Tom Jones Fly
A vintage Aussie pattern; hen rainbows have been known to throw their hotel room keys on stage when seen. A few changes to the original due to materials on hand – possum for black squirrel and rabbit for kangaroo in the wing.
Source: washtingtonflyfishing.com
The Tom Jones fly is equally at home tempting fry feeders or as a searching pattern on rivers and stillwaters. It seems to be one of those wonder flies because it has a slim profile, subtle colours, and yet its fuzzy outline make it an imitator of nothing specific but seems to be a little like everything. When viewed from a fishy perspective it seems to imitate scuds (freshwater shrimp), damsels, stick caddis etc.
Materials
- Hook – Mustad 9671 #8
- Thread – Danville 6/0 black
- Rib – oval tinsel gold
- Tag – Uni-Stretch Chinese red
- Tail – Australian possum black
- Body – medium chenille light olive
- Wing(s) – rabbit olive
Tying Instructions
STEP 1
Mash barb, start thread, tie in rib, wrap to bend.
Step 2
Tie in Uni-Stretch, wrap down bend and back; tie off/trim.
Step 3
Measure (shank length) a clump of possum tail; tie in.
Step 4
Strip end off chenille; tie in.
Step 4
Wrap chenille to 1/2 mark.
Step 5
Measure (halfway to tail) a clump of rabbit; tie in.
Step 6
Finish wrapping chenille; tie off/trim.
Step 7
Counterwrap rib; tie off/trim.
Step 8
Add front wing.
Step 9
Trim, whip finish, add head with Sally Hanson Hard as Nails.
