Whitlock's Near 'Nuff Sculpin
This is, without a doubt, my favorite smallmouth fly. At least as far as those "bottom bouncing" flies are concerned. I tie the hackle in by the tip in front of the tail and palmer it forward, folding the hackle back as I wrap, hoping to achieve a rearward slant to the hackle. I like that better than the front-to-back hackle that is counter wound with a ribbing wire for this particular fly.
Tying instructions:
- Tie in a dumbbell eyes slightly back from the hook eye with tight figure-eight wraps of thread.
- Select a pair of matching hackles for the tail and measure them so they are a shank length long or slightly longer (not too long).
- Tie the tail hackles upright (in line with the hook bend) right where the bend begins.
- Tie one or two strands of flash along each side of the tail.
- Select a body hackle that is slight longer in barb length than the tail hackles. Don't strip all the fluff off the base.
- Dub a thick body up to the dumbbell eyes. (Optionally, build up an underbody with yarn or heavy thread).
- Dub a thick body up to the dumbbell eyes. (Optionally, build up an underbody with yarn or heavy thread).
- Dub around and between the dumbbell eyes, forming a small head.
- DWhip finish and clip your thread.