Black String Leech

Materials

Shank

Mustad 3366 2/0 (bend cut off after tying) or a 35 mm steelhead shank; a 2X-strong short-shank size 4 with the bend clipped also works

Trailer hook

Gamakatsu Octopus size 2 to 4 (Owner SSW 1 to 2 is the other common choice), point up

Loop

20 lb Berkley Fireline or 30 lb Dacron; Guibord uses 50 lb Tiger Braid, about 7 inDoubled through the hook eye and lashed along the shank

Thread

Black, strong: Flymaster Plus, UTC 140 or Danville 3/0

Eyes

Medium dumbbell eyes, black nickel or plain lead, figure-eighted behind the eyeSize to the run: heavier for winter and early spring

Tail

Black rabbit zonker strip, standard cut, long enough to reach just past the trailer hookCut lengthwise into a narrower strip (or use squirrel) on the smaller sizes so the fly stays slim

Rear anchoroptional

1/4 in section of plastic tube slipped onto the strip and seated over the loop at the rear of the shankPins the tail to the hook line so it cannot foul; the Tail Light idea

Body

The same black rabbit strip wrapped forward over the shank (crosscut rabbit is the quicker alternative)

Flashoptional

Black holographic Flashabou, 6 to 10 strands each side

Collar

Black schlappen, 2 to 3 turns (purple schlappen for the black/purple version)

Headoptional

Peacock Ice Dub dubbed around the dumbbell eyes

Adhesive

Zap-A-Gap or flexible cement on the thread base and loop wraps

Steps

1. 1.Clamp the front shank (or hook) in the vise, lay a thread base from eye to bend and coat it with cement so the loop cannot slip.
2. 2.Fold the Fireline or braid into a loop that reaches about 2 in past the rear of the shank, pass the free ends forward on either side of the shank, and lash both legs down the full length with tight wraps. Glue the wraps.
3. 3.Thread the trailer hook onto the loop now, or leave the loop open and add the hook last by pinching the loop through the eye and over the bend. Check that the point rides up.
4. 4.Prepare the rabbit strip: taper the hide at the tail end and, if you are pinning the tail, slide the short tube section onto the strip before tying anything down.
5. 5.Tie the strip in at the rear of the shank, hide down, so the tail hangs back just past the trailer hook. Slide the tube back until it sits over the loop and settles against the tie-in point.
6. 6.Figure-eight the dumbbell eyes to the shank about one eye-length behind the hook eye and lock them with cement.
7. 7.Wrap the rabbit strip forward in touching turns, stroking the fur back on every turn so none traps under the hide, and tie off behind the eyes.
8. 8.Lay a few strands of black holographic Flashabou along each side, reaching to the tips of the tail fur.
9. 9.Tie in a schlappen feather by the tip and take two or three turns to form a soft collar, then sweep the fibres back with a couple of thread wraps.
10. 10.Dub a small peacock Ice Dub head around and in front of the eyes, whip finish and cement the head.
11. 11.If you tied on a hook rather than a shank, cut the bend off with side cutters now and dress the stub with a drop of glue.
12. 12.For Guibord's two-vise version, tie the braid to the stinger first, stretch it to a second vise holding the front hook, and lash it under the dumbbell eyes before wrapping the strip from stinger to eye over the cemented braid.

From the tier

• Ted Kraimer of Current Works ties his Michigan swing leech this way because steelhead often nip the tail; putting the hook back by the fur turns those plucks into fish, and the black profile shows well in dirty or stained water.
• Andrew Guibord fishes his string leech on the swing through winter runs, wading down step by step; he calls it a fly for patient, deliberate coverage.
• Variants: Black/purple swaps in a purple collar or a purple strip over black. Silvey's Tail Light is Brian Silvey's two-tube Idylwilde version, an offspring of his Tandem Tube, in which a tiny rear tube pins the end of the long bunny strip; rig it with an oversized loop knot and a Gamakatsu Octopus 1 to 4. Larimer's Reverse Marabou is Tom Larimer's tube fly with the marabou tied backwards so the fibres flare forward under tension, giving a big profile from little material that still sinks fast; the Deneki tie uses blue over black blood-quill marabou, a UV polar chenille ball, black and blue Flashabou, a schlappen collar and a fluorescent orange tube cone.

Hook and hardware

• Mustad 3366 hook1

  2/0 · Mustad

  Shank

  Or a 35 mm steelhead shank

  1

• Octopus hook1

  size 2 to 4 · Gamakatsu

  Trailer hook

  1

• Fireline braidabout 6 in

  20 lb · Berkley

  Loop

  about 6 in

• Dumbbell eyes1 pair

  medium, black nickel

  Eyes

  1 pair

Feathers and fur

• Rabbit zonker strip1 strip

  black, standard cut

  TailBody

  1 strip

• Schlappen1 feather

  black (or purple)

  Collar

  1 feather

Synthetics, flash and legs

• Flashabouoptionala pinch

  black holographic

  Flash

  a pinch

• Ice Duboptionala pinch

  peacock

  Head

  a pinch

Thread and finish

• Tying thread1 spool

  black, 140 denier or 3/0

  Thread

  1 spool

• Zap-A-Gap1

  Adhesive

  1

Other

• Plastic tubingoptional1/4 in

  small tube-fly tubing, black

  Rear anchor

  1/4 in