Fly Tying Inventory
Bucktooth Callibaetis
Curtis Fry designed this unweighted Callibaetis nymph or emerger for stillwater after a trip when most of his Callibaetis patterns sank too fast. It suits the times when fish are focused on bugs close to the surface. He fishes it as a dropper on a weightless rig, on a rig with a weighted anchor fly, or below a dry fly, on a floating or intermediate line. A barred turkey biot body, a UV hot orange hot spot and a soft Greenwell hen hackle give it a buggy look. Tied here on a size 14 hook.
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Materials
Premium Partridge Feathers, natural
Natural
Ice Dub, UV hot orange, for the hot spot
UV Hot Orange
Ice Dub, olive brown
Olive Brown
How to Tie the Bucktooth Callibaetis
- 1
Step 1
Set the hook in the vise, start the thread and lay a thin base back to the bend.
- 2
Step 2
Pull a small bunch of partridge fibers from the feather and tie them in at the bend for a tail. Bind the butts along the shank and trim any excess.
- 3
Step 3
Tie in a barred turkey biot by its tip at the base of the tail, then bring the thread forward.
- 4
Step 4
Clip hackle pliers to the biot and wrap it forward in touching turns so the barring forms a segmented body. Tie it off well short of the eye and trim it.
- 5
Step 5
Dub a small ball of UV hot orange Ice Dub at the front of the body for the hot spot.
- 6
Step 6
Size a Greenwell hen feather against the hook and tie it in by the stem just ahead of the hot spot, with the tip pointing out over the eye. Trim the stem.
- 7
Step 7
Dub a slim thorax of olive brown Ice Dub over the hackle tie-in, ahead of the hot spot.
- 8
Step 8
Grip the hen feather tip in hackle pliers and wrap a few turns forward to the eye. Tie it off and trim the tip.
- 9
Step 9
Stroke the fibers back, build a small thread head and whip finish.
Watch Tying Tutorial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFAWgXvi7w4
Credit: Curtis Fry / Fly Fish Food