#97-2013 Sweeney Todd Variant

#97-2013 - Sweeney Todd Variant by Eunan Hendron

Tied by: Eunan Hendron
Originated by: Richard Walker and Peter Thomas
Source: Streamer Source: The Illustrated Dictionary of Trout Flies, John Roberts (1986), Pg. 184

Sweeney Todd Streamer Fly Recipe

Hook: Alec Jackson Steelhead Iron #3
Thread: Black 8/0
Body: Black floss on the rear 2/3 with neon magenta floss on the front 1/3 (sealed with uv resin)
Rib: Silver oval tinsel
Throat: Natural red fox
Wing: Black fox hair flanked by thin grizzly hackle
Eye: 3D eye
Head: Black coated with uv resin

Notes: The original Sweeney Todd streamer was tied without eyes or the grizzly hackle in the wing, but the variant is a lively addition to an already convincing minnow imitation. Some versions of the streamer feature an extra long wing, twice the length of the hook. It is because of the bright magenta spot on the hook that the pattern does not suffer from the added length, giving predators a target to smack rather than nip at the tail end. See the video below for Davie McPhail's fly tying tutorial of the Sweeney Todd Variant.