Featured Fly - Angry Leech 2.0

So, this fly came to mind only a few days ago. The base of many of my steelhead streamers come from the Starlite leech , which was my all time favorite streamer when I was guiding in Alaska. The Great Lakes Angry Leech that I did last winter was my variation of the startlite without the chenille egg as the head. So this variation came about when I decided to add the "egg" back to it, by using a different color rabbit loop on the front. This will add nice movement to a swung or stripped fly. The startlite leech was a great steelhead and salmon fly in Alaska, and the first steelhead I landed on the Salmon River was also on the Starlite. I am excited to try its cousin, the Angry Leech 2.0, out this weekend on the Salmon.

Materials:

Hook: Senyo Shanks - 40mm

Trailer Hook: Daiichi 2557 - sz 4

Trailer Hook Wire: Senyo's Trailer Hook Wire 

Tail: Rabbit Zonker - Black, Purple, White 

Body: Estaz - Same as Rabbit 

Collar 1: UV Polar Chenille - Orange, Pink, Chart.

Legs: Sili Legs - Same as Polar Chenille 

Collar 2: Rooster Saddle or Guinea - Orange, Pink, Chart.

Eyes: Senyodelic Bead Chain Eyes - Blue 

Head: Rabbit Dubbing Loop - Same as Tail 

Hot Head: Rabbit Dubbing Loop - Orange, Pink, Chart.

Step 1: Leaving about 3/4" loop off the back, tie in the trailer wire. Adding head cement or super glue to help secure the wire.

Step 2: Tie in the bead chain eyes, you will see later why there are four total instead of just two.

Step 3: Take the thread back to the loop, tie in the rabbit zonker, secure and move thread forward two wraps.

Step 4: Tie in the estaz and wrap the thread forward.

Step 5: Wrap the estaz forward, leaving about a 1/4" between the eyes and the estaz.

Step 6: Tie in and wrap the UV Polar Chenille 4 times. This will add a nice accent of flash to the streamer.

Step 7: Tie in the tips of the rubber legs, forming a nice loop.

Step 8: Trim the legs to the desired length.

Step 9: Tie in the Guinea feather tip first. 

Step 10: Make several wraps of the guinea feather until the stem gets too thick. 

Step 11: Bring the rabbit strip forward, tying it in just in front of the eyes

Step 12: Once you trim the extra rabbit off, make a dubbing loop of the same color rabbit.

Step 13: Wrap the loop, once behind the bead eyes, then figure 8 around the eyes, finishing in front of the eyes.

Step 14: Make one more loop with the chosen pop color.

Step 15: Make two or three wraps in front of the purple head.

Step 16: Whip finish and Cut off.

Finished Fly:

Awesome Great Lakes Steelhead Fly

 

Wild Alaska Steelhead, that fell to the Starlite Leech

Alaskan Steelhead