Step 1: With your size 10 Daiichi 1120 or TMC 2457 secured in the vise, wrap and secure Pink 6/0 UNI-Thread to the hook shank and wrap back until the thread wraps are just past the barb point.
Step 2: Cut a 4-5 inch piece of Wapsi Angora Rabbit Yarn (Salmon Egg). Fold it in half to create a loop and secure the tag ends to the hook.
Step 3: Cut a 3 inch piece of Wapsi Sparkle Braid (Peach/Pearl). Secure one tag end to the hook.Note: You can also use Hareline Diamond Braid. Make sure the Braid is centered between the Angora Rabbit Yarn Loop.
Step 4: Pull the Braid through the loop so the loop sits on top. Now take a small pinch of Ice Dub (Fl. Shell Pink) and by using your thumb and index finger, twist or "dub" the Ice Dub around the Angora Rabbit Yarn.Note: Dub one side of the loop at a time.
Step 5: Using your index finger and thumb, pinch a small loop of the Angora Yarn and Sparkle Braid. Secure that loop with 2-3 wraps of the thread. Make sure the Sparkle Braid is running down the center of the hook shank with the Angora Rabbit Yarn on either side of it.
Step 6: Just like in Step 5, pinch a second loop and secure it with 2-3 wraps of thread. Now push both loops back on the hook shank so they sit nice and snug together.
Step 7: Continue pinching and securing the loops until you get close to the eye of the hook. Make sure you don't crowd the eye. If you do find that you are too close, you can push all the loops back a little.
Step 8: Cut off the excess materials that are hanging over the eye of the hook. Secure the tag ends with a couple of half hitches or whip-finishes.
Note: The top of the fly should have the Sparkle Braid running along the center of the hook shank with the Angora Rabbit Yarn on either side like this.
The final product!! You can use your fingers to pull out more Ice Dub fibers if you need to.
Note: You can do any color combination or size you'd like. I usually start fishing with a size 10 and I like to carry these colors. This is my go-to fly in the spring. I normally start with two of these on an indicator rig. I'll run two different colors at the same time. If they are taking one color more consistently, then I switch to two of those.
These are my two favorite colors. Left: Salmon Egg Angora Yarn/Peach Pearl Braid/Fl. Shell Pink Ice Dub. Right: Cheese Angora Yarn/Fl. Yellow Braid/Chartreuse Ice Dub.Eirik Vitso guides for Colton Bay Outfitters and owns/operates Vitso Images, a photography and design business. All materials for this pattern can be found at Colton Bay Outfitters in Ann Arbor, MI.
