Secure the eyes a little past the eye of the hook. If tied to close you won’t leave enough room for the wool to be cut correctly. Also crowding will make it difficult to shape around the eyes. To see how the eyes are tied in you can view the sculpin.

Showing you how to hold it to add zap-a-gap so you can fold over the pine squirrel to create the kicker legs.

This is how it should look when finished. You only need to keep it pinched for a few seconds. The only thing you need to watch out for is over gluing the hide. If you do, you will know because it will get into the hair itself.

Tie on the legs where the hide part is facing out (towards you). They will be tied directly on the sides of the hook shank. When I do this part (it’s optional) I tie in the pine squirrel where there’s a little hair going forward. Notice in the picture, you can see a little hair going towards the front. Split just a little and tie it where the split is.

The rest of the fly will be wool. Cut even amounts as you tie in the clumps to make the body. There should be a total of 4 clumps. One on the top and one on the bottom. Remember the white belly will be tied on top and the olive will be tied on the bottom. Because of the way the eyes are tied on the top, it will shift the fly upside down keeping the hook riding upright (keeled style).

The first clump you can see I leave a little hanging off the back. This will also create a little more body for the back. Both clumps will be tied in like that. When cutting the clump, you will be tying it in like deer hair, right in the center of the clump. I tie it in about three times then I’m ready to do the other side. Remember to keep the clump separated in the middle until you get both clumps tied in. Next you’ll fold the first clump (cream) back, then the olive. It’s like stacking deer hair.

Here’s how the first set of wool hair should look after being tied in. Advance the thread up just a little for the next clump. A good reference on where to tie it in is you will have one more clump tied in right behind the eye. So it needs to be proportioned from the length of how much hook shank is left showing up to the eyes.

Repeat the same process two more times. Don’t go crazy on the clumps of wool. Just keep in mind the purpose of the wool is to create a full body when cut to shape.

This is the last step before you trim it to shape. There should be a little space for the last clump to be tied in front of the eyes. The key here is to keep it back from the eye of the hook so you’ll have room to whip finish the fly.

Whip finish the fly

When making the cuts you’ll start at the head and trim back. Trim the head at a angle going out as your going back. Then trim the belly a little flat and the top more round. At the back you’ll taper it back in towards the body.

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