How to Tie Senyo’s Wiggle Stone

The Wiggle Stone is excellent for both steelhead and trout.
Photo via orvis.com

Fly fishers are often trying to imitate lifelike action to attract trout, and one way to achieve this is with a jointed nymph. The Wiggle Stone is the creation of Greg Senyo of Steelhead Alley Outfitters in Ohio. This pattern should work great in the high water of spring, when stonefly nymphs are on the move, and trout are looking for big morsels after a long winter of eating tiny stuff.

          Senyo’s Wiggle Stone
          Rear Hook: Down-eye dry-fly hook, sizes 12 or 14.
          Thread: Black, 6/0.
          Tail: Black goose biots.
          Rib: 5X monofilament.
          Rear Body: Black rabbit dubbing.
          Front hook: Daiichi X120, sizes 10 or 12.
          Thread: Black, 6/0
          Body Joint: 8-pound-test monofilament or Fire Line.
          Rear Hook: 8-pound-test monofilament or Fire Line.
          Glue: Superglue.
          Flash: Pearl tinsel, flashback material, or Scud Back.
          Front body: Peacock Ice Dub.
          Legs: Black goose biots.

Step #1: Place dry-fly hook in your vise. Attach 6/0 black thread to the hook and wind to the rear of the hook. Wrap a small ball with your tying thread.

Step #2: Attach a black goose biot on each side of the thread ball and secure. Tail length should be about 1/4 inch.

Step 3#: Tie in a 3-inch piece of 5X monofilament and allow it to hang off the back of the hook. Dub a small even or slightly tapered body of black rabbit fur.

Step #4: Wind the monofilament forward over the body with even wraps toward the hook eye, and then secure with thread. Wrap a small thread head, whip finish, and cut the tying thread.

Step #5: Cut the rear of the hook off as close to the tail as possible.

Step #6: Place the front hook in your vise, and attach the thread. Tie in a 3-inch piece of 8-pound-test monofilament or Fire Line hanging off the rear.

Step #7: Thread the monofilament through the bottom of the tail hook’s eye, and secure the tag end of the mono to the shank of the front hook with several wraps of thread. Add a dab of superglue. (The loop should be as small as possible without interfering with the free movement of the tail up and down or side to side.)

Step #8: Tie in a 1-inch piece of flash material hanging off the rear, and dub a ball of Peacock Ice Dub as seen above.

Step #9: Pull the flash material over the back to form a wing case over the body, and secure it with several wraps of thread. Place a black goose biot on each side of the thorax, and build a small thread head. Whip finish and cut the thread.

Final: The Completed Senyo’s Wiggle Stone. You can change the color of the dubbing on the front hook to create different looks. Popular colors are Steely Blue, chartreuse, orange, pink, cream, yellow, rust, UV Pearl, and Shrimp Pink. All dubbing colors are Ice Dub from Hare Line Inc.