Tying Instructions: Chubby Chernobyl

1. Attach the hook to the vise and lay a thread foundation from behind the eye to the bend of the hook. Bring the thread back to a couple eye lengths behind the eye.
Step One
2. Attach six strands of Krystal Flash at their midpoint to the top of the hook shank with a tight thread wrap. Bring the dozen tag ends of the Krystal Flash over the bend of the hook.
Step Two
3. Secure the Krystal Flash to the top of the hook shank with thread wraps to the bend of the hook and trim the tail to about 3/4 the hook shank length.
Step Three
4.Apply some dubbing to the thread anchoring the fibers to the hook shank with one wrap.
Step Four
5. Dub a slightly tapered body from the bend of the hook to just behind the eye. Finish the dubbed body with the thread just above the point of the hook. Step Five
6. Cut a strip of 2mm foam that is about as wide as the gap of the hook. Trim one end to a blunt tapered point. I used a Chernobyl Foam cutter on this one. Place the foam body so that the pointed end is about one hook gap from the bend of the hook and secure with a few tight thread wraps just above the point of the hook.
Step Six
7. Attach a pair of legs to both sides of the foam body.
Step Seven
8. Next, attach a 3 inch teased strand of Floating Poly from it's midpoint on the thread and position the strand at the top of the foam body between the legs.
Step Eight
9. Dub the thread and pull the forward strand of Poly back over the rear strand. Step Nine
10. Wrap the dubbing between the legs and against the base of the Poly. This keeps the legs separated, hides the thread wraps, and helps keep the Poly in a rearward sweep. Apply some more dubbing a wrap the thread to about the 1/4 position behind the eye.
Step Ten
11. Secure the foam body to the top of the hook shank with three tight wraps.
Step Eleven
12. Add two pairs of legs on either side of the foam body.
Step Twelve
13. And attach another 3 inch strand of teased Poly Yarn by it's midpoint to the thread, positioned on the top of the foam body between the second pair of legs. Step Thirteen
14. Bring the Poly Strand back and apply some dubbing between the legs and the base of the Poly wing. Some extra dubbing will be applied just behind the eye of the hook.
Step Fourteen
15. Secure the thread with some half hitches behind the eye of the hook.
Step Fifteen
16. Place a small strip of 2mm Black foam over the top of the tag end of the body and pull this tag end over the black strip. Secure the tag end with some tight wraps between the legs and the base of the Poly Wing. This creates a bullethead with some "eyes". It is an optional step that is often not taken but it looks cool.
Step Sixteen
17. Trim the Poly wing so that it is about a shank long. Step Seventeen
18. Apply a few more half hitches just behind the eye and trim off the thread. A drop of cement to the half hitches is advised.
Step Eighteen
19. The finished Chubby Chernobyl.
Step Nineteen

©2023 Steve Schalla
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