Mike's Creek Thing

Some fly patterns are designed to be a representation of a specific thing and with a specific target in mind. This fly is not one of those! This pattern was designed in the mold of the wooly bugger...kinda looks like a lot and moves water. Changing the colors used on this pattern can help to have this pattern imitate anything from rockhoppers to sculpins, minnows, or even tadpoles. The Creek Thing is one of the patterns I tie and keep in my 'ugly fly' box and use primarily in the summer months to fish warmwater drainages in search of anything that swims. More often that not this fly is being thrown at smallies, rock bass and carp though it would not be out of place in certain conditions being thrown at trout or swung for chrome.

Thread: Tan UTC140 denier
Hook: Daiichi 1530 (alt Mustad 3906) size 6
Eyes: Lead barbell, medium
Tail: SLF Flash Blend, tan
Body1: Hungarian Partridge
Body1a: (optional) Senyo Shaggy Dub, red
Body2: Senyo Laser Dub, blend of tan and brown

Alt color1: olive SLF with sculpin olive Laser Dub
Alt color2: pearl SLF with minnow belly Laser Dub


STEP 1: With your Daiichi 1530 size 6 in the vise, get your dark brown 140 denier thread started at the head and then wrap halfway back down the hook shank.

STEP 2: Using tight figure eight wraps secure a medium lead barbell eye to the top of the hook shank.

STEP 3: Off the back of the hook shank tie in a sparse clump of tan SLF Flash Blend. I try to trim it down to a taper about one and a half times the shank length.

STEP 4: At the back of the fly tie in a Hungarian Partidge feather by the tip and palmer it forward a few wraps.

(OPTIONAL) Instead of the HP you can tie in a few clumps of red Senyo Shaggy Dub to imitate bleeding gills.

STEP 5: For this color variation I prepare a bunch of mottled Senyo Laser dub by using the Farrar blending method to combine tan and brown. Then starting behind the lead eyes tie in a clump with several tight wraps in the middle and then fold the Laser Dub over itself and add a few tight wraps at the base of the material.

STEP 6: Alternate to the other side of the hook shank and repeat Step 5.

STEP 7: Continue to repeat as you move up the hook shank until you get to the eye of the hook, then whip finish and remove the thread. What you have now pretty much looks like a hairball with a tail.

STEP 8: To finish the fly tease out the Laser Dub and trim down the head to a basic wedge shape, similar to a standard sculpin head.

Note: Generally I trim each down to a basic sculpin wedge knowing that once on the water I can use my nippers to further alter the head shape if the intended imitation needs a different silhouette.

The resulting fly is easy to cast but will get down quickly. Short 2-3" strips will bring the fly back in an erratic swimming motion that will drive any hungry fish wild!

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