“Balanced” patterns feature some extra weight beyond the hook eye, to balance-out the weight of the hook, creating a pattern that hangs horizontally in the water, like a real baitfish or leech. Check out this great video featuring Canadian stillwater legend Phil Rowley, who explains the concept and how effective these patterns can be. In this video, Tim Flagler of Tightline Productions walks you through the steps for tying a balanced-leech version of a Squirmy Wormy. (He teaches you to tie the original here.) The pattern makes use of a relatively new material that adds a monofilament core to the squirmy material. Tim claims that the Dynamite Balanced Leech has already shown its mettle on his local trout streams, and it’s surely a killer stillwater pattern, as well.
Dynamite Balanced Leech
Hook: Fulling Mill 5125, sizes 12-16.
Thread: Red, 70-denier or 8/0.
Bead base: Berkley Trilene Big Game monofilament, 60-pound-test.
Bead: Black nickel tungsten bead, 7/64-inch.
Adhesive #1: Superglue (here, Fly Tyer’s Z-Ment).
Tail: Scarlett>Fire TyeSticks Squirmy Wormy Material.
Adhesive #2: Superglue (here, Fly Tyer’s Z-Ment).
Body: Red Australian Possum Dubbing.
Adhesive: Head cement (here, Sally Hansen Hard-As-Nails).
Tools: Lighter, whip-finish tool, and dubbing brush.
Credit: Source link