The May Fly of the Month is a classic Texas fly pattern: The Llano Bug created by Kevin Hutchison. Kevin is probably best known as the author of “Fly Fishing the Texas Hill Country,” but is also friends with many of the folks in FWFF. Kevin is an Orvis-endorsed guide, and with the Llano Bug he has created what many to believe one of the best patterns for catching our warm water targets.

Materials:

Hook — Mustad 3906 size 6 – 10

Thread — color to match foam

Overbody – 2-mm foam cut as follows: width – hook gape; length – 2x length of hook shank

Underbody — sparkle dubbing, color to match foam

Wing — deer body hair

Legs — rubber legs, color to match or complement foam color

Antennae — rubber legs

Steps:

  1. Tie In thread at bend of the hook.
  2. For the antennae, tie in two rubber legs (one on each side) legs pointing toward the eye of the hook.
  3. Cut yellow foam strip to a point and tie in at the hook bend.
  4. Dub back half of shank with yellow sparkle dubbing.
  5. Fold foam forward and tie in at midpoint, over the sparkle dubbing.
  6. Wrap thread forward to one eye diameter behind the eye, binding down the foam
  7. Flatten the foam with tight thread wraps from midpoint to just behind the eye.
  8. Tie in forelegs fore at the eye; tie in rear legs at the mid-point. They go over the flattened foam.
  9. Tie in deer hair on flattened foam spot.
  10. Dub more sparkle dub over flat spot (over the ends of the deer hair and over the legs).
  11. Fold foam back over flat spot, tie off at mid-fly.
  12. Cut the foam, leaving a tab against deer hair beyond tie-off point.
  13. Whip finish over the folded foam tie-down spot.

Barry Webster

Tying Director

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