Fly Tying Inventory
California 420 Leech
California 420 Leech is a Curtis Fry stillwater pattern built around the California 420 color of Arizona Mega Simi Seal, a custom John Rohmer dubbing in a darker olive with red and green UV highlights. It imitates the darker olive leeches. Natural leeches often show several colors at once, so a tail and collar of chartreuse-dyed grizzly soft hackle and chickabou add highlights against the body, and rootbeer Krystal Flash goes in with the tail. Tied here on a size 10 hook.
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Materials
Plummeting Tungsten Beads - Metallic Colors, metallic olive, 1/8 inch (3.3mm)
Metallic Olive · 1/8 inch (3.3mm)
Round weighting wire, a short section of wraps behind the bead
Whiting Rooster Soft Hackle with Chickabou, grizzly dyed fl. yellow chartreuse (or Whiting Coq de Leon Soft Hackle with Chickabou, speckled yellow chartreuse)
Grizzly dyed fl. yellow chartreuse
Whiting Rooster Soft Hackle with Chickabou, grizzly dyed fl. yellow chartreuse, from the same patch as the tail
Grizzly dyed fl. yellow chartreuse
How to Tie the California 420 Leech
- 1
Step 1
Slide the metallic olive bead onto the hook, seat it at the eye, and mount the hook in the vise.
- 2
Step 2
For extra weight, wrap a short section of wire on the shank right behind the bead and push it up into the back of the bead.
- 3
Step 3
Start the thread behind the bead or wire, trim the tag, and wrap back to the bend.
- 4
Step 4
Tie in a chickabou feather at the bend for the tail. Bind the butt down and trim any excess.
- 5
Step 5
Tie in a few strands of rootbeer Krystal Flash at the base of the tail, fold them back over it, and trim them to length.
- 6
Step 6
Form a dubbing loop at the bend and advance the thread up the shank.
- 7
Step 7
Spread Simi Seal in the loop, spin it into a rope, and brush it to free the fibers.
- 8
Step 8
Wrap the rope forward, stopping short of the bead to leave room for the collar and a front section. Tie it off and trim.
- 9
Step 9
Tie in a soft hackle feather at the front of the body and wrap it with hackle pliers for the collar. Tie it off and trim.
- 10
Step 10
Make a short second dubbing loop with more Simi Seal and wrap it in front of the collar, up to the bead. Tie it off and trim.
- 11
Step 11
Whip finish behind the bead and trim the thread.
- 12
Step 12
Brush the fly out so the Simi Seal fibers blend with the tail and collar.
Watch Tying Tutorial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_qFhyHX3Rs
Credit: Curtis Fry / Fly Fish Food