Briminator Pictorial

[gene bethea]

a fellor emailed me wanting a how to tie description of the briminator, so I thought I would just put it on here because maybe somebody else might be interested.  I got all this from Dane fuller who lives out on the high plains in Chlidress, Tx.
I like to use a #10 hook up to a 6; I usually use a big eye hook for ease in tying on my line.

I take the fluffy part of the feather and tie it as the tail

then I tie in some chain eyes, or heavier eyes if conditions warrant

then I put a little spit on my fingers and take the other part of the fluff in the feather and put it on my thread, spinning it on with thumb and forefinger

then palmer it up to the eyes, building up the body


then I tie in the rest of the feather behind the eyes

[gene bethea]

Sorry, but I had to stop ;
next step is I palmer the feather right up behind the eyes and tie it off, stroking the feathers back

Then, I cover up the wraps with some more fluff, advance the thread and tie off.

Its a pretty simple fly; kinda like Gartside's sparrow; sure is a brim getter, and an occasional bass in the larger sizes.

[gabreamguy]

thanks gene now i can add them to my collection . thats what i really needed.

[Kelly L]

Great tutorial.  The only thing I do differently is I use dubbing for the body, not just feathers.  Either way works though.  I am sure you could weigh these also if you want, I never have...and they work good for me.

[Hairstacker]

Gene, that was great, thanks!!  Now that I've seen how it's done, I'm going to tie some up myself. 

[gabreamguy]

also one more thing what type of feathers are youusing for them?

[Hairstacker]

also one more thing what type of feathers are youusing for them?

They look like pheasant to me . . . at least I hope so, as I have both a natural and an olive-dyed skin laying around here.

[Kelly L]

That is a pheasant alright. 

[StippledPopper]

Excellent pictorial Gene.  I like the way you used the first photo to indicate the different colors and types of materials that can be used for the eyes and feathers from the bird that are useful... and the hook.

[gene bethea]

the first pic shows the two feathers used; one from a golden pheasant and the other from a ringneck; I think theyre called church window feathers but if you get a pheasant skin theyre easy to locate.

[Jim-Iowa]

Nice Job Gene!! That will probably be one of the first I do.

[Thomas Conley]

So that's how the tie goes....Thanks Gene.  Wife and I hope to fish Athens this spring.  Will give a holler your way when we go.

[Gordon Bryson]

Good job Gene.  And I believe you've improved on Tony Guzman's (the old Main Street Outfitters in Fort Worth) design in that you've dropped the ingredients to only a feather, a hook, and bead chain eyes.  He used rabbit dubbing and the feather was a hen feather.  I like the idea of the pheasant feather, although I only use a ringneck (those goldens are too fancy for my materials box) feather or hen feather.  I like the idea of using the feather fluff for dubbing, but I may mix a little squirrel body hair in with it to give it a few spikes.

Thanks for putting this up.

[gene bethea]

gordon; JB sent me that golden cape as he found it on sale at Bass pro; I dont think it makes a lot of difference as to the variation in color.  I also think you could use rabbit, squirrel,marabou, etc. for the tail and the body; I just tie em like Dane does and he probably uses what he has available; times gets hard sometimes in Childress so squirrel and rabbit skins can be had with a 22 and a steady hand

[Dennis Weaver]

Gene, I tried but after tying 4 flies I had more fluff in the air around the tying table than on the flies.  I looked around and came  up with this.



A flashabou body worked for me...hasn't been vetted by bluegill yet but it looks nice.

Dennis