Pat's Rubber Legs

Nymph imitating stoneflies, for trout. Beginner. Pat Bennett.

A weighted body of black and coffee variegated chenille with rubber-leg tails and antennae and three pairs of rubber legs.

Materials

Steps

  1. Add weight: lead-free wire Wrap the lead-free wire in touching turns from 40% of the way along the shank to 75% of the way along the shank.
  2. Attach thread Attach the thread at 92% of the way along the shank with a few turns and trim the tag end.
  3. Tie in: black spanflex (antennae) Tie in the black spanflex (antennae) pointing forward over the eye, 1.3× the gape long. Splayed; trim to about the tail length.
  4. Wrap thread Wrap the thread to the start of the bend in touching turns.
  5. Tie in: black spanflex (tails) Tie in the black spanflex (tails), leaving 1.4× the gape sticking out behind. They splay naturally.
  6. Tie in: black and coffee variegated chenille, medium Tie in the black and coffee variegated chenille, medium with a few firm thread turns.
  7. Wrap thread Wrap the thread to 30% of the way along the shank in touching turns.
  8. Tie in: black spanflex (legs) Tie a strand of black spanflex (legs) across the shank by the middle with figure-of-eight turns, so 1.8× the gape sticks out on each side as legs. A turn of the strand round shank and finger, locked with resin; snip the loop.
  9. Wrap thread Wrap the thread to halfway along the shank in touching turns.
  10. Tie in: black spanflex (legs) Tie a strand of black spanflex (legs) across the shank by the middle with figure-of-eight turns, so 1.8× the gape sticks out on each side as legs.
  11. Wrap thread Wrap the thread to 70% of the way along the shank in touching turns.
  12. Tie in: black spanflex (legs) Tie a strand of black spanflex (legs) across the shank by the middle with figure-of-eight turns, so 1.8× the gape sticks out on each side as legs.
  13. Wrap thread Wrap the thread to 90% of the way along the shank in touching turns.
  14. Wind: black and coffee variegated chenille, medium Wind the black and coffee variegated chenille, medium forward to 90% of the way along the shank in 11 turns. Forward between the legs.
  15. Tie off: black and coffee variegated chenille, medium Tie off the black and coffee variegated chenille, medium with a few thread turns and trim the excess.
  16. Whip finish Form a small head, whip finish with 5 turns and cut the thread.

History

Tied by Pat Bennett, a guide at Hyde Outfitters in Island Park, Idaho, after big rubber-legged stonefly patterns such as the Girdle Bug. The date isn't recorded. Black and coffee chenille is a favourite of guides across the Rockies, who fish it all year.

Fishing it

A guide's searching nymph, for anywhere big stoneflies live: empty nymph shucks on the rocks are a good sign. Fish it deep and bump it along the bottom and into pools.

Sources