Low Rider

Here’s a mouse pattern that was my most effective imitation for the past two years in a row.

Just to give you an idea, while “mousing” during the summer months of 2008, I (and my companions) caught a total of twelve brown trout that were 20 inches or larger. Out of those twelve “hawgs”, seven were taken on this Low Rider pattern. I highly recommend you have a couple at your disposal this coming summer.

When I designed this fly, I was looking for a bug that would give me a BIG wake, and that was unsinkable, too. So, I used closed-cell foam to insure flotation, an oversized lip for the wake, and dumb bell eyes to get the fly low in the water (so it could take advantage of the oversized lip). It was a success.

Here’s the tie:

Hook: TMC 300 size 2
Thread: Black Kevlar
Shellback: 3mm black closed-cell foam
Legs: Black rubber legs
Body: Rabbit zonker (NOT crosscut) in a black, olive or grey
Head: Black chenille, medium
Weight: 3/16 dumb bells

LR1
1. Cut foam to 5/8 inch wide and about 4 inches long. Taper one end as shown.

LR2
2. Tie in dumb bell eyes on the BOTTOM of the hook shank, about a quarter-inch behind the eye. Add a drop of super glue if desired. Move thread to rear of the hook shank, and tie down the tapered end of the foam onto the top of the hook shank.

LR3
3. Cut off a three-quarter inch length of zonker strip (measuring the leather hide only), and tie onto the rear of the hook shank, on the left side of the hook.. This will become the left rear leg of the critter. And, when you eventually fold the foam forward, over the top, the foam will help keep the leg splayed out to the side.

LR4
4. Take the remaining zonker strip, and divide the fur about three-quarters of an inch from the end. This become the tie-in spot for the right rear leg of the mouse. Tie in the zonker strip, then palmer it forward and tie off behind the dumb bell eyes. As you palmer forward, butt-up each wrap tightly against the previous wrap, but don’t overlap the leather. As you palmer forward, stroke the fur backwards, trying not to trap any fur with the wraps.

LR5
5. Tie in the black rubber legs on each side, immediately behind the dumb bell eyes. When finished with the rubber legs, move the thread in front of the dumb bell eyes.

LR6
6. Flatten the fur down, that’s on the top portion of the hook, dividing it to the left and to the right. Bring the closed-cell foam forward, and secure in front of the dumb bell eyes.

LR7
7. Force the lip to stand up tall, then tie in the chenille. The tie in point for the chenille is between the foam lip and the eye of the hook. Two or three wraps of chenille will create a little “ball” that will force the lip to remain in an upright position. Whip finish and trim excess foam from the lip. The lip should stand about three-quarters of an inch tall.
Done.