Mother Shucker

Mother Shucker

Dry Fly
Midge
Intermediate
Rainbow Trout
Brown Trout
Cutthroat Trout
Hook: 18-22

Phil Bair of Utah designed this simple midge pattern, and Cheech ties it in this tutorial. A strip of Razor Foam runs along the shank and past the bend, so the fly floats high and needs little care on the water, while suggesting a midge emerging at the surface. The grizzly hackle is set with a hackle stacker made from elastic Life-Flex rather than monofilament, which gathers the fibers on top of the fly. Fish it during midge hatches, including in winter. Tied here in gray on a size 18 hook. Sizes 18 to 22 are common, and other colors work too.

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Materials

Hook

TMC 100 dry fly hook, size 18 (or Umpqua XC120BL-BN)

18

Thread

Semperfli Classic Waxed Thread 12/0, gray

Gray · 12/0

Body

Razor Foam, opaque gray (or Rainy's Cross-Link Sheet Foam, 1mm, gray)

Opaque Gray

Other

Life-Flex Spandex Material - Small, white, for the hackle stacker loop

White · Small

Hackle

Whiting 100 Pack dry fly saddle hackle, grizzly, size 18 feather

Grizzly · 18

How to Tie the Mother Shucker

  1. 1

    Step 1

    Secure the hook in the vise, start the thread and trim the tag.

  2. 2

    Step 2

    Cut a thin strip of gray Razor Foam from the sheet.

  3. 3

    Step 3

    Tie the strip on top of the shank so the end extends past the bend. Add a band of thread wraps along the foam to divide it into a short front section and a longer rear section.

  4. 4

    Step 4

    Trim the rear of the foam to length.

  5. 5

    Step 5

    Move the thread forward to the front of the foam. Tie in a doubled length of small white Life-Flex on top of the shank to form a loop that stands up, then trim the tags.

  6. 6

    Step 6

    Tie in a grizzly hackle at the base of the loop.

  7. 7

    Step 7

    Hold the loop up and wind the hackle around its base, parachute style. Tie off the hackle and trim the tip.

  8. 8

    Step 8

    Pull the loop forward over the top of the hackle and past the eye, gathering the fibers on top of the fly.

  9. 9

    Step 9

    Tie the loop down behind the eye and trim the excess.

  10. 10

    Step 10

    Whip finish behind the eye and trim the thread.

Watch Tying Tutorial

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcuG0_fK-D8

Credit: Phil Bair / Fly Fish Food

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