The pattern notebook · nymph
Pat's Rubber Legs
How do you tie a Pat's Rubber Legs?
Pat's Rubber Legs is a nymph fly pattern for trout. Find its 8 materials and 28 tying steps below.
- Difficulty
- 2 of 5
- Target species
- trout
Added to catalog · Updated
At the vise
Materials
- Nymph Hook, TMC 200R, sizes 6-10
- Tungsten Bead, 4.6mm, Black
- Lead Wire, .020"
- Thread (70 Denier), Black
- Brown/Black Barred Rubber Legs
- Variegated Chenille, Black-And-Coffee
- UV Resin
- Head Cement
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Tying instructions
Mash the barb and place a tungsten bead on the hook.
Wrap .02 lead-free wire around the hook shank in 8 wraps.
Helicopter the wire to break it off close.
Apply a small drop of super glue on the hook shank between the bead and the wire.
Slide the wire wraps forward into the back of the bead and hold for a few seconds.
Attach the thread to the hook shank.
Run the thread up and down the wire wraps to lock them in place.
End with the thread at the rear of the wraps and snip the excess tag off close.
Fold one of the 3-inch strands of rubber leg material in half and anchor it to the top of the hook shank with tight wraps of tying thread.
Pull up and slightly towards you to keep the material centered on top of the shank.
When your tying thread is above what was the hook barb, return your thread forward to behind the wire wraps.
Pull up on the little loop and snip it off close.
Strip one end of the chenille to the core and begin securing it to the shank behind the wire wraps.
Allow the material to be pushed to the far side of the hook as you wrap rearward, ending at the base of the tails.
Return your tying thread forward to the wire wraps.
Make touching wraps forward with the chenille up to your tying thread and secure it with three or four wraps.
Trim the sides of the body so they taper just a little down to the tails.
Pull the chenille back and relocate your tying thread to immediately behind the bead.
Lay the midpoint of two strands of rubber leg material against the near side of the hook and using two or three thread wraps, anchor them to the shank all the way back to the chenille.
Separate the material to either side of the hook, then continue taking forward wraps with the chenille, wrapping behind your tying thread.
The chenille should push the rear legs back and the front legs forward.
Anchor the chenille to the hook shank immediately behind the front legs, then snip the excess off close on the bottom of the fly.
Sweep the forward-pointing legs back and take a few thread wraps behind the bead.
Do a five or six turn whip finish, seat the knot well, and snip or cut your tying thread free.
Give the legs a final little orientation and then trim both the back and bottom of the fly so they taper to the rear.
Scrunch down the wire wraps beneath the chenille to flatten the body of the fly just a bit.
Pull all the legs and tails up at once without stretching them too much, then trim them all off even with your thumb, which rests on top of the fly.
Add a drop of Sally Hansen to the thread wraps behind the bead and allow it to sink in and dry.