The pattern notebook · terrestrial
Water Walker
How do you tie a Water Walker?
Water Walker is a terrestrial fly pattern for trout. Find its 8 materials and 17 tying steps below.
- Difficulty
- 3 of 5
- Target species
- trout
- Pattern designer
- Will Dornan
Added to catalog · Updated
At the vise
Materials
- Lightning Strike SN3 Streamer/Nymph #10
- Thread (140 Denier), Brown
- 2mm Foam, Tan (body)
- Wapsi Barred Round Rubber Medium Mud Brown/Black
- 2mm Foam, Black (indicator/head)
- Krystal Flash, Pearl
- Ice Dub, Golden Brown
- UV Resin
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Tying instructions
Secure the hook in the vise and start the thread on the hook shank, leaving a full eye-length space behind the hook eye.
Wrap the thread rearward to the start of the bend, then forward to just in front of the hook point, and snip off the excess tag.
Create a slender 3-inch long noodle of Golden Brown Ice Dub on the thread and wrap it at the start of the hook bend, ending with bare thread at the hook point.
Apply a drop of super glue to the dubbing above the tying thread.
Measure the tan foam strip to extend a hook gap length behind the hook bend, compress with a firm wrap, and secure with two wraps over the foam.
Pull the forward foam back, wrap around the hook shank, and secure with two more wraps over the foam.
Create another 3-inch long noodle of dubbing and wrap it forward and back to build the underside, ending with thread halfway between the last tie-down point and the hook eye.
Anchor the foam to the hook shank as before, ending with the thread in front of the tie-down point, and cross the thread diagonally over the forward foam.
Trim the front lip of the fly to match the length of the segment behind it and relieve the angled corners.
Peel off two strands of barred rubber legs, create joints with double overhand knots, fold in half, and snip the midpoint.
Separate the rubber leg strands, secure them to the far side of the fly for the rear leg, and repeat for the near side.
Do a forward crossover wrap over the foam to relocate the thread to the forward tie-down location, stretch the legs forward, and anchor them.
Trim the hind legs to length, keeping the downward-pointing segment, and trim the forelegs.
Apply head cement to the front two tie-down locations and secure root beer crystal flash strands on top, trimming them just proud of the rear edge.
Fold the foam wings rearward, bind them down, and trim the excess foam close.
Fold a rubber leg material around the thread, secure it with cross wraps on top between the hind and forelegs, and end with the thread at the middle tie-down point.
Apply head cement to secure the legs, do a five or six-turn whip finish at the middle tie-down point, and add cement to all exposed thread wraps.