GREEN RUMP LEECH

SUBMITTED BY: Jack Butula


Fly Tied by Jack Butula
Photo taken by Ruben Breitkreutz

When nothing else is working and I don't know to do, this is my go-to fly. It is mast effective in spring but I had some luck with it in late fall. My guess as to why it is so effective is that it imitates a number of food items, hence a good searching (desperation) pattern.

FISHING METHOD: I use it on the Shuswap and Mara Lakes in February - April to imitate small salmon fry. A  fast to medium retrieve with a deep line in February - March and a slow retrieve in April seems to work. It is dynamite in smaller lakes in April to July to imitate leeches, swimming sedge nymphs, damsels and dragonfly nymphs. I've had terrific days with it on Hidden, Jimmy and Kidney lakes when others were struggling to catch a fish. It is effective on a deep slow troll in the middle of the day when the fish are not surface feeding and again at the surface at dark after a Chironomid hatch. I've even had fish bite it when its been hanging off the side of the boat when I put my rod down for a few minutes. The marabou always seems to undulating.

 Hook  Mustad 9672 size 10
 Thread  6/0 dark olive or medium brown
 Tail  Marabou - medium to dark olive
 Ribbing  Tying thread
 Weight  Lead - small to medium
 Body  Marabou - medium to dark olive
 Underwing  Marabou - medium to dark olive
 Overwing  Pheasant rump - medium to dark brown
 Enticer  Crystal flash or Flashabou - dark green, pearl   or silver

TYING NOTES: 

  1. Pinch your barb down and lay down a thread base.

  2. Wrap the weight on the front 1/3 of the shank.

  3. Take some long olive marabou fibres and tie them in for the tail. Wrap the rest forward to make the body (fatter for dragon and sedge nymphs, narrower for damsels and minnows), stop 1/8 inch from the eye.

  4. Wrap the tying thread forward to strengthen the marabou.

  5. Tie in a couple of strands of crystal flash on each side. The crystal flash should run the length of the fly.

  6. Tie in some  olive marabou tips on top, the length of the fly for the underwing.

  7. Tie in the overwing of brown pheasant rump from the front to 3/4 the length of the body and tail.

  8. Whip finish  and cement the head.

   CAUTION: Be sure to hang on to your rod while fishing this pattern. Good Luck!

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