RAB - Step by Step

[dlampert]

Here is a quick and dirty step by step for a Poodle RAB.

Hook: Grip 11011BL #12
Thread: Danvilles 70 Denier Red
Tail: 10 - 15 White/Cream/Light Dun/Grizzly Spade Hackle Fibres
Body & Legs: Egyptian Goose Bronze Feather Fibres
First Hackle: Brown/Ginger Spade Hackle
Second Hackle: White/Cream/Light Dun/Grizzly Spade Hackle

Step 1
Tie in the thread at the eye and run it back to the bend of the hook.


Step 2
Build up a small thread bump. Tie in 10 - 15 Light Dun Spade Hackle Fibres - 1.5 - 2 times the shank length just behind the thread bump. Wrap once or twice over the thread bump to splay the fibres.


Step 3
For the body and legs you can use any long fibres - pheasant tail, water mongoose, squirrel, stripped peacock herl, stripped hackle etc. I like using the body feathers from Egyptian Geese or Hadedas - they are long, soft and don't add too much weight or bulk. Have a look around places where these birds congregate and you will find the right feathers.


Step 4
Take 6 - 8 feather fibres and tie them in by the butts with the tips facing backwards. Leave the thread at the tail tie in point.


Step 5
Wrap them half way up the hook shank and then grip them in your right hand while ribbing the thread with your left. Tie them off and don't attempt to splay them at this stage.


Step 6
Select a brown or ginger spade hackle around twice the hook gape length. Indian Cock Capes are cheap and a good choice for RAB's. Genetic hackle is generally not large enough for Poodle RAB's. Tie it in just in front of the legs.


Step 7
Grab the tip with hackle pliers and first make a few turns back towards the tail and then wrap forward through the legs - they will splay naturally. Tie off the hackle and clip the excess.


Step 8
Select a White/Cream/Light Dun/Grizzly Spade Hackle slightly longer then the previous hackle. Tie it in just in front of the previous hackle.

[dlampert]

Step 9
Grab the tip with hackle pliers and first make a few turns back into the previous hackle and then wrap forward to just behind the eye. Tie off and clip the excess. Whip finish or half-hitch to complete.


The fibres should now be naturally splayed all around the fly.


Now for the acid test - throw the finished fly into the air - it should drift down slowly like a dandelion - if it doesn't then throw it in the bin and start again !

[ShaunF]

Sweet ! Thanks very much !

[dlampert]

Sweet ! Thanks very much !

No probs, you getting ready for your assault on the rivers of KZN ?

[ShaunF]

No probs, you getting ready for your assault on the rivers of KZN ?

You bet ! Apart from an afternoon on one of the little mountain streams up in EG last year, I haven't fished a river in ages. I'm going to spend the last 6 weeks or so of the season and go see what our rivers are looking like.

[MyWorld]

I searched on Google but could not fins anything on the RAB, what is it supposed to imitate?

[Babyson]

I'm speaking under correction here but I think its a very suggestive pattern. Doesn't really imitate anything as far as I know, but is a absolute must if you fishing any of the cape streams! or at least thats what my mates in stellies tell me.

Hope my rather poor explanaion helps!?
Rob

[Gerrit Viljoen]

I'm speaking under correction here but I think its a very suggestive pattern. Doesn't really imitate anything as far as I know, but is a absolute must if you fishing any of the cape streams! or at least thats what my mates in stellies tell me.

Hope my rather poor explanaion helps!?
Rob

Very good explanation,u beat me to it.Mario mentioned something about it this week I value his opinion wrt streams and what not.Having said that it can be taken as Mayflies,Craneflies and Diptera.

A pattern designed by Tony Biggs I think and it originates out of the Cape Streams.

[dlampert]

I searched on Google but could not fins anything on the RAB, what is it supposed to imitate?

A RAB is a good cranefly and Cape Dobsonfly imitation. A couple of years ago I was fishing the Holsloot when some dobsonflies started hatching. They looked exactly like a RAB as they fluttered weakly across the water. Besides that, it's a big juicy fly that fish will often move a large distance to eat.

[Andre]

I searched on Google but could not fins anything on the RAB, what is it supposed to imitate?

Try "red arsed bastard"