For as long as I have been tying, I try to look at patterns for what they are, and try and go from there. For instance, I based this pattern off of the old stand-by wooly bugger. For many people, they bugger is a confidence pattern, and one they can tie on in the toughest of situations and catch fish. For me that pattern hasn’t ever been one of confidence, and I for the life of me cannot catch a fish on this pattern. I think in my entire fly fishing life I have caught one maybe two fish on the wooly bugger. It wasn’t even a standard bugger, it had rubber legs, tons of flash and a conehead. Needless to say it armed and ready for battle.

Many patterns are based off of existing one’s and the Modified Stripper Leech is no exception. For me this one has always been a real fish catcher, and I dont know why it is. It is simple and doesn’t look like much, unless you have it in the water, and that is what it’s most deadly (you’d have to be an idiot to not realize that). So here it is, for the first time to my viewing audiance the MSL:

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Heres the Recipe For it:
Hook: Daiichi 1750 size 8-12
Cone-Head: 1/4 black or nickel
Lead: .030
Tail: Natural Rabbit Tail, any color will do
Body: Peacock Ice Dub
Wing: Natural Rabbit Tail in a dubbing loop

You can add rubber legs if you like, but I don’t like rubber legs on this pattern. Anyways there it is, simple as can be. Now go tie some and start catching fish! Good luck and tight lines!