Paul's April 2026 Bonus Fly of the Month

 Balanced Callibungus

Hook:  Fulling Mill 5045 Jig Force Barbless Hook Size #14

Thread:  6/0 Uni-Thread Waxed Camel. 

Bead:  Copper Tungsten Bead 3.0 mm.

Tail:  Hungarian Partridge.

Ribbing:  Semperfli Tying Wire – 0.2 March Brown.

Abdomen:  Fulling Mill Euro Nymph Flash Dub – Tan UV.

Abdomen Shellback:  Mirage Tinsel – Opal – Large.  Coated with UV Clear Finish.

Thorax:  Fulling Mill Euro Nymph Flash Dub- Dark Hare’s Ear UV.

Legs/Collar:  Hungarian Partridge.

This is a great baetis pattern that looks very buggy in the water.  It’s different than most nymphs that I fish and maybe that’s why it works so well.  Baetis are very elongated and good swimmers. One technique to fish this fly is to give it some very short strips when fishing it.  Although the original pattern calls for using a ‘drop’ bead, I normally use a Slotted Tungsten bead. 

To tie this fly place bead on your hook and hook in your vice.   Start wraps of thread behind the bead and secure it in place with a thread dam.  Bring your thread back to the beginning of the bend of the hook and cut off the tag end of your thread. 

Prepare 8-10 Partridge feather fibers for your tail.  Tie them in at the rear of the hook shank.  They should extend a little less than a hook shank length behind the bend.  Next, tie in your March Brown Wire that will ultimately be used for the rib of the fly.  When you do this, tie it in along the length of the body with the ‘rib’ extending off the rear of the hook. 

Invert the fly with the hook point facing up.  Tie in your Mirage Opel Tinsel so that it extends up from the curved rear of the hook.  It will eventually be pulled forward to create a flash Shellback on the fly.  Create a dubbing loop at the back of the fly for your body.  Bring your thread forward to the Thorax area.  Add Fulling Mill Euro Nymph Flash Dub in Tan UV to your dubbing loop and spin it in place.  With the created Dubbing Loop, wrap it up the hook shank to create your Body/Abdomen.  Tie it off. With a dubbing brush, brush it out to create a buggy look. 

Trim dubbing fibers on the top of the fly with your scissors.  Pull your tinsel over the top trimmed area of the fly and tie it off.  Cut off the butt end.  Now bring your rib forward making open spiral wraps to create a segmented body.  Try not to condense the dubbing on the bottom of the fly.  Take a tiny bit of UV Resin and spread it along the fly Shellback.  Cure it.  Dub a Thorax behind the bead with Fulling Mill Euro Nymph Flash Dub- Dark Hare’s Ear UV. 

Finally, prepare a Patridge feather to serve as the legs of the fly.  Remove the ‘webby’ lower area of the feather.  Trim the tip to create a ‘V’ on the feather.  Lay it behind the bead and on top of the fly so that fibers extend on both sides of the fly.  Give it a few loose wraps.  Adjust it in place and then tie it down with the legs evenly on both sides of the fly.  An alternative to tying the feather in this way is to tie it behind and around the bead ‘wet fly’ style.  Trim the butt end of the Partridge feather off.  To finish this fly, dub a small Collar of Dark Hare’s Ear UV behind the bead.  Whip finish and you’re done.

Fly Fish Food has a great instructional video on how to tie this pattern below:

If you have any questions about this fly or would like to submit a Fly of The Month I can be reached at pdinice@frontier.com .