Fly Tying Inventory
Dubbing Loop Sculpin
An articulated, mostly synthetic sculpin from Brandon of Fly Fish Food, built around three ideas: a broad head, visible gills and enough weight to work right on the bottom. Weight lashed to the hook shank turns the fly over so the point rides up, which lets it slither across rocks with fewer hangups. The body is spun in dubbing loops, and the head is built from a blend of three shades of Bruiser Blend for a natural mottled color. Tied here on a size 2 hook with three Fish Spine shanks.
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Materials
Articulated Fish Spines shank, 10mm
10mm
Articulated Fish Spines shank, 15mm
15mm
Articulated Fish Spines shank, 20mm
20mm
Wooly Bugger Marabou, sculpin olive
Sculpin Olive
Stiff wire for the connecting loop, with a few small beads on it for the belly weight
Hareline Ice Dub, red, for the gills
Red
Hareline Senyo's Barred Predator Wrap, barred UV, for the gills
Barred UV
Bruiser Blend Dubbing, brown, brown olive and tan, blended by hand
Brown, Brown Olive, Tan
Hareline Fluorescent Fly Eyes, fluorescent yellow, 1/4" (6.3mm)
Fl. Yellow · 1/4" (6.3mm)
Glue, for the eyes
How to Tie the Dubbing Loop Sculpin
- 1
Step 1
Mount the 10mm shank in the vise and start the thread.
- 2
Step 2
Tie in a bunch of marabou at the rear of the shank for the tail. Bind the butts down, trim any excess and whip finish.
- 3
Step 3
Link the next shank to the finished tail section and mount it in the vise. A material clip keeps the tail out of the way.
- 4
Step 4
Start the thread at the rear, form a dubbing loop and load it with Mega Simi Seal. Spin the loop into a rope, wrap it forward along the shank and stroke the fibers back. Tie off and whip finish.
- 5
Step 5
Link the 20mm shank to the front of the body and repeat the dubbing loop, keeping the body full and even from joint to joint.
- 6
Step 6
Mount the hook in the vise and start the thread. Pass a length of wire through the front of the last shank, then bind it down on the hook shank to join the body to the hook, leaving one long end free.
- 7
Step 7
Slide a few small beads onto the free end of the wire, bring it forward along the top of the hook shank, on the side that will be the belly when the fly is turned over, and bind it down so the beads sit in a row just ahead of the body. Trim the excess wire.
This belly weight is what rolls the fly over so the hook point rides up and away from the rocks.
- 8
Step 8
Spin a sparse amount of red Ice Dub in a dubbing loop and wrap it around the shank just in front of the body for the gills, then wrap a short section of Barred Predator Wrap ahead of it.
- 9
Step 9
Sweep the gill fibers back along the body and secure them with a few thread wraps.
- 10
Step 10
Blend the three colors of Bruiser Blend by hand. Tie a bunch in by the middle behind the eye so the fibers point both forward and back. Add another bunch the same way if the head needs more bulk.
Kiley's Fish Finz can be added just in front of the gills before the head goes on.
- 11
Step 11
Fold the forward fibers back over the gills and take a few wraps in front of them to hold them, for a full head. Whip finish.
- 12
Step 12
Comb out the head and trim the top and bottom so it finishes broad and flat rather than round, blending back into the body.
- 13
Step 13
Glue a Fluorescent Fly Eye on each side of the head.
Watch Tying Tutorial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBZq-0nNJL8
Credit: Brandon Mena / Fly Fish Food