Balanced Blank Saver - Midnight Fire

Cheech - March 3, 2018

Seems the past couple of seasons, when I'm not fishing the smaller hatch-matching bugs on stillwaters, I've been reaching for this bugger-variant known as a Blank Saver. This is just a variation I've had good success with but the Blank Saver pattern itself is known by the chartreuse bead and black body. I throw in some midnight fire colors, make it a balanced fly and find this to be one of my go-to patterns as of late.

I've been fishing this typically on the point of a team of two or three flies. The best success has been with a midge tip line from Rio, but you could just as well fish it on intermediate or full sink lines too.

Material List

Hook: Umpqua XC400BL-BN - 12
Thread: UTC Ultrathread 140 Denier - Black
Bead: Plummeting Tungsten Beads - Neon Colors - 7/64" (2.8mm) - Fl. Chartreuse
Pin: Hareline Balanced Fly Pins
Bead (Alternate): Firehole Stones Neon Matte Tungsten Beads - 3.0mm (1/8") - Chartreuse
Tail: Fish Hunter Premium Strung Marabou - Black
Tail Flash : Flashabou - Original - 6911 - Red
Tail Flash (Alternate): Holographic Flashabou - Cranberry
Body: Speckled Chenille - Midnight Fire
Ribbing: UTC Ultra Wire - Small - Red
Hackle : Hebert Miner Hen Saddle - Black
Hackle (Alternate): Whiting 4B Schlappen/Bugger Saddle - Black
Collar: STS Trilobal Dubbing - Bloody Black Leech