Nightmare Jig Streamer for Steelhead

Pete's class Nightmare on a jig: Ahrex SA254 size 2, big fluorescent white Spawn Super slotted tungsten bead, grizzly-red Polliwog tail, black Krystal Flash chenille, grizzly neck palmer, and a red schlappen collar. Simple streamer energy for winter steelhead, bass, and trout. Drift it or strip it.

Materials

Tools: Fly tying tools

Also see: Pink Changer Worm, Bronze Butter Crayfish

Steps

1. [0:55] Mount Ahrex SA254 #2. Seat 6.3 mm Spawn Super slotted tungsten bead (fluorescent white) with six wraps of .025 lead-free wire. Start 6/0 black thread. Lock wire so the bead cannot spin.
2. [2:14] Tie in a small grizzly-red Polliwog tail down to where the hook starts to bend. Trim butt at an angle at the back of the wire wraps.
3. [3:57] Tie in a grizzly rooster neck (tip trimmed). Concave toward the shank. Optional counter-rib wire (Pete skips).
4. [4:40] Tie in black Krystal Flash chenille at the rear. Optional: add black/red grizzly flash along the sides (discontinued; skip if you do not have it).
5. [7:20] Wrap chenille forward in touching wraps, sparse right behind the bead. Stop when the body looks full.
6. [8:15] Palmer the grizzly neck through the chenille with space between wraps. Aim for about five working wraps of fiber, then clear a small neck (~half a bead width) behind the bead.
7. [11:02] Tie in red schlappen the same way (concave in). About four wraps for a full collar. Clean thread V on the quill. Whip finish.
8. [14:17] Cement over thread wraps. Optional variant: black schlappen instead of grizzly for the body hackle.

FAQ

Why Nightmare colors with a white bead?
Classic Nightmare reads black body, red accents, white head. Pete puts the red in the Polliwog and schlappen collar, white up front on the jig bead.

Steelhead only?
Title and talk cover winter steelhead, bass, and trout. Same dress.

Do I need the discontinued flash?
No. Pete says the chenille already carries enough flash. Optional only.

Where are Polliwogs and feathers?
Tails: Tails, fins, claws. Feathers: Feathers. Beads: Fly tying beads.