything else you want to try. The tail is “supposed ” to be Coq De Leon but its not something I have and I am making use of what I have. You could use pretty well any strongly barred feather fibres though you want them to be fairly robust- even Pheasant tail at a push. I have no idea what the feather came from I use here as it was given to me from a good friend who himself go it from someone who shoots along with some other feathers- I think its some sort of Duck but I have shown it in the photo so you get the idea.
My version uses the following materials:
- Hanak Jig Hook #10-16
- Hanak 3.5mm Slotted Pink Tungsten Bead
- Butt: Medium Red Holographic tinsel
- Tail: Strongly barred feather tips- ideally Coq De Leon
- Body: Black Cock Pheasant Tail fibres
- Rib: Fine Solid wire or copper wire
- Collar: Blend of Spectra #45 and Spectra #46 Dubbing
- Thread: 8/0 Black UTC
Thread bead onto Hook and secure in Vice
Tie on thread and tie to just before bend of hook. Tie in Red Holographic Butt
With Red Holographic butt secure at bend of hook, prepare fibres from Coq De Leon or similar for tail
Tie In Tail don’t have it too “neat”, it wants to be splayed a little
Tie in rib, take thread up to head and back again then tie in black pheasant tail
Wind Pheasant tail to head try to get a nice tapered effect from head to tail, then bring up rib turning it onto body the opposite way so it secures the Pheasant Tail and gives the body some strength. 4 or 5 turns at most.
Dub on Blended Spectra to thread tightening as you go- build a nice collar up round back of bead.
Whip Finish, and secure with varnish, its best to varnish the thread and then tighten the knot, that way you don’t get varnish in the dubbing making it hard. You can if you wish add a light hackle of CDC in a dubbing loop before securing to have an extra buggy look.
Here are a few variants I tied this evening with and without tails and with different beads and hook sizes.
Some I tied earlier
This is my first go at a Step by Step- need to get a better camera and somewhere to take the shots, and I am not the greatest tier in the world but let me know what you think and I might do some more
Addendum: Here is a CDC hackled variant- very buggy looking!
French Nymph with CDC Hackle
Great first SBS. Looks a nice wee effective pattern too. I have been thinking about making an SBS myself. You have encouraged me. Looks like we will have plenty tying time on our hands due to all this atrocious weather.
Allan.
Thanks Allan
Yep- was tying these for a day out on the Tweed chasing the ladies this weekend but I suspect its gonna be blown out- river is over 2metres- was really looking forward to it too. A rarely fished section (for Grayling).
Still there will be other opportunities- best be ready eh?
K