Fly Tying Inventory
Squirrel Nugget
Squirrel Nugget is a stripped-down nymph from Cheech of Fly Fish Food, built mostly from squirrel with a coq de leon tail and a dollop of resin for the wing case. It can pass for anything from a mayfly nymph to a scud. Cheech plans to fish it from his stillwater boxes as a dropper on a midge tip rig. It also works with a lead underbody or a tungsten bead in the thorax, and in olive, claret, purple or black. Tied here on a size 14 hook.
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Materials
Whiting Coq de Leon Tailing Pack, medium pardo
Medium Pardo
Ice Dub, pheasant tail
Pheasant Tail
Loon Fluorescing UV Clear Fly Finish, the first coat of the wing case
Loon UV Clear Fly Finish Thick 1/2 oz, the second coat of the wing case
How to Tie the Squirrel Nugget
- 1
Step 1
Mount the hook in the vise, start the camel thread and wrap back to the bend. Trim the tag.
- 2
Step 2
Tie in a small bunch of coq de leon fibers at the bend for the tail. Bind the butts down and trim any excess.
- 3
Step 3
Mix the gray squirrel with the two Ice Dub colors to make the dubbing.
- 4
Step 4
Form a dubbing loop at the base of the tail and bring the thread forward on the shank.
- 5
Step 5
Spread some of the dubbing along the loop and spin it into a rope.
- 6
Step 6
Wrap the rope forward to form the abdomen and tie it off. Trim the excess.
- 7
Step 7
Build a fuller thorax with more of the same dubbing, stopping behind the eye.
- 8
Step 8
Whip finish behind the eye and trim the thread.
- 9
Step 9
Comb out the dubbing so the fibers stand out along the sides of the fly.
- 10
Step 10
Trim away the stray fibers, keeping the top of the thorax neat for the wing case.
- 11
Step 11
Apply a coat of Fluorescing UV Clear over the top of the thorax and cure it with a UV light.
- 12
Step 12
Add a coat of Thick UV Clear over the first coat to shape the wing case, then cure it.
Watch Tying Tutorial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIjjKnstb90
Credit: Cheech / Fly Fish Food