Hook: Tiemco 2487 (scud) or equivalent #12-16(or whatever old hooks you
have lying around the house that you can scrape old flies off of).
Thread: Black, Brown or whatever is left on old almost empty spools that
you've lifted from your wife's sewing area.
Ribbing: Old mono line that's still on that spinning reel you don't use
anymore.
Weight: Scrape the insulation off copper wire that's been lying around
your workshop. #22-28 gauge from old electronic projects works
best.
Scud Back: Easter Grass stolen from your kid's Easter Basket (leave that
half eaten Chocolate Bunny alone!).
Body: Dubbing combed from the undercoat of a "red" Bulldog - or dog hair
swept up in dust bunnies from around the house - or whatever you
can scrounge from the beasts in your particular menagerie.
Eyes: More of that old mono line, cut in short lengths and burnt to form
a pair of eyes.
TYING INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Prepare, find, scrounge, steal etc. all of the above materials and have
them ready.
2. Place the hook in the vise and start the thread just behind the eye.
3. Tie in a 2-3" piece of mono onto the top of the hook and wrap the thread
back to where the curve of the hook is almost vertical securing the mono
in place underneath the thread. The excess mono will stick out the back
of the hook for later use as ribbing.
4. Wrap 6-10 turns of the copper wire around the body of the hook for
weight and then wrap the thread back and forth over it securing it in place.
5. Secure the Easter Grass in place over the top of the hook with more
wraps of thread. Finish your winding at the back of the hook with the
excess Grass sticking out behind the hook ready for later use as the
scud back.
6. Dub whatever material you are using onto the thread and wrap the dubbing
forward to just behind the eye of the hook.
7. Pull the Easter Grass forward over the top of the hook and take a couple
of wraps of thread to secure it in place. Trim off the excess.
8. Spiral the mono forward in 4-7 turns making the ribbing and secure it
in place with the thread. Trim off the excess.
9. Form a set of eyes by taking a short (1/2"-3/4") piece of mono. Hold in
the center with a pair of tweezers. Burn one end at a time with a cigarette
lighter to form a pair of eyes. Tip: just as the burning end approaches
the tweezers flick that end down to extinguish the flame and then hold it
downward for a few seconds to help the eye form into a nice round shape as
the mono cools and hardens.
10. Tie in the pair of eyes just behind the front of the hook using figure
eight wraps to secure it in place.
11. Whip finish.
12. Pick out the dubbing to form "legs" and/or "tail".
FISHING THE FLY:
Most scud patterns are fished dead drift close to the bottom under a strike indicator. In still water you might want to try imparting some movement to the scud imitating the movement of the real thing darting around near the bottom of the pond.
