Fly Tying Inventory
Shop Vac
Shop Vac, also known as Nyman's Shop Vac, is a long-standing variation on the Pheasant Tail, tied here by Cheech. A body of pheasant tail fibers is ribbed with copper wire and finished with a short tuft of white yarn just behind a small gold tungsten bead. It can stand in for a broad range of insects, from little midges up to larger caddis pupae. Tied here on a size 16 hook.
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Materials
Core C1120 Curved Nymph and Scud hook, size 16 (or TMC 2487 or Daiichi 1120)
16
Semperfli Classic Waxed Thread 12/0, black (or UTC Ultrathread 70 Denier)
Black · 12/0
Fulling Mill Tungsten Beads, gold, 2.0mm (or Plummeting Tungsten Beads - Classic Colors)
Gold · 2.0mm
Ringneck Pheasant Tail, natural (or Nature's Spirit Ringneck Pheasant Center Tails)
Natural
Sparkle Emerger Yarn, clear white (or carded Antron yarn, fluorescent bright white)
Clear White
How to Tie the Shop Vac
- 1
Step 1
Slide the gold bead up to the eye of the hook and mount the hook in the vise.
- 2
Step 2
Start the black thread behind the bead, trim the tag, and wrap back to the bend.
- 3
Step 3
Tie in the copper wire at the bend so the long end trails off the back of the hook.
- 4
Step 4
Tie in a small bunch of pheasant tail fibers at the bend and trim any excess.
- 5
Step 5
Bring the thread forward to just behind the bead, leaving a little room there for the wing.
- 6
Step 6
Wrap the pheasant tail fibers forward to the thread to form the body. Tie them off and trim the excess.
- 7
Step 7
Wrap the copper wire forward over the body in an open spiral. Tie it off and trim the excess.
- 8
Step 8
Tie in a length of Sparkle Emerger Yarn by its middle on top of the shank, just behind the bead, with one end pointing forward over the bead.
- 9
Step 9
Fold the front end back, bring both ends up together and wrap at the base to set them in place.
- 10
Step 10
Form a small black thread collar behind the bead, then whip finish and trim the thread.
- 11
Step 11
Pull the yarn up and trim it to a short tuft.
Watch Tying Tutorial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyjfeZOMFqc
Credit: Nyman / Fly Fish Food