Spider Mudeye

Rod Booker | February 10 »
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Take a section of 10kg mono and melt and flatten one end. Slide 2 beads up to the end.

As far as trout food goes, the dragonfly larva or mudeye is a big-ticket item.

They come in two main varieties, most common is the spider or bug mudeye and the second is the larger and less common couta mudeye.

They are most common during late Spring and Summer and depending on weather conditions and moon phases, they can migrate in huge numbers. It is at this time that trout will gorge themselves on these clumsy bugs.

Migrations are when the mudeye begin their journey to lake shores, so that they can complete the life cycle and moult into the large dual-winged dragonflies that abound around lake shores. They are most vulnerable to predation by trout as they undergo this journey.

Best times are usually after dark on warm, calm nights and very early the following morning before first light.

Mudeyes crawl about the lake floor or swim in a short, jerky motion as they eject jets of water from the anus to propel along.

They crawl about in their countless thousands seeking high ground, sticks, rocks and other structure – including unsuspecting anglers. There is nothing more unnerving than standing waist deep in a deep, dark lake pulling spidery-feeling bugs from the back of your exposed neck.

In terms of ‘hot zones’ for mudeyes, any bank or bay that has plenty of structure in the form of dead trees and weed beds or rocks protruding from the water are all mudeye habitat.

Trout congregate in these areas, especially when mudeye activity is at its greatest. Even during the day when the mudeyes are still about on the lake bed and submerged structure, trout will cruise the edges of weed beds, picking them off.

This particular pattern has the option of being tied with a lead underbody or lead eyes so it can be fished deeper in and around structure. If you fish it this way alongside weed beds and submerged timber, a slow figure-of-eight retrieve is the best method.

The most effective method for fishing this pattern, though, is late into the evening and at night when the mudeyes begin to move.

Treat the Spider Mudeye with a floatant and cast it out and begin retrieving in short strips.

It will sit just below the surface and each time you strip, the fly will cause a slight bulge under the surface, just like a natural.

Some of the larger trout more often than not feed under the cover of darkness so based on this, it does not hurt to beef up your leader strength by a kilo or two; it could be the difference between a trophy and a hard-luck story.

Facts

TYING INSTRUCTIONS and MATERIALS

HOOK:	Mustad R72 #8
THREAD:	Black 6/-
BODY:	Olive llama dubbing (optional lead underbody)
EYES:	Glass craft beads (brass or lead optional)
LEGS:	Craft stretch cord
WING CASE:	Olive 3mm Scudback

NOTE: If brass or lead eyes are used the fly will ride hook point up; adjust the dressing of the fly accordingly.

Images

Take a section of 10kg mono and melt and flatten one end. Slide 2 beads up to the end.

Pull the Scudback back between the eyes and again secure in place with the thread, cut a small V in the Scudback.

Tie off the thread and apply a few drops of head cement to secure it all in place. Take a dubbing needle and tease out some of the llama fibres.

Cut the end of the mono a short distance from the 2 beads and burn and flatten the other end; leave a small space between the beads.

Take a small section of the rubber stretch cord and knot it as shown. Pull the knot tight.

Prepare the eyes as shown in figures 1 and 2, then attach them to the hook as shown. Take several turns of lead wire behind the eye and secure in place with several drops of superglue. Take the thread to the bend of the hook and apply the Llama dubbing.

Wind on the dubbing to the point shown then prepare your rubber legs as shown in fig 3, and then tie in the first set either side of the hook. Apply some more dubbing to the thread.

Dub another section of the thorax before tying in your second set of legs the same as the first.

Having attached the second set of legs, apply some further dubbing to the thread and repeat the previous step to add a third set of legs.

Having completed the third set of legs, tie in a section of the Scudback so that it protrudes over the eye as shown, and then apply some more dubbing to the thread and complete the thorax.

Take the thread in front of the eyes, stretching the Scudback between them and secure in place in front of the eyes. Take a small pinch of dubbing and apply to the hook and take a couple of turns in front of the eyes. Then return the thread to behind the