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Black Laced McGinty fly pattern
Ward Bean dressing · unweighted · wingless · View the pattern reference ↗

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Wet fly / Pattern notes

Black Laced McGinty

A red tail, yellow-and-black chenille bands and soft hen-hackle collar, without a wing.

This soft-hackle McGinty keeps the striped body but omits the traditional feather wing.

At the vise
Intermediate
Common sizes
#10–12
Flies for Panfish
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From hook to fly

At the vise.

5 illustrated steps

Work through the numbered steps in order. Use the written materials and proportions as your guide; select an image for a closer look.

  1. A black-threaded hook with a sparse red fiber tail; no body or hackle.

    Tie the red tail

    Lay a thread base. Fasten red fibers at the bend, extending about one shank-length rearward.

  2. Black yarn underbody and two loose chenille strands, yellow and black, attached at the rear.

    Build the underbody

    Wrap a tapered yarn foundation and secure it. Attach both chenille cores at the tail base.

  3. Alternating yellow and black chenille bands cover the body behind clear front tying space.

    Alternate the bands

    Make two yellow turns while holding black forward; secure yellow. Repeat with black while holding yellow forward. Continue alternating; stop two eye-widths back and trim both.

  4. A separate black-laced yellow hen feather, prepared with an exposed tip and bare basal stem before attachment.

    Prepare the collar

    Choose hackle with fibers reaching roughly to the hook point. Strip basal fluff and stroke the fibers back to expose the small tip for tying.

  5. Completed wingless fly with red tail, striped chenille body and swept yellow-and-black soft collar.

    Wrap and finish

    Attach the feather by its tip, concave side toward the fly. Take three or four turns. Secure the stem, trim, form a head, finish the knot and cement.

    Bench note Keep the eye clear.

Beyond the bench

On the water.

For panfish, Bart Lombardo describes a pause beside weed edges or submerged wood, followed by a slow hand-twist retrieve. Watch the leader during the descent.

Tied by independent makers

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Recipe references

Original written instructions adapted from the sources below. Materials and methods may vary between versions.

Portrait reference

Pattern dressings vary; use the written recipe for exact materials and proportions.

Ward Bean — Black Laced McGinty ↗

For the same fly box.

Bully’s Bluegill Spider fly patternBully’s Bluegill SpiderWet fly · #8–12Carp Hybrid fly patternCarp HybridWet fly · #6–10Woolly Worm fly patternWoolly WormWet fly · #10–14