Here is a quick little scud pattern to add to your arsenal. Scuds are an important food source for trout in nutrient-rich spring creeks and tailwaters year round. The simple scud works equally well for both rivers and lakes. Drop it off a beadhead in an indicator rig or strip it in around the weed beds.
The simple scud uses just a few materials and is very easy to tie. For me, the simple scud is more of a style of fly than an exact pattern. Don’t be afraid to experiment and change it up. For this fly, I used a standard straight Mustad Signature Series Nymph hook (mostly because I don’t have any scud hooks:)), which works just fine. My favorite dubbing blend is a mix of hare’s ear, antron, and Ice Dub, but scud dub, Ice Dub, and antron are all good substitutions. The shellback is nothing fancy, just a strip cut from a clear plastic sandwich bag, but your favorite scud back material will work as well. Tie these guys down to a size 18 or 20.
- A pink variation
This is the same fly but with pink Hareline Scud Dub for the body. Change up the color for your local waters.
Tying steps:
1. Tie in your thread and bring it to the bend of the hook. Cut a strip from the plastic sandwich bag the width of the hook gap and tie it in.
2. Cut a section of 6X tippet and tie it in.
3. Dub a loose body with a mix of equal parts gray Ice Dub, cream antron, and dark hare’s ear dubbing.
4. Fold the shellback over the body. Tie it in slightly on your side. The torque of the rib will pull it over the center.
5. Rib the fly with tight, even turns.
6. Aggressively pick out the dubbing and form a small thread head. Whip and clip.