|
Instructions
|
No, this is not
a misspelling of Woolly Worm. Using woodchuck fur for nearly the entire
pattern, the Woody Worm combines the features and tying techniques of at least
two patterns, the Casual Dress and the Woolly Worm.
Suggested
materials are minimal: (1) a few inches of lead for weight, if desired, (2) one
hackle long enough to wrap palmer-style over the rear 2/3 of the body, and (3) a
patch of woodchuck fur for the tail and dubbing.
Ed's Note:
Woodchuck, also known as groundhog, has a very small amount of underfur (as does
other small hibernating animals) and to find commercial dubbing is almost
impossible. As indicated below, you can cut off fur and remove the guard
hairs or underfur. You might also consider using Australian Opossum or
other similar dubbing as a substitute but the guard hairs are not as
pronounced.
Tip:
A great way to make dubbing is to cut ¼" pieces of the underfur and mix
them in a Mini-Chopper or other similar kitchen appliance.
Directions
Wrap your
tying thread to a point above the barb of the hook.
If desired,
wind 10-12 turns of lead wire around the shank.
For the
tail, cut a small clump of fur from the hide. Separate the guard hair from
the underfur. Save the underfur for the dubbing, and use the guard hair for
the tail.
Tie in the
hackle at the rear of the hook, just as you would for a Woolly Worm.
Starting in
the back, use a dubbing to form a dubbed body over the rear 2/3 of the
shank. (See the tip on how to make this dubbing, or use pre-mixed hare’s
ear or rabbit dubbing.) Tie off the loop and snip off any extra.
Wrap the
hackle, palmer style, up to the 1/3 point. Tie off the hackle and snip off
the excess.
Create a
thorax over the front 1/3 of the body using a dubbing loop. Form the loop at
the 1/3 point and wrap the tying thread to a point just behind the eye.
Cut a
couple of clumps of woodchuck fur from the hide and pull out the underfur.
Insert the
underfur into the dubbing loop lengthwise, so it is at right angles to the
thread. (The Mini-Chopper works great for the dubbing used for the abdomen,
but for the thorax I like to use the full length of the underfur.)
Close the
loop and position the underfur evenly within the loop with your fingers
before twisting.
Spin and
twist the loop to make a dubbing rope.
Spiral the
rope over and around the hook. After each wrap, stroke the fur back toward
the hook bend so it doesn’t get caught under the next wrap. Three or four
wraps should complete the thorax.
Tie off the
thread behind the eye and whip finish. |
| 
