The original “Sowbug”

[Phil Lilley]

The original “Sowbug”

Jeremy Hunt

Recipe:

Hook: TMC 3769 size 12-18

Thread: UNI- thread 6/0 Tan

Antennae: UNI- thread / same color

Back: Swiss straw/ brown

Body: Antron/ cream

Rib: UNI- thread/ same

Lead wire: 0.15

Tying Instructions

As you can see I already weighted the fly. Do enough wraps to cover most of the hook shank ,but leave enough room for a head and to tie in, and in the back as well. Start you’re thread in the front of the lead wire making a thread dam and wind over the lead doing the same thing to the back of the lead. This will lock it into place so that it will not shift or move when you go to complete the fly. Once you do that you should still have a tag hanging of the back. What I do with this is make a loop with the tag to create my antennae’s. You will cut that after you complete the fly. Whatever tag end you have left after making the loop, go ahead and cut it off.

Advance the thread back to the center of the shank so you’re ready to tie in you’re swiss straw.

Cut a piece of swiss straw and cut it in the center. Now you will have two pieces. You will only need to use one of those. Tie it in an wind to the bend.

Advance the thread to the eye to start you’re dubbing.

You can’t really see how the dubbing is put on, but I’m sure you know how. The only thing to tell you in this step is not to dub too much dubbing around the shank as you wind back. Once you are at the back, grab some kind of pliers that have a flat surface so you can pinch the lead flat to create the body. I like to use those de-barb pliers from Tiemco. After you pinch the lead you are ready to start the segmentations. You’re thread should be at the back. Now start the segments wrapin you’re thread to the eye. I usually do about six to seven turns creating the segments.

Whip finish the fly and glue the eye and that’s it.

Cut the antennae’s to the length you want.

Sow Bug

[Fox Statler]

Pretty good bug. I always flatten mine after dubbing it, before putting the back on. I think it makes it wobble more in the current and causes the hook to invert when the fish chew it. Just a thing of mine.

[Andrew Schaefer]

I usually use pheasant tail as the antenae and the shell back, but thats probably just becuase I have a lifetime supply of pheasant tail feathers. I also flatten the lead with pliers before I dress the fly and I pick out legs on the sides.

[Brian K. Shaffer]

I do like Fox (flatten the bug).. only I flatten the lead before applying the dubbing.

Good bug Jeremy, but do you catch grouts on it ?

he he - Brian

[Jeremy Hunt]

I do catch "GROUT" on them. Especially right at the Bull Shoal's dam. I love fishing this pattern in high water tied on a size 10. I really do good on this in two units. I just started tying these for Phil's shop and we will see if they have a great response with our local trout. I am sure they will, but I don't know if anybody really fishing these pattern on our local waters all the time because we don't have any local fly shop's carrinng this pattern so it make's me wonder if any locals are tying or fishing this pattern on Taney. I really just started fishing this pattern when I went to stay at Rim Shoals for a few months. I did really good with this pattern on both tail waters in Arkansas. Thanx "Fox for introducing this pattern to us. So now that I have moved back to Taney, I am excited to figure out if this really works good on high water here to. If anybody has any advice on fishing this pattern at Taneycomo effectivelty please let us know.

[Fox Statler]

We are seeing a color change in the few sowbugs that are in the North Fork. The dead algae is so thick on the bottom that the sowbugs stay under it. You see them when you walk and when the water is rising and falling. Their bellies are a cream color and their back white-ish brown-olive and about size 12. I haven't been to Tanney in along time, the sowbugs used to a blue-ish gray and a fleshy tan colored belly. Is that still their colors? I looked at the sowbug pics off of the home page but can't tell too much.

Jeremy, you may have discovered something very important. I don't know of anyone else that is using large sowbugs at Bull in highwater. But what if there is a large population of sowbugs in the lake and they are beginning to come through the generators? This could be very important to the welfare of the river. (The growth rate in this part of the river is now less than an inch a year). The sowbugs could be feeding on the dead algae that is accumulated in the bottom of the lake. This is how sowbugs were started in the Big Horn. They were above the river in weir dam pool (a dam that catches the generated water and then lets it flow out a uniform rate) then they begin to wash out into the river.

[jOrOb]

We are seeing a color change in the few sowbugs that are in the North Fork. The dead algae is so thick on the bottom that the sowbugs stay under it. You see them when you walk and when the water is rising and falling. Their bellies are a cream color and their back white-ish brown-olive and about size 12. I haven't been to Tanney in along time, the sowbugs used to a blue-ish gray and a fleshy tan colored belly. Is that still their colors? I looked at the sowbug pics off of the home page but can't tell too much.

Jeremy, you may have discovered something very important. I don't know of anyone else that is using large sowbugs at Bull in highwater. But what if there is a large population of sowbugs in the lake and they are beginning to come through the generators? This could be very important to the welfare of the river. (The growth rate in this part of the river is now less than an inch a year). The sowbugs could be feeding on the dead algae that is accumulated in the bottom of the lake. This is how sowbugs were started in the Big Horn. They were above the river in weir dam pool (a dam that catches the generated water and then lets it flow out a uniform rate) then they begin to wash out into the river.

I was commenting to my son just last week that most of the sow bugs on Taney were huge. I commonly find them in 14 and 16 or so.

Your color description sound about right to me.

jOrOb

[Fox Statler]

That may be true but, before all of the dead Algae was in the river, the sowbugs were a very dark olive back and a brown fleshy belly.

[Brian K. Shaffer]

What's a good ' freshly molted pattern ' for sowbugs / scuds this time of year ?

I noticed this today while watching / fishing / hunting bugs.

best fishes - Brian

[Oldschoolcane]

Can anyone tell me how the McClellands Sow Bug is different from this pattern? I think its also called the woven sow bug? Can anyone offer a picture as I've never seen it before?

Thanks,

Tim