How to Tie a Hairy Fodder Fly

The Hairy Fodder fly is used for warm water fishing, and is particularly useful when fly fishing for small mouth bass. The fly is versatile and can be modified by changing the hook size and tail length. If you wish, add eyes that have small rattles inside to provide a sound in the water that attracts the smallmouth, along with the flash on the sides and tail.

Things You'll Need

  • Fly vise
  • Forceps
  • Clippers
  • Size 1/0, 2 or 4 hook
  • Dumbbell Eyes, small size 2
  • Holographic Flashabou
  • One strip eight-legs
  • One cross-cut rabbit strip
  • Size .006 Mono thread
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place your hook into the fly vise, keeping the hook curve down from the vise. Wrap the shank with the .006 mono thread, going up the shaft in coils so one layer of thread coats the hook.

    • 2

      Slide the dumbbell eyes onto the hook, near the eye of the hook itself, then push the dumbbells all the way up to the hook eye.

    • 3

      Fold the strip of eight-legs in half and place it over the shank of the hook. Wrap the eight-legs so there is a collar holding the neck to the shank, leaving the legs to hang out from the back and over the hook's curve. Make sure the collar is as close to the dumbbell eyes as possible.

    • 4

      Place the flash over the sides of the hook and coil the .006 thread around the neck of the hook so the flash "fluffs" up the sides of the hook. Trim the eight-legs so they are just past the length of the flash.

    • 5

      Place the rabbit hair onto the shank, keeping the hair direction facing the curve of the hook. Slide it up to the collar near the dumbbells. Wrap it to the hook with the .006 thread. Cut off the thread and place the end under one of the wrapped coils to secure the fly into position.