TBH cheeky

 

This as a good buggy looking fly that has the advantage of having its hot spot on each side of the fly. I like to fish it on my top dropper as an "anchor fly" with one or two lighter flies below.

Materials

 

Hook Thread Weight Tail Rib Body Cheeks Thorax
Knapek G #10 to #14 Brown TBH + lead wire Brown Hen Hackle fibres Fine Copper wire Light brown Seals fur dubbing Red holographic tinsel Dark brown Seals fur dubbing

Process

 

A
  1. Most beads have a large opening at one end and a smaller opening at the other. Slide a tungsten bead over the point of the hook small opening first and position it behind the eye of the hook. I have used a 4 mm bead on a #10 hook here.
  2. Wind the thread in touching turns half way down the hook shank.
  3. If your going to add extra weight do that know . . . I always do because I want this fly to sink quickly and stay in the zone longer. On this size #10 fly I have added 10 wraps of .15 mm lead to the front half of the hook shank.

 

B
  1. Wind the thread down round the bend of the hook until it is in a position which is half way along the bite of the hook.
  2. Tie in a tail equal 1/2 to 2/3 the length of the hook shank. Resist the temptation to make the tail too bulky and too long.
  3. Tie in a length of copper wire.

 

C
  1. Dub on a body of light brown Seals fur dubbing along the length of the fly.

 

D
  1. Wind the wire ribbing along the body of the fly forming 5 or 6 segments at the same time lashing down the loose dubbing fibres.
  2. Take a couple of extra touching turns of the copper wire behind the bead head before worrying off the excess wire.
  3. Return the thread 1/3 of the way down the body of the fly.

 

E
  1. Tie a length of holographic tinsel in on each side of the fly.

 

F
  1. Roll a small amount of the dark brown Seals fur dubbing onto the thread and dub on a collar between where the wing bud is tied in and the back of the bead.

 

G
  1. Pull the front strip of holographic tinsel forward and tie it off directly behind the bead.
  2. Repeat the process with the back strip of holographic tinsel.

 

H
  1. Trim the excess holographic tinsel from each cheek.
  2. Take several tight wraps of thread directly behind the bead.
  3. Whip finish behind the bead, trim the thread and varnish the thread behind the bead and the bead itself. If you don't varnish the bead it will tarnish quite quickly.