Down & Dirty Leech—Blended
Blending is an easy process that yields some very unique characteristics to the finished fly. In this example, I have used only two colors, black and white, to demonstrate the process, but more can be used.
Step One. Attach the thread and make a spinning loop. Cut a clump of each fiber to be blended and lay them, one on top of the other. Pick up the stacked clump and insert it into the spinning loop.
Step One. Stack the colors and then insert the entire clump into the spinning loop.
Step Two. Spin the loop and brush out the fibers to form a 3-D hackle.
Step Two. Spin the loop tight and brush out the 3-D hackle.
Step Three. Wind the material forward and finish the fly. Remember after each turn to stroke the fibers rearward so they are not trapped under the next turn. Note the white thread head.
Step Three. Wind the 3-D hackle forward and finish the fly. Note the white thread head.
Don’t like the white thread head? Use a permanent marker and color it as desired before applying the head cement. In this case, I used a black marker.
Color the thread head any shade desired.