Ice Dub Head Egg Sucking Leech Tutorial
September in Northern Michigan means Salmon and Steelhead are on the way! By far, one of the most popular flies in our bins and on the river every year is the egg sucking leech. You can dead drift it, jig it, strip it or swing it making it an extremely versatile fly.
This version has a significantly messier head than what you'll find in our bins which can give the fly a little bit more "life" in the water. This is a technique we use a lot for swing flies tied for fall steelhead and is a great alternative to touch dubbing.
MATERIALS
- Hook: Daiichi 2461
- Thread: Veevus 6/0 or UNI 6/0
- Tail: Strung Marabou
- Flash: Krystal Flash
- Body: Ice Dub
- Hackle: MFC Barred Saddles
- Rib: Brassie Ultra Wire
- Head: Ice Dub
NOTES
- Please pay attention to regulations on the rivers you are fishing. Many of our Northern Michigan rivers have special regulations regarding hook gap size.
- The 2461 is a great hook for trout and steelhead in most conditions but it likely will not hold up to King Salmon, please see the hook reccomendation above if you're tying for salmon.
- Color is very subjective (especially during salmon season) but we like this fly in Black, Purple, and Olive color schemes.
- Ice Dub, yes we know there are a ton of colors. Shrimp Pink is a classic but orange, red, hot pink and chartreuse all have been good fish producers as well.