Marabou

Tying Instructions: Mini Sculpin, Fishskull Helmet



	1. Using a strip of Pine Squirrel Zonker cut 1/10th inch straight, measure a length about one shank length.
	2. Pierce the strip with the point of the hook at the one shank length position. Remove the hook from the vise and slide the strip up to the bend of the hook.
	3. Attach the hook back onto the vise and attach the thread to the hook shank, wrapping down to the bend of the hook.
	4. Apply some Aussie Dubbing, Olive to the thread.
	5. Create a small ball at the bend of the hook to keep the strip in place.
	6. Snip off the tag end of the strip so one half equals the other. This will be the tailing part of the strip flowing behind the bend of the hook. Create a dubbing loop just in front of the dubbed ball at the bend of the hook.
	7. Using some Material Clamps, secure the fur off a 2 inch strip of Pine Squirrel. Adjust the hide out from the edge of the clamp about a 1/4 inch.
	8. Using scissors cut the fur from the hide as close to the hide as possible and insert the fur into the dubbing loop.
	9. Tighten the loop by pulling down on the twister and remove the clamp. The fur should be locked between the two threads of the loop.
	10. Spin the loop device to create a chenille.
	11. Remove the twisting tool and hold the chenille with hackle pliers. Wrap the chenille forward over the shank.
	12. Use your fingers to stroke back the fur on each turn going forward.
	13. Wrap the chenille to about the 1/4 position on the hook shank. If you need more material, create a second dubbing loop, and make a dense body of fur up to the 1/4 position. Secure the tag end of the chenille with thread wraps and trim off the tag.
	14. Using your hackle pliers, bring the end of the pine squirrel strip over the hook shank toward the hook eye.
	15. Secure end of the strip with thread wraps behind the eye about an eyelength from the eye. Remember to leave enough room for the helmit to slide onto the hook.
	16. Creat another dubbing loop at the end of the pine squirrel strip.
	17. Apply Aussie Dubbing to the loop and tighten in place
	18. Twist the loop to create a yarn.
	19. Wrap the dubbed yarn creating a tapered head towards the eye of the hook.
	20. Secure with thread wraps and trim off the tag.
	21. Select a pair of dyed Partridge feathers trimming the bottom fibers off to get the size yoiu desire. These will be the pectoral fins of the minisculpin and should be about 3/4 the shank length.
	22. Attach a feather on each side of the hook shank anchoring the stem of the feather just behind the eye of the hook. Trim off the tag end of the feathers and apply some more thread wraps.
	23. Place the helmet onto the eye of the hook, ensuring that the eye can protrude from the helmit. If satisfied with the fit, remove the helmet.
	24. Whip Finish and remove your thread. Apply some Gel Zap-a-Gap to the areas that will cement the helmet to the body behind the eye.
	25. Place the helmet onto the hook once more securing the helmit with the adhesive that was applied. You can also attach the thread just behind the eye to fill the cavity of the helmet and further secure the helmet. Whip Finish and remove the thread.
	26. Sculpin Heads comes with a pair of Living Eyes. Attach one to each of the eye depressions on the helmet using some UV Thin finish to secure the eyes.
	27. Apply some additional Thin Head Finish around the eyes and harden the finish with a UV Light.
	28. The finished Fish Skull Mini Sculpin. Designed to bounce off the bottom with the hook point being upright to reduce snags. The entire fly is only about 1.5 inches long, very close to many natural sculpins found in Sierran waters.