In this week’s “How to Tie” feature, Howard Croston with Fulling Mill ties a grease fly that traditionalists are going to despise, Croston’s Chenille Worm.
Learn How to Tie This Fly:
Difficulty: Easy
If you want to catch more fish, I have a few suggestions for you: worms, worms, and more worms. Regardless of the species you target, most fish will regularly feed on worms and gladly take a well presented offering. Trout in particular will be fooled by patterns resembling this favorite food item year-round, but after rain or warming conditions, you should especially gear up. One of the easiest ways to increase productivity on the water is to add a worm to your typical double nymph rig, and Croston’s Chenille Worm is just the fly for that job.
There are few flies that require as little time and skill on the vise. All you’ll need to tie this pattern is a few minutes, a hook, bead, thread, and chenille of your color preference. For novice tyers, this is the perfect fly to get your addiction started as you’ll be able to master and tie batches of in a timely manner. Make sure to add variation in color and size to Croston’s Chenille Worm to cover all your bases for whatever flavor trout are in the mood for that day.
Fishing this pattern in a double nymph rig will catch trout any time of year and unlike some worm flies, won’t fall apart after a few eats. During warmer months you can also add it as a dropper under a large dry or hopper pattern to make for an entertaining session on the water. Worms are scoffed at by traditionalists, but do not let that stop you from taking advantage of a natural food item. With such few materials and time necessary to tie, there is no excuse for not having an arsenal of Croston’s Chenille Worms in your fly box this winter.
Ingredients:
- Hook: Fulling Mill – FM5027
- Bead: Fulling Mill Tungsten Drop Beads – Gold 3.5MM
- Thread: Fluorescent Pink
- Chenille: Fulling Mill Super Suede Chenille – Hot Pink Small
Now you know how to tie Croston’s Chenille Worm!
Video courtesy of Fulling Mill.
