How to Tie a Chubby Chernobyl Dry Fly

Jul 30, 2019 · 3 min read

Tips for tying a Chubby Chernobyl Dry Fly including a materials list, instructional video, and much more. Improve your fly tying skills here.

Materials:

Hook: Tiemco 2302, Size: 6

Thread: Uni-Thread 6/0, White

Back: 2mm Foam, Tan

Body: Ice Dub Blend, Yellow

Tail: Flashabou, Red

Wing: Poly Wing, White

Legs: Hareline Crazy Legs, Mottled Brown

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The Chubby Chernobyl is not only an effective attractor pattern but also an extremely versatile one. It floats like a cork, can be seen from a mile away and seriously moves some fish. Tie one on anytime fish are looking for some serious protein on top. This version is tied in a Daves hopper color, which is perfect for summertime trout, especially as a dry dropper rig.

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Step One:

Hands tying a Chubby Chernobyl dry fly on a gold hook in vise, olive thread body and glossy red rubber tail material

Start by attaching your thread and wrapping it back to the bend. Next, fold 3-4 pieces of flash material over your thread and tie it in at the bend of the hook. Trim the flash to a hook gap in length.

Step Two:

Yellow dubbed Chubby Chernobyl dry fly with red synthetic tail and gold hook held in vise

Grab your dubbing blend and create a thick messy body by wrapping forwards to the hook and then back to right in front of the hook point. Next create a band of thread to tie the foam in.

Step Three:

Hand holding bright yellow Chubby Chernobyl dry fly with red tail, foam body and looped hair wing in vise

Measure your foam so that it is the about the width of the hook gap, trim and round one end.

Step Four:

Chubby Chernobyl dry fly being tied: chartreuse dubbing body, cream foam wing, red rubber tail on gold hook in vise

Tie down the foam on top of the hook shank with the end extending just past the hook bend.

Step Five:

Chubby Chernobyl dry fly with yellow dubbed body, white foam wings and translucent speckled rubber legs in vise

Tie in the rubber legs on either side of the fly leaving them long.

Step Six:

Chubby Chernobyl dry fly: yellow body, white synthetic wing, tan foam back, green speckled legs in vise

Tie in the poly wing material by laying it along the length of the fly and tying it down in the middle. Dub a small noodle onto the thread. Pull the wing back and use the dubbed thread to force the wing back into place.

Step Seven:

Hand-tied Chubby Chernobyl dry fly with white synthetic wing, yellow thread head and foam body clamped in vise

Dub your thread, advance it forward and tie the foam down a quarter of a hook shank length behind the hook eye. Create another thread band and repeat the same steps as the rear portion of the fly to tie in the legs and wing

Step Eight:

Chubby Chernobyl dry fly with white poly wing, yellow foam body, olive dubbing and rubber legs held in vise for fly fishing

Throw a whip finish. Next, trim your legs to about a hook shank in length. Finally, trim your wing to extend to just beyond the body level with the flash tail.

Chubby Chernobyl dry fly with white synthetic wing, yellow foam body and olive rubber legs clamped in vise, fly fishing

And that's the Chubby Chernobyl. The Chubby is a hugely popular pattern for hungry trout out west and works well as an attractor on small creeks and large rivers alike.

Questions?

Give us a call here at the shop at (888) 413-5211 or email us anytime at [email protected].

Written by

Jared Robbins

Jared Robbins is a fly fishing expert at Trident Fly Fishing, where he brings a deep passion for the sport and an encyclopedic knowledge of gear to everything he does. An accomplished fly tier, Jared has walked anglers through patterns ranging from delicate trout nymphs to aggressive saltwater streamers. Whether he's chasing carp on a warm river flat, swinging mouse patterns for big browns after dark, or targeting tarpon and snook in the salt, Jared's diverse fishing experience means he can speak to just about any situation you'll find yourself in on the water.

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