How to Tie Conehead Fishing Flies
The advantage of conehead flies is they can be fished deeper than unweighted flies. Some patterns specifically require a conehead, but almost any sinking fly can be adapted to take a cone. The Black Conehead Wooly Bugger is one of the best-known and earliest of the conehead patterns. It can be tied in many sizes and many colors. The steps required for tying are the same for each variation.
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Things You'll Need
- Extra-long streamer hook
- Black tying thread
- Black marabou plumes
- Pliers
Instructions
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1
Prepare the hook to receive the conehead. Pinch the barb down, if necessary, so the conehead can slip past the barb. Use the pliers to open the bend of the hook, if necessary, so the conehead can slide past the bend and up to the hook eye. Coneheads are available in many weights and colors. Match the cone color to the body or select a contrasting color.
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2
Prepare the thread base. Wrap the thread from the hook eye to the bend of the hook.
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3
Tie in the tail and body. Tie in one black marabou plume, at the bend of the hook, with the tip end extending past the bend. Make the tail the same length as the hook shank. Cut the excess butt section close to the tie-in point. Tie in a second marabou plume by the tip end. Wrap the thread back up to the conehead.
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4
Wrap the body. Wrap the second marabou plume in close wraps up to the conehead and tie it off securely. Trim off the excess marabou and trim the thread. The fly is complete.
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Tips & Warnings
Add eight strands of Flashabou, for extra flash to the tail and/or to the body.
Wrap a collar of same color hen hackle ahead of the body and close to the cone to add extra action to the fly.
Conehead Wooly Buggers can be tied with one color or with tails and bodies of different colors.
Add wraps of lead wire before the body is wound forward for additional weight that will sink the fly faster.
Wrap thin wire over the body to reinforce it and make it stand up better to fish with teeth.
Streamers can be converted to deep flies by adding a conehead before starting the tying steps.
Select a longer hook if converting a streamer to a conehead streamer because the cone will take up space on the hook shank that would have been available for the body. The extra-long hook keeps the proportions of the streamer in balance.
