Fly Tying Inventory
Freaky Frog
Chad Johnson, a guide at Dally's Ozark Fly Fisher and a fly designer for Umpqua, created the Freaky Frog as a foam surface fly for largemouth and smallmouth bass. It also takes trout in stillwaters that hold frogs. The body is built from strips of tan fly foam and olive Frog Foam folded and bound around the shank, with barred rubber legs, a little olive dubbing, 3D eyes and a stainless wire weed guard. Lead wire goes on the shank under the foam. Tied here on a size 2 hook.
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Materials
Stainless steel wire, for the weed guard
Lead wire, .035 inch
.035
Fly foam sheet, tan, 1/8 inch, cut into strips
Tan · 1/8 inch
Frog Foam, olive, cut into a strip for the back
Olive
Silly Legs, hopper yellow Perfectly Barred and olive/black flake
Hopper yellow barred, olive/black flake
Foam ant body, black, large
Black · Large
Hareline Oval Pupil 3D eyes, red with black pupil, 5/16 inch
Red/black pupil · 5/16 inch
How to Tie the Freaky Frog
- 1
Step 1
Mount the size 2 hook and start the olive GSP thread. Tie in the stainless wire for the weed guard along the shank.
- 2
Step 2
Wrap a layer of .035 lead wire on the shank and cover it with thread.
- 3
Step 3
Cut two thin strips from the tan foam sheet and tie them on top of the shank, leaving long ends.
- 4
Step 4
Tie a strip of olive Frog Foam on top of the tan strips.
- 5
Step 5
Tie bunches of both colors of Silly Legs on each side of the shank at the tie-in point.
- 6
Step 6
Dub a little olive Prism SLF over the tie-in area to cover the thread.
- 7
Step 7
Fold the tan foam strips back into loops along the sides and bind them down, then bring the olive Frog Foam over the top as the back, leaving a loop of olive foam at the head. Trim the excess foam.
- 8
Step 8
Tie an overhand knot in the rear legs to make knees and trim all the legs to length.
- 9
Step 9
Bend the weed guard wire into place in front of the hook point and crimp the end with pliers.
- 10
Step 10
Add the black foam ant body at the head and glue a 3D eye on each side of the head. Whip finish.
Watch Tying Tutorial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBoVCIj2rqs
Credit: Chad Johnson / Steve Dally