The “girdle bug” is one of those classic patterns you should never hit the river without. This tried and true fish catcher, sometimes reffered to as a “Pat’s Rubber Leg”, imitates a stonefly and will often net fish when it seems like nothing else can. It also happens to be one of the easiest flies to tie yourself, and a great one for fly tying newbs looking to cut their teeth in the world of  tying.

Get a feel for how it’s done by watching this short video, then review the steps we’ve broken out below. Happy tying!

1. Attach the lead wire to the middle of the hook shank.

2. Line the hook shank with thread.

3. Attach your first piece of rubber to the end of the hook shank. This will serve to imitate the bottom legs.

4. Attach your chinelle to the bottom of the hook shank. Later on, after attaching legs to the mid section of the fly, you’ll wrap the chinelle back up toward the eye of the hook.

4. Attach 2-3 rubber legs to the flies mid section then one near the base of the eye.

5. Slowly wrap your chinelle back up the flie’s mid section, weaving in and out of the established rubber legs, until you arrive at the hook’s eye.

6. If you’re new to fly tying, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with the “whip fishish” technique. This will allow you to knot the thread securely around the base of the eye, thereby completing your girdle bug.

A finished girdle bug.