UV Worm - Fish Love Worms but What if They are in UV?

~By: Lance Dean | August 31, 2014

The UV Worm is a simple tie that I discovered a few months ago. The Creator of the UV Worm is Mickey Anderson.  Mickey currently works for Fish Tech (a fly shop in Salt Lake City, Utah).  When I decided that I wanted to tie this fly I called Fish Tech and asked to talk to Mickey.  Mickey was a very helpful when I asked him about his fly.  He told me how simple of a tie the UV Worm was and that one did not have to limit the materials used for the body.  He even said that it could be ties with wool yarn.  Mickey told me that the most popular colors for his fly are orange, pink or cream; however, don’t limit the colors that the UV Worm can be tied with, I have tied it in blue and fluorescent yellow as well.  Essentially, the body of this fly can be tied with anything that you can wrap around the hook.  The most common materials used on the UV Worm are a hook, thread, cinnamon UV ice dub and either polypropylene (poly) yarn or fly line backing depending on which version you choose to tie.  The first UV Worm that I saw was tied with poly yarn.  Personally, I like the look of the fly line backing version.  It has a slimmer profile that appeals to me. The hook is a Gamakatsu split shot/drop shot hook that comes in black or red.  Both colors work but, I like the red, it gives the fly more character.

Here is the materials list and a SBS (step-by-step).

A video demonstration can be found at the bottom of the post…Enjoy and feel free to subscribe to Fishbait’s Fly Box and leave you comments.

UV Worm
HOOK:	Gamakatsu Split Shot/Drop Shot
THREAD:	UTC 140 (color to match body)
BODY:	Twisted Polypropylene Yarn or 30lb Fly Line Backing
CLITELLUM:	UV Ice Dub (Cinnamon)

1. Fold a piece of paper around the bend of the hook, where it is going to be inserted into the vise. This is to protect the finish of the hook.

2. Insert the hook into the vise.

3. Start the thread at the index point of the hook. Wrap the thread down to about sixty percent of the bend.

4. Starting from the back of the hook, tie in the fly line backing.  The tip of the fly line backing should extend to one eye length from the eye. Work the thread to the front of the hook, securing the backing to the hook.

5. Wrap the fly line backing around the hook shank, being careful to not twist the backing as it is advanced to the front of the hook. Tie off the backing with a three tight wraps of thread.

6. Cut off any remaining backing without cutting the thread.

7. For the polypropylene version, tie it the poly yarn the same way as the fly line backing version.

8. Using your thumb and forefinger twist the poly yarn until it becomes a tight rope. Do not release the yarn or it will unravel.

9. Wrap the yarn to one eye length behind the hook eye.  You may have to twist and wrap the poly yarn a few times to get to one eye length behind the hook eye. Tie off the yarn and cut any leftover yarn.

10. Build a small head of thread, whip finish and then cut the thread.

11. Restart the thread at about one-third of the way from the eye to the bend of the hook.

12. Twist some dubbing on the thread to start the UV hotspot for the worm.

13. Wrap the hook with four or five wraps of dubbed thread.

 

14. After the dubbing is on the fly, whip finish and cut the thread. Place a small amount of head cement on the head of the fly. This is what the finished fly will look like.

15. Here is what the finished polypropylene UV Worm looks like.