Fly Tying Inventory
Balanced Leech – Maroon
A balanced leech tied on a jig hook with an offset bead pin that makes the fly suspend horizontally under an indicator. The maroon variant imitates bloodworms and dark leeches found in productive stillwaters. The balanced design triggers strikes from trout cruising at specific depths.
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Materials
Barbless jig hook, sizes 6-12 (e.g., Umpqua C400BL or Daiichi 4647)
Dritz beading pin or Hareline Balanced Fly Pin, trimmed to 2/3 hook shank length
1/8"-3/16" tungsten bead, metallic red or copper
6/0 or 70D, burgundy or black
Blood quill marabou, maroon
Arizona Simi Seal dubbing, maroon wine blend
Pearl Krystal Flash, 2-3 strands (optional)
Superglue or Zap-A-Gap
How to Tie the Balanced Leech – Maroon
- 1
Step 1
Place the jig hook in your vise. Trim the pin so it extends forward from the eye about the hook-eye width.
- 2
Step 2
Slide the tungsten bead onto the pin, then secure the pin on top of the hook shank with the bead extending in front of the hook eye.
- 3
Step 3
Wrap thread from the hook eye back to the bend, fully covering the pin. Add a drop of superglue for security.
Be careful not to cut your thread on the sharp pin end.
- 4
Step 4
Select a sparse clump of maroon marabou, about 1.5x shank length. Tie in at the bend. Add 2-3 strands of Krystal Flash if desired.
- 5
Step 5
Form a dubbing loop just in front of the tail. Add maroon Simi Seal dubbing and spin to create a tight rope.
- 6
Step 6
Wrap the dubbing rope forward in touching turns, brushing fibers back as you go, all the way to just behind the bead.
Add another dubbing loop if needed for longer hooks.
- 7
Step 7
Whip finish tightly behind the bead.
- 8
Step 8
Pick out the dubbing with a brush or Velcro to enhance the buggy appearance. Check balance by hanging from the eye – the fly should sit horizontally.
Watch Tying Tutorial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJQyA2lOZ0w
Credit: Jerry McBride / Various