Master the Art of Tying a Balanced Leech: Bruised (H/O Bead)

Balanced Leeches are a must-have pattern in any stillwater fly box. The Bruised version, black with blue highlights, is my favourite color. The addition of the hot orange bead is often a difference maker when compared to the original gold version.

Since I began tying balanced flies, my original materials and techniques have evolved, including bead colour, mounting the bead, integrating sequin pins and my preferred hook style.

Like most balanced flies, Balanced Leeches are often fished suspended beneath an indicator, typically from 1-3 above the bottom or weed tops. Balanced flies, such as my Bruised Leech, are also excellent choices to fish using cast and retrieve techniques coupled with a 4-6 strip pause retrieve.

Balanced Leech-Bruised (Hot Orange Bead)
Hook: Daiichi 4640 or 4647 #10
Thread: Semperfli Nano Silk, Black
Tail: Marabou, Black and Flashabou Ice Blue Pearl (#6904)
Body: Arizona Simi Seal, Black/Blue
Bead: Tungsten, 1/8" (3.0 MM), Fluorescent Orange, Chartreuse, Hot Pink or Gold
Pin Extension: Sequin Pin, Gold or Silver

Material Sources

Tools and Other Gear

Learn How to Fly Fish Lakes

Keep in Touch

[dgsgzqm]

Thanks Phil for the great patterns and the instruction. I appreciate the way you explain what to do, how to do it, and why. As a relatively new tier I find many of the videos I watch are just that--watching what someone does without fully understanding exactly how or why. Little things count.

[bobbell]

Absolutely brilliant fly Phil....great instructions and superbly tied. Regards Robbie from UK. 👍👍👍

[LorenIrving]

Thanks for all the tweaking Phil. Will start using that orange bead. This fly works so well and again very much appreciate the pattern. I tie them by the dozen and find myself handing them out them out when someone notices I am bring the net out again and again. Best to ya

[sergtang]

This is a revolutionary fly. Thanks to keep working on the pattern Phil.

[jimseaman]

Excellent pattern. Never thought about sequin pins! Wow, excellent idea. I was regularly breaking my thread with the cut straight pins. Thank you!

[davidhart]

Thank you Again Phil
This pattern is very Awesome; I can’t wait to try it when I go to the lake
With my vet buddies from Healing Waters here in Washington-:)
Tkcare David 😊

[kenb]

Gidday Phil. Great tutorial, very helpful tips. I havent tied this fly yet but will give it a go. Thankyou.

[fisherguy]

I've been skeptical about jumping on the balanced bandwagon but Doug's friend schooled us in June with a balanced leech. Gonna hafta tie some up this winter.
Thanks for posting the links.
(I still hate dubbing loops BTW...) 😉

[Boon-ierq]

Alternatively, You can also use a mono straight about 30-60lbs instead of a pin, burn the tip to create a bulge to prevent the bead from sliding off. That's what I would do if I didn't have the proper size pins or couldn't find my pins 😅.

[ronbethueser]

Thanks for video. I’m going to write down this recipe and put your name and video beside this to refer later

[TightLinesNW]

Good stuff as always Phil.
Interesting that you are moving towards hot spot beads.
I recently fished a beautiful sub alpine lake here in WA with wild (can't say native) Browns and Cutthroat. I assumed these fish wanted the most natural looking bug possible. They did for the first couple days.
Day 3 however a florescent orange bead pine squirrel leech was what they wanted.
Interesting flip.
Thanks for sharing!

[scotmclellan]

Thanks Phil. Going to stock up on a few of these. Cheers

[SiuslawOR]

Very good video, well filmed and detailed explanations 👍👍
Have you tried tying this pattern on #6 hooks for steelhead indicator nymphing?

[ColorMyHairIs]

Hi Phil, I'm new to fly tying. Thanks for all your great videos. I don't know if you've shown how to figure out where to tie in the sequin pin to make sure the balanced fly stays balanced in the water. I have found that if it is balanced when it is dry, the head sinks when it is wet. I was wondering if you can balance it with the hook and bead tied on without any material. Does the material you tie on change the balance? I hope I have explained this properly. Thanks again

[ega]

Any particular reason you changed hooks from the 90 degree mustad hook? Wondering if availability is a factor, they seem harder to find these days.

[JAL]

What size of sequin pin are you using? I’m seeing them in #8-#12 available

[brianfleury]

Tying some for Cape Cod kettle ponds today. This pattern looks it may be terrific as a clam/cinder worm imitation for striped bass. The fly below has been a good pattern for me. It is 100% SLF dubbing. The tail is the dubbing loop doubled over. I often fished this under an indicator (CorkQ). The natural worms are 1-2" long and the swim about aggressively in the top foot or so.