Glossback Scud

The Glossback is one of hundreds of scud or sowbug variants. This one fishes really well and can be changed up with different colors of dubbing. Start by taking several wraps of lead wire on the hook and positioning the lead towards the center of the hook. Secure the lead by beginning your thread in front of the lead, wrapping over the lead, and taking several wraps behind the lead. The antennae on the fly is made from the tip of a Hungarian Partridge feather tie in deep in the hook bend. Next, add a strip of mottled Thin Skin - green in color - over the top, center of the hook shank, then secure a piece of brassie size copper wire to the size of the hook shank. Both should be secured down deep in the bend where the antennae begin. The fly is dubbed with a blend of light, medium, and dark green Sow Scud dubbing. I begin two eye lengths behind the eye with the light green, add about half the amount of medium green, and then about a quarter dark green. This creates a nice variegated color and pattern to the fly. Wrap the dubbing back to the antennae, ensuring the thickest amount of dubbing is in the center of the fly to enhance the proper shape of the scud. At the antennae, create a dubbing loop and add a similar mixture of dubbing into the loop. Advance your thread back near the hook eye. Tightly twist the dubbing loop and dub the fly with this second coat of dubbing back up towards the hook eye. Secure the loop and cut it off. At this point, you can whip finish the fly and remove the thread. With a dubbing brush, brush out dubbing fibers from the sides of the fly downward in the gap between the hook shank and the hook point. Trim out the fibers to just above the hook point. This creates the legs of the scud. I will take flat pliers to slightly flatten the body of the fly to mimic the shape of the scud. Finally, add two coats of UV resin over the top of the Thin Skin. Begin with medium resin and cure it with your UV light. Next, add a light layer of thin resin and cure it as well. Your scud is finished and ready to fish.