
Mother Shucker
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
Life-Flex Spandex Material - Small, white, for the hackle stacker loop
White · Small
Whiting 100 Pack dry fly saddle hackle, grizzly, size 18 feather
Grizzly · 18
How to Tie the Mother Shucker
- 1
Step 1
Secure the hook in the vise, start the thread and trim the tag.
- 2
Step 2
Cut a thin strip of gray Razor Foam from the sheet.
- 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
Step 4
Trim the rear of the foam to length.
- 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
Step 6
Tie in a grizzly hackle at the base of the loop.
- 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
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
Step 9
Tie the loop down behind the eye and trim the excess.
- 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