Leeches are nasty and no one wants to think about them swimming around the water we’re walking through while we fish. But the reality is that they are present in nearly every body of water and they represent a staple source of protein for all of the fish species we target.

We like to fish sub-surface and if you pull one of our rigs out of the water, regardless of the time of year, there’s an odds-on chance that you’ll find a leech tied on. Think of them as micro streamers…regardless of whether you fish them under an indicator or strip them like you would a streamer, the pine squirrel material that makes up the bulk of the fly gives them an irresistible lifelike motion. A tungsten bead helps this fly get down fast. 

Our favorite ways to fish it: 

• Under a dry dropper or anywhere on your nymphing rig

• Stripped in stillwater or dead drifted under an indicator

Type of Water: Rivers, Creeks, Stillwater, High Alpine Lakes 

Imitates: Leech 

Target Species: Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Brook Trout 

Insect Life Stage: n/a

Pair it with: Chironomid Larva, Chironomid Pupa, Crackleback Midge, CDC Stonefly, Soft Hackle Purple Reign, Green Machine