SBS Little Beadhead SimiSeal Leech (Stupid Stocker Leech)

[Tom Butler]

I've been using this leech this year, another that I favored last year isn't working so well.
Materials: Bead, thread color and simiseal, your choice. This combo has been good however, or brown with a gold bead.

Add bead to hook and lay thread base,

Even ends of simiseal, measure to body length, and tie in up shank to secure bead then fold over and wrap back. Pluck, trim to length

place simiseal in a dubbing loop, twist around for short, or place fibers out sideways for long, spin and brush out (sorry blur)

Hold brushed edge back while wrapping

Wrap forward, tie off and whip

Brush it back

Quickly dip in 190 deg. H20 to relax fibers a bit and sculpt

It doesn't seem to matter how ugly it is, it works.

 

[Brute]

One of my favorite flies is John Rhomer’s belly bead leech…it is my go to fly with a 16 soft hackle trailing behind. I’ve started tying simi seal leech’s with various bead heads, including fl orange, but haven’t tried tying one with a belly bead in ruby yet…

 

[Buzzy]

I've been using this leech this year, another that I favored last year isn't working so well.
Materials: Bead, thread color and simiseal, your choice. This combo has been good however, or brown with a gold bead.
View attachment 10693
Add bead to hook and lay thread base,
View attachment 10694
Even ends of simiseal, measure to body length, and tie in up shank to secure bead then fold over and wrap back. Pluck, trim to length
View attachment 10695
place simiseal in a dubbing loop, twist around for short, or place fibers out sideways for long, spin and brush out (sorry blur)
View attachment 10696
Hold brushed edge back while wrapping
View attachment 10697
Wrap forward, tie off and whip
View attachment 10698
Brush it back
View attachment 10699
Quickly dip in 190 deg. H20 to relax fibers a bit and sculpt
View attachment 10700
It doesn't seem to matter how ugly it is, it works.

Is the sculpting process for the fish or Tom?

Great fly!

 

[Tom Butler]

Is the sculpting process for the fish or Tom?

Great fly!

Thx. I've watched some video's from guy's I think we would agree are great stillwater fisherman, and they do it. Frankly, I don't think it matters, the ugly non-dipped ones I tied the other night were great.

 

[longputt]

I know this has been discussed for small flies but do you think a tungsten bead helps for a fly this size?

 

[Tom Butler]

I know this has been discussed for small flies but do you think a tungsten bead helps for a fly this size?

I don't know. The first ones I tied used colored brass beads from sportsman's, I got these with my last order. I can't tell a difference at this point. My gut is that sometimes they like it on the fall, so slower is better. These will get down faster, sometimes past the smaller fish to the better ones? Not enough of a consistent pattern yet to really make a call. But both are good. A chenille head egg sucking leech version has not been nearly as good, for whatever it's worth.

 

[Tom Butler]

Fly after about 3 dozen fish. Quite durable. I like wax as it preserves color but every once in while I may get a whip to unravel.

 

[FlyRod]

Nicely done Tom. Thanks.

 

[BigSplashTom]

I've been using this leech this year, another that I favored last year isn't working so well.
Materials: Bead, thread color and simiseal, your choice. This combo has been good however, or brown with a gold bead.
View attachment 10693
Add bead to hook and lay thread base,
View attachment 10694
Even ends of simiseal, measure to body length, and tie in up shank to secure bead then fold over and wrap back. Pluck, trim to length
View attachment 10695
place simiseal in a dubbing loop, twist around for short, or place fibers out sideways for long, spin and brush out (sorry blur)
View attachment 10696
Hold brushed edge back while wrapping
View attachment 10697
Wrap forward, tie off and whip
View attachment 10698
Brush it back
View attachment 10699
Quickly dip in 190 deg. H20 to relax fibers a bit and sculpt
View attachment 10700
It doesn't seem to matter how ugly it is, it works.

Tying instructions with pics too. That is excellent. Thank you.
I am using up the last of my Mustad #12 hooks (think 3906) with Simi Seal Black/Peacock tied with red glass bead.
Never thought of using the Fl. Orange or Fl. Green beads.
Great idea for stocker mania.

Thank you again for sharing.

 

[Tom Butler]

Tying instructions with pics too. That is excellent. Thank you.
I am using up the last of my Mustad #12 hooks (think 3906) with Simi Seal Black/Peacock tied with red glass bead.
Never thought of using the Fl. Orange or Fl. Green beads.
Great idea for stocker mania.

Thank you again for sharing.

You are welcome. As I mentioned in the other post, the current version has a marabou tail with a piece of black flash on each side, which adds durability. And copying @Buzzy 's vampire leech, I'm tying some with fl. chartreuse beads. With a marabou tail and/or a chartreuse bead, these versions seem just as good as the original. Over time Simi Seal Leech (SSL) became the Stupid Stocker Leech in my vocabulary.

 

[Buzzy]

You are welcome. As I mentioned in the other post, the current version has a marabou tail with a piece of black flash on each side, which adds durability. And copying @Buzzy 's vampire leech, I'm tying some with fl. chartreuse beads. With a marabou tail and/or a chartreuse bead, these versions seem just as good as the original. Over time Simi Seal Leech (SSL) became the Stupid Stocker Leech in my vocabulary.
View attachment 111178

I like mixing up materials for the vampire jig but usually I use pine squirrel zonker for the tail with a strand of red crystal flash on either side of the zonker strip. To simplify tying, I use Estaz UV chenille for the body. The only constant in my jig patterns: I always tungsten beads (just sometimes they aren't chartreuese on the vampire jig so then I guess it's a stupid stocker jig). ;-)

 

[Tom Butler]

I like mixing up materials for the vampire jig but usually I use pine squirrel zonker for the tail with a strand of red crystal flash on either side of the zonker strip. To simplify tying, I use Estaz UV chenille for the body. The only constant in my jig patterns: I always tungsten beads (just sometimes they aren't chartreuese on the vampire jig so then I guess it's a stupid stocker jig). ;-)

And I think @Billy 's jig has a bunny tail? I tried that. I have a feeling it didn't work well for me because I tied it too long. For me, I've found it important to keep the tail the same length as the body. Less missed strikes., more bobber downs resulting in hookups.

 

[Buzzy]

And I think @Billy 's jig has a bunny tail? I tried that. I have a feeling it didn't work well for me because I tied it too long. For me, I've found it important to keep the tail the same length as the body. Less missed strikes., more bobber downs resulting in hookups.

For trout, I don't use rabbit that much anymore, it gets really heavy (the hide as it absorbs water).

 

[Mike Bacca]

The uglier the fly, the fish like it more!

 

[SurfnFish]

. My gut is that sometimes they like it on the fall, so slower is better.

usually tie the same leech in both tungsten and non...rational is when it's glassy the non-tungsten leech will move better as well as telegraph takes better...conversely, in wind chop the tungsten leech will settle down both the leech and indicator from being over active.