Canadian Mohair Leech

- By Bob Sheedy, from Bob Sheedy's Top 50 Fly Pattern book

Jack Shaw and Mike Andreasen originated/reworked this fly when they and Noah used to fish it off the back of the Ark on sunny summer afternoons.

Canadian Brown Mohair yarn swept backwards with a Velcro dubbing comb forms the crux of the pattern. Friends start, stop and continually fish this pattern and nothing else—and look askance at anyone who begs to differ. Other yarns boast of greater success, but the spectrumized yarns that Mike puts out work the best. Curiously, it has almost no brown in it. It just looks like it—even to a fish.
Shallow, weedy lakes generate the best response, but it seems to work anywhere.

Tie some of these in very small sizes. Knowledgeable anglers are often shocked at the size of the leeches ingested—both small and large. Don’t get carried away in the design. Leave it sparse. Leeches are long and sinuous when they swim and that’s when fish take them.

I vary the tail from brown Marabou through rolled Pheasant rump to Canadian Brown Mohair with the core removed. Sweep it out with the Velcro “comb” and then push each wind backward before winding again. Trim it so it has a swept-back look.

Don’t get the tail too neat.

Materials:

Type	Notes
Thread	Brown
Tail	Canadian Brown Mohair (no core)
Body	Sparse Winds of C. B. Mohair (raked back after each wind)
Rib	Counter-wind with fine wire but not necessary. Yarn is very durable and works better after it’s been chewed about 20 times.
Hackle	Occasionally, in stained waters we add a couple of winds of brown hackle. This gives it lateral line appeal.

Steps:

Type	Notes
1	Tie in a piece of lead near the head so it will impart some jigging motion.
2	Form a tail slightly less than the length of the hook shank. Tail can be made from mohair yarn by combing out sections after removing retaining core.
3	Tie on mohair, stretch and then brush it back with a piece of Velcro or a dubbing brush.
4	Wind mohair ahead, sweeping fibers to the rear on each wind. Do not overlay winds and do not try to build a thick body.
5	When mohair has been installed, make a head and brush mohair to the back. Use sharp scissors and then trim with a shaving motion to form the body that will open and pulse in the water.