Welcome to Fly Tying Tuesday
A high-floating foam attractor that imitates a hopper, golden stone, or big terrestrial.
This week, we’re tying the Muudah Puudah, a flashy, buoyant attractor fly that’s perfect for grabbing attention in fast-moving water. Whether you’re targeting trout in riffles or using it as a top fly in a dry-dropper rig, this pattern delivers.
Let’s Tie, see Taylor in action in the video!
Materials Used: (all available at AvidMax)
- Hook:Kona BC4 Barbless Curved Nymph Stonefly Klink Hook – Size 14
- Dubbing: Wapsi Antron Sparkle Dubbing
- Thread: UTC Ultra Thread- Tan 70 Denier
- Tail: Wapsi Elk Rump Hair- Yellow
- Body: Fulling Mill Euro Nymph Body Dub- Medium Olive
- Wing: Enrico Puglisi Fibers- Silver Grey
- Foam: Fulling Mill Bug Foam- Yellow
- Hackle: Hareline Grizzly Soft Hackle
- Legs: Wapsi Barred Round Rubber- Brown/Green
- Sparkle: Hareline Sparkle Emerger Yarn- Yellow
Step-by-Step Tying Instructions:
Step 1: Select and Secure the Hook: Place the Kona BC4 hook in your vise and lay down a smooth thread base using UTC Ultra Thread in Tan. Wrap from the eye to the bend.
Step 2: Form the Tail: Select a small bunch of yellow Elk Rump Hair. Stack the tips and tie them in at the bend of the hook to form a short, bushy tail. Trim the excess and secure with thread wraps.
Step 3: Build the Body: Apply a thin layer of Wapsi Antron Sparkle Dubbing to your thread and wrap forward to create a subtle underbody shimmer.
Step 4: Dub the Main Body: Switch to Fulling Mill Euro Nymph Body Dub in Medium Olive. Build a tapered body from the tail to about 2/3 up the shank.
Step 5: Add the Wing: Tie in a sparse bunch of Enrico Puglisi Fibers in Silver Grey on top of the hook shank. The wing should extend just past the bend. Secure and trim the excess.
Step 6: Prepare and Wrap the Hackle: Select a Hareline Grizzly Soft Hackle feather. Tie it in just in front of the wing and make 2–3 wraps. Stroke the fibers back as you wrap to keep them flowing rearward. Secure and trim.
Step 7: Add Rubber Legs: Cut two short strands of Wapsi Barred Round Rubber (Brown/Green). Tie one on each side of the thorax area, angling slightly downward. Adjust for symmetry.
Step 8: Finish the Head: Build a neat thread head, whip finish, and apply head cement if desired for durability.
Tips & Tricks
Best Season: Spring through Fall: The Muudah Puudah is most effective during warmer months when insect activity is high.
Size Matters: Sizes 12 to 16 work well—larger sizes for fast water and visibility, smaller ones for subtle presentations.
Water Types: It thrives in fast-moving riffles, pocket water, and mountain streams, making it ideal for dry-dropper rigs.
Prospecting: Use it to cover water quickly and prospect for active fish, even when no hatch is present. Its high-floating wing makes it easy to track in glare or shadowed conditions, and pairing it with a beadhead nymph below can help you reach fish at multiple depths.
How to Fish It
- Dry-Dropper Rig: Use it as your top fly with a beadhead nymph below.
- Solo Attractor: Fish it tight to grassy banks, under willows, or through riffles.
- Search Pattern: Cover seams, pocket water, and foam lines for opportunistic trout.
- Twitch & Skate: Add small twitches to imitate a struggling hopper or stonefly.
- Expect explosive eats when trout are looking for a big meal on top.
Check out some of our favorite Fly Tying Gear:
- Vise – Dynaking Barracuda Deluxe Pedestal Vise
- Scissors – Kopter ABSOLUTE Blade Micro Serrated Edge Thin Point
- Bodkin – Dr. Slick Jumbo Carbon Fiber Bodkin
- Whip Finisher – Tiemco Midge Whip Finisher
- Tool Kit – Umpqua Dream Stream Plus 7 Piece Fly Tying Tool Kit
