Randy Leonpacher's Jitterbee

Randy reports that the Jitterbee is an excellent bead head nymph that looks like a bee with a cricket-like tail.  The best colors are black/chartreuse and black/yellow for greenish water while black/red or black/orange works best for brownish water.  Other colors will also catch fish.  The fly is Randy's first choice for bream.  It can be fished deep or under a strike indicator.

Step 1:  Smash the hook shank barbs on the Baitholder hook and straighten the slight bend/offset.  Bend the hook point enough to soke on the bead.  After, bend back to normal.

Materials: Eagle Claw Baitholder #080 in size 8 or 10.  The Eagle Claw 181 baitholder hook found at K-Mart can be used as a substitute.  Both are 2X heavy and have large eyes suitable for the large metal bead 4mm 10K gold plated metal bead (Randy prefers the Halcraft brand found at craft stores). Medium chenille (3mm) or fine chenille/vernille (2mm) in black, red, burnt orange, yellow or chartreuse.  The medium is right for the size 8 hook.  The fine is perfect for the size 10 hook. Black silicon rubber skirt material (used for spinner baits, round is preferred).

Step 3:  Tie in two contrasting strands of chenille behind the bead.  Wrap thread over chenille toward the tail so as to secure to hook shank.  Wrap thread forward to bead.   Color combinations of chenille such as black/chartreuse or black/red work best.  The look can be changed by alternating the order of the banding.

Step 2:  Wrap the hook shank with thread and tie in a short piece of silicon rubber leg.  Double over leg to form a forked tail.   Secure with thread.

Step 4:  Wrap chenille forward as a pair to form bands of alternating colors.  Secure chenille by tying off just behind the bead.  A small amount of head cement added to the thread prior to tying off adds extra durability to the fly.

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