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Pete’s Carpet Bug
Pete’s Carpet Bug, Gray
Tying Instructions
1.Start the thread about an eye length back from the hook eye and wrap an even thread base back to the bend of the hook.
2. Attach a wire ribbing to the bottom of the hook shank and secure with even thread wraps back up to behind the eye.
3. Next, attach a small black tinsel to the top of the hook shank and secure that material with even thread wraps back to the bend of the hook.
4. Create a dubbing loop with the thread. You will need a dubbing loop tool to keep the loop open. Loop should be located near the bend of the hook.
5. Apply 3-4 bunches of dubbing, filling the loop.
6. Spin the dubbing loop tool so that the dubbing starts to make a chenille. You can even out the material by rubbing the chenille.
7. Keep spinning the tool until you get a nice dense packing of the dubbing arouind the thread core. Then, remove the tool and attach the chenille to a hackle plier.
8. Wrap the chenille with tight touching wraps from the bend of the hook to the starting point of your thread.
9. When wrapped up to the eye, secure the chenille with a couple of tight thread wraps and trim off the tag end. Apply a few more wraps of thread to secure.
10. Bring the tinsel over the back of the body, centered on the top of the hook shank. Secure with some thread wraps behind the eye.
11. Wrap the ribbing 4-5 times with spirol wraps up to the eye and secure with thread wraps.
12. Bring both materials back behind the eye and secure with a couple of tight thread wraps. This will lock the material in place. Trim off the tag ends.
13. Apply a whip finish.
14. Finish the head with a drop of head cement.
15. Start to pick out the carpet fibers with a bodkin or a hook between the wire ribs. Take care not to damage with the flashback or the ribbing. Work both sides of the body.
16. As you pick, more fibers will extend for the chenille.
17. Once you feel that you have a sufficient number of extended fibers, lift the fibers over the flashback and trim the fibers so that they equal the hook gap of the hook.
18. Next, finish the body with some stiff brushing from a piece of velcro. This will help pick out the finer material from the dubbing.
19. Apply a small amount of head cement to the top of the flashback to help it maintain it’s centered position above the hook shank. I’m using some Sally’s Hard as Nails with a brush applicator.
20. Give the Carpet Bug a final trim so that the fibers extend as a flat plane from the sides of the hook shank. You may need to trim off some fibers from the bottom of the hook shank, too. The finished Carpet Bug.
| Materials
to Order Material, click the link |
|
|---|---|
| Hook | TMC 3761 #14-18 |
| Thread | Danville Fire Orange 6/0 |
| Body | Arizona Simi Seal, Crowley Perch dubbing |
| Back | Small Holo Black tinsel |
| Ribbing | Black UTC Wire small |
Pete Shanafelt
Pete’s Carpet Bug
The Carpet Sowbug pattern originated about ten years ago as a variation off the Ray Charles. Rather than using Ostrich Herl, the body was picked out fibers, often Antron dubbing. Some found special blends effective and market the dubbing mix as carpet dubbing. Pete Shanafelt uses a special blend that he markets through Big Horn Anglers in Fort Smith, Montana. Arizona Simi Seal or Whitlock’s SLF Dubbing can also be a good substitute.
The Wayno’s Cotton Candy Sowbug is another variation going back to 2015 when Rainbow Scud Dub became available. Wayne Egbert is a guide on the Big Horn and signature Fly Tier for Yellowstone Fly Goods which market the pattern.
Variations
Pete’s Carpet Bug, Tan
| Hook | TMC 3761 #14-18 |
| Thread | Danville Fire Orange 6/0 |
| Body | Arizona Simi Seal, Amber/Olive dubbing |
| Back | Small Holo Black tinsel |
| Ribbing | Black UTC Wire small |
Wayno’s Cotton Candy
| Hook | TMC 3761 #14-18 |
| Thread | Danville Fire Orange 6/0 |
| Body | Light Shade Rainbow Scud Dub |
| Shellback | Medium Pearlescent Tinsel |
| Ribbing | Black UTC Wire small |