The Bullhead Leech
The Bullhead Leech is a particular favorite of mine because it creates more water displacement than the simpler Down and Dirty Leech. It’s easy and fast to tie and can be permutated into some really great imitations of baitfish as well as yielding some modern variations on old tyme bucktails like the Mickey Finn and Blacknose Dace.
Step One. Create the Down and Dirty Minnow, leaving enough room for the head–I start the fly about in the center of the shank. In this case the Down and Dirty portion is blended from white and black FoxxFurr™, a product from Targus Fly and Feather, Inc. Form a second dubbing loop at the back of the head.
Step One: Form the Down and Dirty Leech portion of the fly, leaving enough room for the head.
Step Two: Separately blend the dubbings for the head. In this case black and white, and form the dubbing into a small “gob.” Place a gob of one color on top of the gob of the other color and insert the bicolored gob of dubbing into the top of the spinning loop. In this case the dubbing is made from FoxxFurr™ cut into pieces about 3/4 of an inch long.
Step Two: Place a gob of one color on top of a gob of the other color and insert into the top of the spinning loop.
Step Three: Spin the dubbing very tight ,and using your thumb and forefinger, pluck out any fur that is not caught in the wound loop. The dubbing will appear as two separate stripes within the loop–in this case zebra stripes.
Step Three: Spin the loop tight and pluck out any unsecured dubbing.
Step Four: Wind the dubbing to form the head. Typically I wind two turns very tightly right in front of the collar and then finish the head by wrapping forward. This tapers the head from back to front. The finished fly has a very compact head–like a Muddler–that will push water very nicely while still allowing the fly to sink quickly.
Step Four: Wind the head and finish the fly.
A 2nd dubbing loop? Looks like the first part was just applied, then the 2nd portion dubbed. Please fill me in on that first tail/body section. Thanks.
Hi Jere,
Look on the Down and Dirty Leech main page. It shows how to apply the body with the spinning loop.
Best,
GB