The pattern notebook · streamer

Gotcha

Name: Fly Tyer's Bench
Author: Fly Tyer's Bench

How do you tie a Gotcha?

Gotcha is a streamer fly pattern for saltwater. Find its 8 materials and 20 tying steps below.

Added to catalog March 8, 2026 · Updated March 26, 2026

At the vise

Have some of these already? The app matches recipes against your inventory and helps you build a shopping list for the gaps.

Start thread behind the eye.
Create a thread base over the front 1/3 of the shank.
Leave a long nose on the fly, about 1/4 of the hook shank back.
Tie in a pair of large silver bead chain eyes.
Secure the eyes with 6-8 turns of thread in one direction, then wrap around the hook and make 6-8 turns in the other direction. Repeat until a swell of thread covers the crossbar in the eyes.
Run thread back to the bend.
Run thread back up to the eyes.
Apply head cement between the eyes and down the shank.
Take a section of pearl flat diamond braid for the tail and tie it in just behind the eyes, leaving a long tag end in the front.
Fold the tag end back to make the tail.
Wrap back over both strands of the braid back to the bend.
Run thread back forward.
Cut the tail off about a hook-gap width long.
Shred out the tail with a wire brush or dubbing needle.
Jump in front of the eyes and tie down a clump of sand or tan craft fur or polar fibre for the wing, about 1.5x the length of the hook shank.
Lift the butt ends of the wing and cut them at an angle from the front side.
Build a smooth thread head down over the butt ends of the wing.
Whip finish the thread.
Apply head cement all over the thread head and let it soak in.
Apply a coat of resin over the thread head.