Tying Instructions: Sculpzilla

1. Select a shank for the length of body you prefer. I am using a 1.0 inch Firehole Shank AS2-100. The hook attaches directly to the loop at the rear of the shank.
Step One
2. By opening the loop, you can attach a conehead to the shank.
Step Two
3. Next attach the Trailer hook to the shank loop and close the loop wire. I'm using a Gamakatsu Octopus hook, size 4, in Chartruese.
Step Three
4. Attach your thread to the shank and secure the loop wire with thread wraps.
Step Four
5. Apply a Whip Finish and trim the thread.
Step Five
6. Attach the trailer hook to the vise. I put a small section of foam around the hook to protect the paint on the hook. Attach the thread to the hook shank and position the thread at the midpoint of the shank.
Step Six
7. Using a strip of Brown Barred Rabbit dyed Ginger, measure a hook length of strip and separate the fur from that measurement.
Step Seven
8. Attach the strip to the hook shank with three to four thread wraps. Step Eight
9. Wrap the thread in front of the strip tie-in and whip finish. Trim off the thread.
10. Attach the shank to the vise and re-attach the thread to the shank. Create a dubbing loop at the base of the shank and fill the dubbing loop with dubbing.
11. Spin the dubbing loop tool to close the loop and create a noodle of dubbing.
Step Eleven
12. Wrap the noodle over the shank with wraps covering all of the shank up to the conehead.
Step Twelve
13. Bring the tag end of the rabbit strip over the shank to just behind the conehead. The strip needs to be straight.
Step Thirteen
14. Secure the rabbit strip with thread wraps behind the conehead. The length of the pattern is about 2.5 inches.
Step Fourteen
15. Trim off the tag end of the strip and secure with thread wraps.
Step Fifteen
16. Prepare a Red Guinea Hen feather by preening back the fibers and use the tip of the feather as a tie down.
Step Sixteen
17. Place the tip just behind the conehead and secure with thread wraps. Grab the feather stem base with hackle pliers and make two turns of the hackle. Secure with thread wraps and trim off the tag end of the Guinea Feather.
Step Seventeen
18. Select two Mallard Flank feathers, removing the fluffy base and fibers to get the length you desire. These feathers represent the pectoral fins. Secure one feather to each side of the pattern just behind the conehead. Step Eighteen
19. Attach the tips from a Blood Marabou plume to the tops of the pattern behind the conehead. The length of the marabou should extend about the same as the Guinea Hen fibers. Step Nineteen
20. Secure the marabou with thread wraps and trim off the tag ends. Step Twenty
21. Next, select a couple of Hen Hackles, preening the fibers back to create a tip tie-in position.
Step Twentyone
22. Attach the hackles just behind the conehead by the tips and wrap the hackles, securing the base of the hackles with thread wraps. Trim off the tag ends of the hackle and apply additonal wraps of thread.
Step Twnetytwo
23. The conehead is still fairly loose and will allow a dab of Zap a Gap gel to each side of the conehead.
Step Twentythree
24. To firmly anchor the conehead, apply a dubbing collar behind the conehead.
Step Twnetyfour
25. Secure the collar with thread wraps.
Step Twentyfive
26. Apply a whip finish and trim off the thread.
Step Twnetysix
27. Apply a dab of Zap a Gap gel to each eye socket of the conehead.
Step Twentyseven
28. Place a 5mm Fire Living Eye on each socket, tamping the eye into place with your bodkin. Step Twentyeight
29. The Finished Sculpzilla, Ginger Step Twentynine
   

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