Bead Head Yellow Squiggly
In the world of fly fishing, creativity and innovation often result in effective fly patterns that perform exceptionally well. One such pattern is the Bead Head Yellow Squiggly, a pattern attributed to a YouTube discovery but not properly credited by the presenter. As Fed states:
I saw this, or a similar pattern, on YouTube and failed to record the presenter. To the individual who published this fly pattern, I apologise.
Despite the origins being unclear, the Bead Head Yellow Squiggly has earned its place as an excellent fly, especially for targeting bass. With its chartreuse bead, wiggly legs, and enticing flash, this fly brings life and movement into the water that few bass can resist.
Why the Bead Head Yellow Squiggly Works
The Bead Head Yellow Squiggly excels due to its combination of color, movement, and flash. Bass are notorious for their reactive strikes, and this fly’s wiggly legs move naturally in the water, imitating prey like small fish or larvae. The chartreuse bead serves as an attractor, grabbing attention with its bright color, while the crystal flash imitates light reflection, making the fly even more noticeable in murky conditions.
Whether you’re casting into rivers, ponds, or lakes, this fly pattern works great in environments where bass are feeding aggressively. It’s simple to tie, effective in the water, and worth having in your fly box for your next bass fishing trip.
Materials
- Hook:Bass size 4
- Bead:Chartreuse
- Thread:White woolly nylon
- Under-body and tail:5 strands of yellow wiggly legs
- Over-body:Crystal flash
Tying Instructions
- Start by securing a size 4 bass hook in your vice. Slide a chartreuse bead onto the hook and move it up to the eye.
- Attach the white woolly nylon thread behind the bead and start wrapping it down the hook shank. Make even wraps to ensure the hook is well-covered, providing a solid base for the rest of the materials.
- Once the hook is wrapped, bring the thread back up towards the bead. This helps create an even foundation for the rest of the materials.
- Grab 5 strands of yellow wiggly (slinky) legs. Fold them in half and cut the loop, so you have ten individual strands. Pass these strands under the hook, positioning them on top.
- Use the thread to secure the legs on top of the hook. Make one loop of thread to hold them in place, ensuring the lengths of the legs are even. After adjusting, make a second loop with the thread to fully anchor the legs. You can add two more turns of thread to ensure the legs are tightly secured.
- Fold the front set of legs backward along the body of the hook. Now, tie all the legs down securely along the shank, back to the bend of the hook. This gives the fly its classic “squiggly” appearance.
- Once the legs are tied down, bring the thread forward again, back to the bead.
- Tie in a small amount of sparkle flash (or any similar reflective material) on top of the hook, running it all the way to the bend. Keep the strands of flash together by letting the weight of the bobbin do the work. This flash adds visual appeal and imitates light reflection, making the fly more attractive underwater.
- Wrap the flash around the hook shank, working your way forward to the bead. Once you’ve reached the bead, tie off the flash with your thread.
- Perform a five-turn whip finish to secure the materials, followed by a three-turn whip finish.
Why five and three? Because 53 is a nice number!
This quirky approach adds a personal touch to the process while ensuring the fly is well-finished.
- Apply a coat of UV resin over the body of the fly. This helps protect the materials, making the fly more durable. Cure the resin using a UV light.
- Trim the rubber legs to an equal length, ensuring the fly has a balanced and consistent appearance. This is key to maintaining the wiggly action that will attract bass.
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