The Screwhead Matuka
The neat Kamelon heads from French Andre Bidoz made these efficient Matukas possible.
By Martin Joergensen
This is in most ways an ordinary Matuka fly, and could actually be almost any pattern as long as it was tied on a straight eye hook. The neat thing about the fly is not the tail or body, but - obviously - the head.
Kameleon Matuka
The fly ought rightfully to be called the Kameleon Matuka - named after the cone used in the head. But I thought Screwhead sounded a bit better.
The Kameleon head is quite an intricate construction made by the French manufacturer of cones and beads André Bidoz. Its shape allows it to be slipped over the eye of the hook, be turned and then lock in place, adding a really neat head to the fly and at the same time adding weight. Stick on eyes will finish the picture, and using such a head, your can turn any fly into a very different character in seconds. No special tricks are needed, neither is glue, and any fly with a little space behind the eye can be converted.
You can see the Kameleon head and more of Bidoz' producets here.
Simple pattern
This pattern is as simple as they come: a dubbed body, a Matuka wing and a hackle. It is the head that makes it stand out - to the extend that it stands out at all. The head is light enough to be convenient to cast and heavy enough to bring the fly down.
Materials
| Hook | Straight eye streamer, size 4-6 | | Thread | Brown | | Body | Tan Scintilla dubbing | | Rib | Oval medium silver | | Wing | Two brown hen feathers | | Hackle | One brown hen feather | | Head | Bidoz Kameleon Alu head, silver or black | | Eyes | Stick on eyes |
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Tying instructions
- Tie in the rib at the the hook bend
- Dub the body to a slender, cylindrical shape. Leave a little space behind the hook eye
- Prepare two matched hen feathers by stripping off webby material
- Hole them with the dull side against each other and put them over the body
- Measure the feathers to a suitable length - abot 1½ times the hook length
- Strip off excess material on both top an bottom of the feathers
- Strip off excess material in the full body length on the underside of the feathers leaving only the tail intact
- Tie down the feathers in front of the body
- Rib firmly through the feathers with 4-5 open wraps
- Tie down the rib and trim surplus
- Prepare a feather for the hackle by stripping off the soft part
- Tie in as a wet fly hackle and wind it 3-4 times
- Tie down and cut surplus off
- Whip finish and varnish
- Slip a Kameleon head over the hook eye, turn and lock in place
Screwhead Matuka
| Type | Cold saltwater fly
| Originator
| Martin Joergensen
| Year of origin
| 2002
| Tied by
| Martin Joergensen
| Difficulty
| Easy
| Target species
| Brown trout
Largemouth bass
Sea trout (sea run)
Smallmouth bass
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Materials
| Hook | Straight eye streamer, size 4-6 | | Thread | Brown | | Body | Tan Scintilla dubbing | | Rib | Oval medium silver | | Wing | Two brown hen feathers | | Hackle | One brown hen feather | | Head | Bidoz Kameleon Alu head, silver or black | | Eyes | Stick on eyes |
Tying instructions
- Tie in the rib at the the hook bend
- Dub the body to a slender, cylindrical shape. Leave a little space behind the hook eye
- Prepare two matched hen feathers by stripping off webby material
- Hole them with the dull side against each other and put them over the body
- Measure the feathers to a suitable length - abot 1½ times the hook length
- Strip off excess material on both top an bottom of the feathers
- Strip off excess material in the full body length on the underside of the feathers leaving only the tail intact
- Tie down the feathers in front of the body
- Rib firmly through the feathers with 4-5 open wraps
- Tie down the rib and trim surplus
- Prepare a feather for the hackle by stripping off the soft part
- Tie in as a wet fly hackle and wind it 3-4 times
- Tie down and cut surplus off
- Whip finish and varnish
- Slip a Kameleon head over the hook eye, turn and lock in place
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