Here are simple "Bloodworm" fly tying patterns that can be tied up in less than 3 minutes.

The blood worm is a staple food source for rainbow trout, especially in the spring and fall in the Kamloops fishing lakes. This chironomid larva comes in various colours and makes it's home in the mud and marl bottoms of the lakes. Occasionally they may be seen wiggling around in the water column.

This bloodworm pattern uses 2 simple materials plus hook and thread. To make it complicated we could add a third.

Here is how to tie this simple pattern.

Preparation:

1) Cut off a 2 inch piece of medium or small flexible tubing. Green, Olive, Red, Clear, Burnt Orange

2) Insert rib wire into the full length of the tubing + a little extra on the ends

Tying the Fly:

1) Dress a size #12 to #14 hook with black / dark thread. I use Mustad 3399 or 3399B hooks but I'm sure that other similar hook styles will do. Lacquer or glue the thread just to secure it... the fly body, tie it off at the head.

2) Carefully tie the tubing/wire at the head making sure that both the wire and tubing are secure. Tie it off

3) Optional - Add a wrap of peacock herl at the head. Add a drop of super glue ( I use Loc-tite... with a brush ).

Done... that's it.

You can create different effects by mixing and matching the different colored tubing and wires. For example:

red tubing and copper wireolive tubing and red wiregreen tubing and gold wire

... and so on

From what we can see, there are three advantages to using the wire inside the tubing.

1) It adds weight to the fly pattern and will help you get it down to the mud bottom quicker, especially if you are using a dry line and long leader.

2) Different wires add different hues to the color of the tubing and the worm.

3) The wire worm can be bent and shaped to look like it's naturally squiggling in the water column. Change the shape... change your luck.

Many fishermen will fish this pattern on a dry line under a strike-indicator, suspending the fly just above the bottom. Others, like myself, prefer to fish it with a dry line and NO indicator, letting the fly settle in the marl and then slowly retrieve, slightly stirring up the mud to attract attention to the trout.

Try both ways... that's why I fish alone and can use 2 rods.

Oh, and don't forget to de-barb the hook.

Tight lines

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