The Balanced Leech

 



 

Leeches are a trout staple and in early spring and late fall are a constant in their diet. I had heard of peoples success with balanced leeches and began looking into them when my wife expressed an interest in accompanying me on my fishing trips. She doesn't fly fish so I set her up with a Thill float system and the balanced Leech along with some other balanced flies which I will present in later posts, they seemed to be naturals.

 

As I looked for patterns I began to notice that most balanced leeches looked just like their unbalanced counterparts, bodies were more bushy than I would like in a stationary fly. My thinking is that a fly drawn through the water has the dubbing pulled down along its side when it is pulled through the water. This creates the illusion of life and movement. A stationary fly on the other hand can't draw its materials to its side so I aimed to make a thinner profile fly. I achieved this with a marabou body. It's slim but still has some very fine fibres to give the illusion of movement. The marabou is reinforced with a rib of copper wire counter wound to the marabou, this gives the fly a segmented look as well.

 

Fishing this fly is quite simple, cast it out and let it rest beneath a bobber. It can be retrieved very slowly if you so desire, either way the marabou tail weaves its magic and solicits strikes. I find it best fished over dead weed beds, suspended a foot or two over the bottom. It is effective in both the spring and fall cold water periods and can be tied in a myriad of colors. I like claret or wine, brown, black and even olive. Strikes can be soft or aggressive depending on the mood of the fish.

 

Materials for this fly are; jig hooks in size 10 or 8 (I use Mustad), 80lb. test mono, 1/8in. black bead, Woolly Bugger marabou, blood quill marabou, small copper wire and brown 6/0 Uni thread.

 

 





 

First I take a short length of 80 lb. mono and heat one end, I take the hot end and press it against the vice and create a ball on the end of the mono. I slide a bead on with the large hole to the ball. Others use a cut pin instead of the mono. I don't like pieces of needles bouncing around the house so I bought the mono, either works.

 

 

 

Lay a base of thread on the hook and then tie the mono in with about a half a bead past the eye of the hook. I find with mono I don't have to super glue it on, if you use a pin a drop or two of super glue it's probably a good idea.

 

 

 

Next, I tie some woolly bugger marabou in for the tail, make sure you get the marabou off the side of the feather and place to length so you don't have to tear it, this gives a nice action to the fly. Then get some nice long marabou fibres from the blood quill and tie in by the tips with the tips facing the front of the hook.

 

 

 

Take a pair of hackle pliers and grasp the blood quill fibres as close to the base of them as you can. Spin the fibres, not too tight or they will tear, and then wind them forward. If they are nice and long you will get to the front of the fly. If not, tie them off and trim and then dub a few fibres unto your thread and continue winding to the front of the fly. Wind the ribbing in the opposite direction to help keep the marabou on the hook shank and to add segmentation to the fly. Tie off the wire and whip finish.

This fly would defiantly benefit from being tied on using and open clinch knot found here.
http://alaskaflyfishingonline.com/tips/tip1clinchknot.html
This knot will allow maximum movement with the fly, something a stationary fly can benefit from. Enjoy.