Bottom Flies




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Claire's Partridge

Claire's Partridge is the second of six flies in a series of Bream Bugs designed by Carter Nelson to take big fish in deeper water.


Materials List


Hook Mustad 9671 Size 10
Thread 6/0 Uni-Thread Black
Eyes Lead Barbell Extra Small - 1/50th oz.
Tail Round Rubber Yellow
Body Small Chenille Yellow and Black
Legs Partridge Feather Natural
Antenna Round Rubber Yellow
Head Dubbing Black

Tying Notes


Claire's Partridge is tied basically the same way that the "Weighted Rubber Legs" (the first fly in this series) is tied.

I'm using Haretron Dubbin for the head, because I think it's one of the best dubbing materials around, but you can use any dubbing fur that you like.

The Materials List calls for 1/50th oz. lead barbell eyes, but if you can find smaller weight eyes you may want to use them. However, 1/50th oz. is the maximum weight that you should use.


Angling Tips


You can swim this fly anywhere in the water column that you like depending on the retrieve that you employ. Or, you can crawl or bounce it on the bottom, if you like. All methods seem to work.


Tying Instructions


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Step 1

Before you clamp the hook in the vice bend it in this fashion with your pliers. Doing this helps the hook to ride upside down with the hook's point riding up. It helps prevents snags.


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Step 2

Clamp the hook in the vice and crimp the barb.

Attach the thread behind the hook's eye and lay down a base of thread back to the hook's bend.


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Step 3

Attach two rubber strands to the top of the hook's shank to form the tail and the antenna. Trim the rubber so that both are about hook shank's length.


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Step 4

Attach the lead barbell eyes slightly behind the hook's eye with several figure-eight wraps. Some super glue on the thread will help lock the eyes in place.


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Step 5

Tie in a piece of yellow chenille. Butt the piece of chenille up against the eyes and bind it down to the base of the tail.

Return the thread to slightly past the center of the hook's shank.


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Step 6

Wrap the chenille forward to the hanging thread and tie it off. Remove the excess chenille.


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Step 7

Tie in a piece of black chenille at the point where you tied off the yellow chenille.


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Step 8

Wrap the black chenille forward to the base of the eyes. Tie off the chenille and remove any excess.


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Step 9

Select and prepare a partridge feather as shown. Notice the tip that will be attached in the next step.


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Step 10

Tie the partridge feather in at the base of the eyes with the curved side of the feather facing the hook's shank.


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Step 11

Wrap the partridge feather to form the legs and tie it in. Remove any excess feather.


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Step 12

Apply a thin noodle of dubbing to the thread in preparation for forming the head around the barbell eyes.


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Step 13

Form the head with figure-eight wraps of the dubbed thread around the barbell eyes.

When you're satisfied that the head is an appropriate size, tie off the thread with a couple of half-hitches or a whip finish.


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Step 14

Your Claire's Partridge is finished.


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