Balance Leach

[Rick Baerg]

I was talking to Prof the other day about the fly swaps and he was telling me about this balance leach that he was tying for the swaps, sounded very interesting. Does anyone out there have any info, who developed it, pictures? This fly sounds very intriguing!!

[professori]

Ok, let's see if I can be a little clearer. The fly was featured in BC Outdoors Spring '08 magazine in an article by Phil Rowley (I don't recall if he claimed development or not). Here is the gist.

Take a straight pin and thread on a tungsten bead



Clip off the point of the pin and tie to the top of your hook (TMC 5263 size 10 here)and tie off your thread and clip.



Remove the hook from your vice and thread a piece of mono through the hook eye. Now for the tricky part, you will have to adjust the pin (toward the eye or away) until the fly hangs relatively level.



Wrap dubbing brush of material (blood and black dubbing in a red copper wire brush here) ensuring you don't bury the hook eye.



Whip finish behind the bead head. Check that the fly still hangs fairly level. Fish under a strike indicator.



Hope this is clear.

[Oakey]

Absolutely wicked

Oakey

[phearless]

That looks like the ultimate indicator leech!
Can't wait to try some Prof.

[SalaR]

Good fly...interesting thought about the balance...
Will try some next time on a lake.
C

[knotnot]

Very interesting fly !
Will have to make this pattern for sure.
Awesome.

[johnk]

Started tying balance leeches two years ago and, as you all now, the success of a particular pattern relies heavily on confidence and I choose not to tie them as I found no improvement on fishing the same pattern vertically under an indicator but if it gives you more confidence give 'er a go. You will catch fish on them. I used to tie mine on a size 8-10 light wire jig hook as the eye makes tying the pattern and tying the knots easier. You need to find the lightest finishing nails you can. I tied mine with a 1/8" bead so that when coupled with a light wire hook and finishing nail it made for a shorter leech pattern. Even tied a few larger Pumpkinheads in this style. Will post a photo if I can find an old pattern.

[chauchey]

I went to Phil's website and saw this for the first time there. The thought process behind this is really interesting and I feel has alot of merrit. You can bet I'll be trying this while ice fishing this year.

On Phils website he gives credit to an angler out of the Kamloops region, and the fly he featured was one from this angler as well. I just checked, and the name is....

Tri-Lobal Leech
Designed by Trevor Shpelely

Follow the link in the 'quote' to go to the article. Really great stuff. Well worth the free signup in order to read what Phil has to say on this subject. I don't think the idea is an original, but the thought is a newer one and certainly worth looking at. Man I love this sport!

[rmpearson12]

A few years back the guys in Edmonton for the Northern Lights Club were tying up balance leaches. I think it was Ranger Bob doing all the playing with them, I was following what he was doing on flyangler.ca . Looked interesting at the time, I was just begining to tie back then so I forgot all about it, but now I am on it and I think I will give it a try.

Ross