Popcorn Beetle

I tie this pattern specifically for Pyramid Lake in northern Nevada.  I have not tried this pattern anywhere else, but one thing is for sure the Lahontan cutthroat in Pyramid love them.  I fish the white ones on bright, clear water days, and I fish a black foam, purple body variation on cloudy water days.

I landed 2 fish this size, and 12 or so more "smaller" ones last Saturday with this exact beetle.

Materials Needed:
Hook: TMC 2499SP-BL size #8
Thread:  White. I use Uni-Nylon, or any other thread thats easy to split.
Tail:  White marabou
Shell back:  White, 3mm closed cell foam.
Body:  Chartruese Ice Dub in a dubbing loop.

Start by laying a thread base down on your hook.  Wrap towards the hook gap the the point where you want to tie in your tail.

Measure your tail.  It should equal about the length of the hook shank.

Tie in your tail, and secure the tag ends of your marabou to the hook shank to the eye of the hook.

Cut a piece of 3mm white foam to be about the width of your hook gap.  Tie it in just in front of the tail.

Split your thread to create a dubbing loop.

Fill your dubbing loop with Chartreuse Ice Dub.

Spin your bobbin to trap all of the dubbing fibers in place.

Wrap the dubbing loop forward to build a body.

Using a dubbing brush, or a piece of velcro, comb down all of the dubbing fibers to the bottom of the beetle as shown.

Pull the foam over the top of the body, and secure it with several fairly tight wraps of thread.  Then wrap 3-4 tight wraps around just the hook shank, just behind the eye.

Whip finish, trim your thread and any extra foam you have tied into the front of the beetle.  Leave just a little bit of foam on the front of the fly.

Use your fingers to pinch any long fibers of dubbing and pull them off until the dubbing fibers reach the hook point as shown.