Epoxy Alevin SBS

[Wyo2AK]

So this is the alevin pattern I'm fond of using, after trying out several variations of other patterns. Easy and quick to tie.
Size 6 or 8 hook
Orange chenille
Flash & Marabou/Chickabou
OR - small pearl mylar tubing
Rubber tubing and black chenille for head/eyes
Epoxy

I use globug hooks, but any short-shank, wide-gap hook will work. A wide gap hook is necessary to give yourself enough gap around the egg sack.

I take a piece of small rubber tubing that float fisherman use to hold their line to the floats. It's little - like 1/8" OD. (Small silver bead chain eyes will also work.)

So to start I cut a piece about 3/16" long and stick the hook through the middle of it and slide it up to the eye.

 

[Wyo2AK]

Tie in your thread behind the rubber tubing. The hardest part is not crowing the head and squishing the eyes into an oval. Make a small round body with orange chenille. If you want, you can also add a couple lead wraps first under the chenille for extra weight. Alevin should be fished like a nymph - they're not strong swimmers.

This one is going to have a marabou body, so I add a couple pieces of crystal flash.

 

[Wyo2AK]

Tie in a small clump of marabou (white, gray, grizzly, etc.) on top of the flash.

Trim and tie off.

 

[Wyo2AK]

Now I take my bobbin threader (or a doubled over piece of wire will work) and pull a doubled over piece of black micro/small chenille through the rubber tubing.

Take your sharpest scissors and trim the chenille on each side of the head. Tip - when you're done, blow away what stray fibers you can from the eyes.

 

[Wyo2AK]

To do a pearl mylar body - same first steps. The just tie in a 1" piece of tubing for the body. Just lash it to the top.

Then take some SH Hard As Nails and paint a ring around the tubing about 2/3 or 3/4 of the way towards the end/tail. This is just to keep it from unraveling all the way down to the head. Don't cement the whole thing or it'll make it more stiff/less movement. And don't cement the end because we'll unravel that for the tail. Just add a ring about where the brush is in the picture.

 

[Wyo2AK]

Same steps to finish out. After the SH dries fray the tail a bit.

 

[Wyo2AK]

Get a few put together and ready for epoxy.

Wrap some epoxy around the eyes, chenille, and body base with a tooth pick and let dry. I like the tubing eyes because it gives a wide, 3D head with the translucent black eyes. But again, bead chain works too. A basic method that can be modified as you see fit. Have fun!

 

[neverborn]

Wyo2AK. Wow thanks for the lessons. Very interesting and innovative ideas.

 

[ak_powder_monkey]

good idea for the eyes!

 

[6XLeech]

Slick. Thank you for putting this post together.

 

[900fusion]

pretty sweet, great SBS.

 

[dmahay]

Nice, thanks for sharing.

 

[cube01]

Great spring pattern.
Very creative, and well done SBS.
Rep +1 if I were allowed to do so.

To the vise I go (during my lunch break, of course ;-)