Conejo Valley Fly Fishers

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Hook sizes 8-4 2x heavy, 2x long.

Thread black 6/0, red 8/0 unwaxed.

Body red premium or ultra chenille small or medium.

Ribbing gold oval small.

Wings golden olive or ginger marabou tied top and bottom of hook shank extending just past hook bend.

Sides golden badger hackle tied in forward of end of body. Tips of hackle cross at rear of fly, they extend 1/3 length of hook past bend. Tie one hackle on each side of hook shank.

Overwing peacock herl and Pearl Krystal Flash 4-7 strands.

Head grizzly hackle tied in at base of head 4-6 wraps. Tie off and trim.

Gil band: Red thread at midway point between hook eye and end of hackle.

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The Spruce-a-bu is designed to imitate small baitfish that inhabit Eastern Sierra waters in substantial numbers. Baitfish patterns, or streamers, can be fished several different methods depending on the situation. Here are some of my suggestions for fishing the Spruce-a-bu.

This pattern imitates a sculpin or squawfish very effectively and should be fished with a moderate to heavy sink tip or full sinking fly line. These baitfish inhabit most rivers in the Eastern Sierra and are a delicacy for large browns. Fish this pattern slowly along the bottom with erratic movements by pulling the fly line or "twitching" the tip of your rod quickly and aggressively but not enough to create a lot of slack in the line. Casting this pattern should be done facing down stream and quartering the opposite bank. Upstream mend some slack into the line so to allow the fly to sink. Let the fly swing into a strike zone then pull the fly upstream with short, (4"-6") tugs along a seam or bank with occasional pauses. Please, Please, be ready for a tip slapper with this one! Keep your rod tip low, 1"-3" off the water. You can even submerge the entire rod tip, up to 12" in some situations and obtain great results.

Jimmy Toy and Tom Loe with Troutzilla caught on a Spruce-a-bou.

1. Tie in chenille and rib.	2. Wrap chenille forward, trim, wrap rib forward and trim.
3. Tie in underwing bottom.	4. Tie in top underwing and trim.
5. Add peacock herl and Krystal Flash.	6. Prepare matching golden badger feathers.
7. Tie in sides.	8. Add hackle, head, red gill band.

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