Squirmy worm

 

Squirmy wormy flies hit the market in 2014 with gusto. They were described as the new wonder fly. For my part I have to say that despite their emerging reputation I thought it just a fad and didn't embrace them. Over time they have endured and their reputation of, on the day, being an exceptional fish taking fly has grown and grown. They have also become very well accepted in competition circles and consequently I have fallen into line and have added them to my fly box.

A second reputation that squirmy worm flies have developed is that they break up very easy. Part of the problem is that the extruded rubber profile is very soft and easily cut by the very thread that they are tied on with.

My version below mitigates that problem somewhat as the material is tied on with thread loaded with dubbing rather than just the thin thread.

squirmyf squirmy2 squirmy3

Materials

Hook Thread Body Dubbing
Hanak 300Bl size #10 Hends body floss Spirit River Squirmy wormies

Process

A
  1. Lay down a base of thread along of the hook shank and return the thread to to 85% position. .

 squirmya

B
  1. Load the thread with dubbing.
  2. Take a wrap of dubbing around the hook shank.
 squirmyb

C
  1. Take a length of squirmy wormy material and trim it into two equal lengths. Half a full length is perfect for one size #10 fly.
  2. Position your squirmy wormy material along the top of the hook shank so that it has roughly as much of the material in front of the hook and behind the hook.
  3. Do a 'fly tiers pinch' with the thread and dubbing rope and lock the squirmy wormy into position on top of the hook shank.
 squirmyc

D
  1. Whilst holding the squirmy material in position along the top of the hook shank progress down to the bend of the hook with firm but not tight touching turns of the thread and dubbing rope. This rope is much less likely to damage and weaken the squirmy wormie material than just thread.
 squirmyd

E
  1. Without loosing the tension on you thread and dubbing rope take the rope back up toward the eye of the hook completing a cigar shaped body that finishes at the 90% position.
  2. Lift the front section of squirmy wormy material out of the way and take one final wrap of the thread and dubbing rope between the squirmy wormy material and the eye of the hook.

squirmye

F
  1. Remove any excess dubbing from the thread.
  2. Build up a neat thread head.
  3. Whip finish the thread head. Do not use any varnish as some varnishes are solvents to the material that the squirmy wormie material is made off.
  4. It's also a good idea to store your squirmy worm flies separate to any other flies on which varnish has been used for the same reason as above.
 squirmyf



Last Updated: July 3, 2016
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Categories: Flies, Streamers & pulling flies, Trout, Trout flies
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