Brad's Brat

Materials

How to Tie the Brad's Brat

1. 1

   Step 1

   Attach thread behind the hook eye and wrap a smooth base to the bend.

2. 2

   Step 2

   Tie in a short length of flat gold tinsel at the rear. Wrap a few turns to form a tag and tie off.

3. 3

   Step 3

   Select a small clump of mixed orange hackle fibers with white bucktail on top. Tie in as the tail at the bend, about half the shank length.

4. 4

   Step 4

   Tie in the gold tinsel for ribbing along the far side of the shank.

5. 5

   Step 5

   Dub or wrap orange wool for the rear half of the body, keeping it even and slightly tapered.

6. 6

   Step 6

   Switch to red wool and wrap the front half of the body. Secure both materials cleanly.

7. 7

   Step 7

   Spiral the gold tinsel forward in evenly spaced turns over the wool body. Secure at the front.

8. 8

   Step 8

   Tie in a brown saddle hackle by the tip and take several wraps as a throat or collar. Sweep fibers rearward.

   A sparse beard-style throat gives a cleaner profile for the swing.

9. 9

   Step 9

   Stack the wing: tie in orange bucktail as the bottom third, then white bucktail as the top two-thirds. Extend the wing slightly past the tail.

10. 10

    Step 10

    Build a neat black thread head, whip finish, and apply head cement.