Bloodworm – Chatto’s TBH marabou bloodworm

 

Published: Mar 14, 2011

Midges are part of the Chironomidae family of true flies. They are very small as the name implies and their cycle is similar to the mayfly or the Caddisfly. When fish are taking midges the midges are generally available in large numbers. The Lava is between 6 & 12 mm in length and is blood red legless maggots that live in the sediment in the bottom of the lake. As they mature into pupae the colour may change to black grey or green and a bulbous wing case and curved abdomen develop. When its time to emerge the pupae swim to the surface like a “mosquito wriggler” and break through the surface tension and hatch into small generally non-biting mosquito like flies.

This weighted bloodworm make a great point when fish a static or slow moving team of flies when midge are around.

worm-l

 worm-m
A streamlined fast sinking fly that will anchor your team. The UV mirage tinsel is just a fine line along the spine but is enough to ensure that the fly is seen at darker depths.

Materials

Hook Head Thread Extra weight Tail Rib UV spine Body and bead coating
Hanak 300BL #10 to #14 2.5 mm black tungsten bead Red #207 Hends gral 0.020 lead wire Marabou Black Uni 6/0 thread UTC opal UV mirage tinsel UV cured epoxy

Process

 

A
  1. Most beads have a large opening at one end and a smaller opening at the other.
  2. Slide a black tungsten bead over the point of the hook small opening first and position it behind the eye of the hook.
 worm-a

 

B

    Adding extra weight to the fly.

    On this fly my preference is to keep the bead size down a little and to add extra weight to compensate for that.

  1. Tie your thread in behind the bead.
  2. Take a length of 0.20 lead wire and push the front end into the back of the tungsten bead.
  3. Lock the lead wire in along the top of the hook shank until your directly above the point of the hook
  4. Worry off the excess lead wire.
 worm-b

 

C

    Adding a marabou tail to the fly.

  1. Wind the thread down to half way around the bend of the hook and then back to behind the lead wire.

worm-c

 

D
  1. Tie in a sparse marabou tail which is about as long as the hook directly behind the lead wire and alon the top of the fly to about half way around the bend of the hook.
 worm-d

 

E
  1. Take the thread back to behind the lead wire.
  2. Tie in the black thread ribbing material directly behind the lead wire.
 worm-e

 

F
  1. Tie a length of the mirage tinsel directly on top of where the thread ribbing material is tied in.
 worm-f

 

G
  1. Lock the black ribbing thread and the mirage tinsel in along the top of the hook shank until your until your half way around the bend of the hook.
 worm-g

 

H
  1. Trim off the but ends of the black thread ribbing material and the mirage tinsel.
  2. Wind the thread forward to behind the bead head creating a uniform body.
worm-h

 

I
  1. Take the mirage tinsel forward over the top of the body of the fly.
  2. Lock the mirage tinsel into that position with a wrap of thread and a half hitch behind the bead.
 worm-i

 

J
  1. Wind the black ribbing thread forward forming 6 or 7 segments along the body of the fly.
  2. Lock the black thread ribbing material into that position with a wrap of thread and a half hitch behind the bead.
 worm-j

 

K
  1. Build up a thread collar behind the bead head and trim away the excess red thread.
 worm-k

 

L
  1. Coat the body of the fly and the tungsten bead with UV knot sense and cure that with your UV torch.
 worm-l

 



Last Updated: March 14, 2011
Author:
Categories: Flies, Midge pupa, grubs & snails, My 'trout' lake wet fly box
Tags: , ,