September 2000 Fly of the Month - Bobs Bucktail Baitfish

What struck me about this fly was not so much the pattern, it is simply a hi-lo tie on a larger scale. I think that the color combination of aqua into chartreuse into white really blends well and is a great example of catching the fisherman’s eye. That’s important, because if you have confidence in a pattern you will catch fish with it.

You will want to use the longest and softest bucktail you can find. This is important to the shape and action of the fly.

Hook	911s 3/0-4/0
Thread	Fine Mono
Flash	Sparkleflash pearl
Tail bucktail	White or flourescent yellow
Midsection bucktail	Chartreuse
Forward section	Aquablue
Eyes	Optional

Tying Instructions

1	Begin your thread wrap at the point of the hook and wrap forward to the eye and back again.
2	Select a sparse bunch of white bucktail and tie in at the initial tie in point.
3	Add a few strands of flash along the sides of the bucktail.
4	Proceed tying along the shank of the hook in the hi-lo method.
5	I use 3 bunches of white, 3 of chartreuse and 2 of aqua. Ad flash along the white and first bunch of chartruse only. This balance is adequate.
6	You can add a stick on eye if you wish, I find it distracting on this pattern, so I omit it.
TIP: The farther apart you space the bunches of hair the more slender the profile, the opposite effect occurs when you use thicker bunches closer together.