The pattern notebook · terrestrial
Fat Albert
How do you tie a Fat Albert?
Fat Albert is a terrestrial fly pattern for Bass, Panfish, Trout. Find its 6 materials and 16 tying steps below.
The Fat Albert is a buoyant terrestrial fly pattern designed to imitate large insects. It is effective for targeting trout, bass, and panfish in a variety of water conditions.
- Difficulty
- 3 of 5
- Target species
- Bass, Panfish, Trout
Added to catalog · Updated
At the vise
Materials
- Dry Fly Hook, TMC 200R, sizes 8-14
- Thread (140 Denier), Black
- 2mm Foam, Black
- Black Round Rubber Legs
- Z-Lon, White (indicator)
- UV Resin
Have some of these already? The app matches recipes against your inventory and helps you build a shopping list for the gaps.
Tying instructions
Place the hook in the vise.
Create a thread base extending to the bend of the hook.
Cut three strips of foam (1 brown/2 tan) approximately one hook gap in width.
Secure the brown foam strip along the top of the shank, starting one eye length back from the eye.
Overlay the brown foam with one of the tan strips and secure.
Cover any remaining exposed foam along the hook shank with wraps of thread.
Pull the tan foam forward and secure with thread, then lift foam and wrap thread forward to the hook point.
Repeat the process to create three equal segments of tan foam.
Pull the brown foam forward and secure at the same tie-down point as the third tan segment.
Tie in a bunch of Z-lon at the same tie-down point to create a wing/hotspot.
Pull Z-lon back and tie in the final strip of foam along the same tie-down point.
Knot a pair of rubber legs and tie in on each side of the fly.
Pull legs back and secure all three layers of foam behind the eye of the hook.
Tie in a second set of rubber legs at the front tie-down point.
Trim excess foam just beyond the eye of the hook, then trim legs and hotspot to desired length.
Apply a thick layer of UV resin to the underside of the fly to complete.