This fly can be tied on any combination of colors. Try pink/green for an Electric Chicken Toad. Try combinations of rust and copper for traditional red fish colors. We find black works best in dark, muddy water. This fly will catch reds both on the mud flats and in the grass. Big reds pounce on this fly, and it will also catch trout.
Ingredients for a Black Toad Fly:
#2 hook. Mustad 34007 or equivalent
Black poly yarn
Natural buck tail
Krystal Flash
Two grizzly neck feathers
Small red or black dumbbell eyes
50 lb mono for weed guard
Black 3/0 thread
Steps
1. Wrap a thread base and attach dumbbell eyes,
leaving room for a small head, by using figure 8 wraps.
Put a drop of superglue on the base of the eyes.
2. Wrap back to just above the barb and attach a
small bunch of bucktail, about the size of two pencil
leads, 1 1/2 times the length of the hook shank.
3. Attach approximately ten strands of k-flash on
either side of the bucktail. Trim the k-flask to
different lengths, so the longest strands are just a
little longer than the bucktail tail then trim the
others different lengths .
4. Attach two grizzly neck hackles on either side
of the bucktail the same length as the bucktail tail,
with the feathers flaring out.
5. Cut the poly yarn into ten pieces approximately
2″ long. You will be tying strands equal in
thickness to 1 1/2 thicknesses of yard. Take two
pieces of yarn. Separate one into two equal
thicknesses. Combine one of these split pieces
with a whole thickness. After combining them,
starting at the tail tie in point, attach the 1 1/2
thickness strand to the top of the hook, using figure 8
wraps. Make one wrap in front of the first strand.
Take a second 1 1/2 thickness strand, place it directly
in front of the strand you just attached and tie it in
place with figure 8 wraps. Pack the strands
together. Repeat this process until you are up to
the dumbbell eyes, about five or six tie ins. Tie
a half hitch in front of the eyes.
6. Trim the pieces so they are about the size of a
quarter and taper slightly from front to back.
Trim them evenly on both sides so the fly will sink and
jig properly. If you prefer, you can trim them
into an oval shape, about the size of a quarter.
7. Take the mono and pinch it into a V (A
pair of pliers helps get a sharp V.) Turn the fly upside
down in the vise. Put the V of the mono in front
of the eyes. Tie in the mono at the V, and post
the legs of the weed guard so they flare back toward the
hook point.. Trim the mono so it is approximately
1/4 inch beyond the hook point. Tie a neat thread
head and whip finish.
8. Take superglue and run a line of superglue
along the hook shank/tie in points to secure everything
to the hook. Put a drop of superglue or head
cement on the head.
10. Go fishing and hang on.