Fast Sinking Leech Pattern

This is a very classic pattern and everyone knows how to tie a wooly bugger. This was requested by a gentlemen on my Facebook page Stone's Flies. He asked me what I used to catch the carp and I told him I would give him a step by step process of how I tied the Deep Leech. I also tie this in olive, brown, and white the same way. Just as effective but for other fish as well.

First materials are as follows:

I use a size 6 2xl as I feel it's a good size. You can use something smaller but you need to use different material in some cases to match the hook size.

140 denier black thread. Smaller sizes I would use 70 but 140 is excellent as it's in the middle and can be used for even down to a size 10 or 12 in some cases.

Along with the dumbbell eyes, this gives it extra weight that it needs to sink faster.

Best size for the dumbbell eyes. I would go to a 3.5mm for a size 10 hook but you can stay at a 4mm for a size 10 if you want to make it sink faster.

Always get medium chenille. Looks better in the water.

Any marabou will do just as long as it's black. I just choose Cabela's brand since it's cheap.

Again, cheap Cabela's brand saddle hackle. As long as it's black, you're good. Wait....that came out wrong.

Put the hook in the vise. Duh.

Start by wrapping the medium copper wire around the hook shank. It's very important that you leave enough room for the dumbbell eyes behind the eye on the shank and leave some room at the end before the bend to accommodate for the marabou being tied in just as you would any other wooly bugger.

Secure the copper wire with thread.

Add the eyes to the top of the hook so the hook will ride hook up. Make sure you leave a bit of a gap just behind the eye to whip finish.

Tie in the marabou tying the marabou all the way up to the dumbbell eyes. I do this to give the fly more body.

Tie in the saddle hackle tip end first and spreading the fibers back.

Set the hackle aside and then strip a bit off the end of your chenille and tie that in next.

Wrap the chenille around the shank and up to the eyes. Tie it off and snip the remaining chenille off.

Wrap the hackle around the chenille making a few extra wraps at the head to give it more hackle fibers in the front. I've found it makes the body look better in the water. Tie it in, snip the remaining hackle off, and then whip finish right behind the eye of the hook and in front of the dumbbell eyes.

Simple as that. Classic pattern. Simple and super effective. KISS: keep it simple stupid. : ) Modify weights and experiment with weight as needed in streams and rivers.