Cheech Leech

My Favorite Streamer - hands down.

Black/Red Cheech Leech at Glamour Shots in the mall

**Update**
As we do with many of our patterns as we fish them more and more, we find ways to improve them for effectiveness, durability, color combinations, or all of the above.  I have been playing with some different changes for the Cheech Leech, the most important being the way that I do the head.  I have to hand it to my buddy Jeff Welker for challenging me to tie a few "perfect" El Sculpito patterns that he was putting into a frame.  The El Sculpito uses the same type of head that the Cheech Leech uses so it was directly translatable.  The solution was simple, but it took me a while for my slow artist brain to catch up with what my hands needed to do.  It involves some velcro, a thick dubbing loop, and some strong thread.  This new color combo has been great, and with the addition of claret marabou, black wine dubbing, and black/red krystal flash, it really makes a fish getting fly...

(This fly uses quite a bit of AZ Mega Simi Seal dubbing, so it might be a good idea to stock up)

Happy tying.

~ Cheech

Buy the Cheech Leech (HERE)



Modified recipes:

Black/Red
Back Hook: Daiichi 2461 #2 (BUY HERE)
Thread: Danville 210 Denier - Black (BUY HERE)
Tail: AZ Mega Simi Seal dubbing - Black Wine (BUY HERE)
Flash: Grizzly Krystal Flash - Black/Red (BUY HERE)
Body: AZ Mega Simi Seal dubbing - Black Wine (BUY HERE)
Hackle: Palmer Chenille - Black (BUY HERE)

Connection:
Beads: Articulation Beads - Ruby Red - Gunmetal (BUY HERE)
Wire: Articulation Wire (BUY HERE)

Front Hook: Gamakatsu B10S #1 (BUY HERE)
Eyes: Ballzeyes - Large Red (BUY HERE)
Body: AZ Mega Simi Seal dubbing - Black Wine (BUY HERE)
Hackle: Palmer Chenille - Black (BUY HERE)
Collar: Nature's Spirit Prime Marabou - Black, Claret  (BUY HERE)
(Alternate) Nature's Spirit Strung Marabou - Black, Claret (BUY HERE)
Legs: Silicon Streamer Legs - Red Glitter Black (BUY HERE)
Head: AZ Mega Simi Seal dubbing - Black Wine (BUY HERE)

Halloween
Back Hook: Daiichi 2461 #2 (BUY HERE)
Thread: Danville 210 Denier - Fl. Orange (BUY HERE)
Tail: AZ Mega Simi Seal dubbing - Black UV (BUY HERE)
Flash: Krystal Flash - Rootbeer (BUY HERE)
Body: AZ Mega Simi Seal dubbing - Black UV (BUY HERE)
Hackle: Palmer Chenille - Orange (BUY HERE)

Connection:
Beads: Articulation Beads - Roe Orange - Gunmetal (BUY HERE)
Wire: Articulation Wire (BUY HERE)

Front Hook: Gamakatsu B10S #1 (BUY HERE)
Eyes: Ballzeyes - Large Red (BUY HERE)
Body: AZ Mega Simi Seal dubbing - Black UV (BUY HERE)
Hackle: Palmer Chenille - Black (BUY HERE)
Collar: Nature's Spirit Prime Marabou - Black, Fl. Orange  (BUY HERE)
(Alternate) Nature's Spirit Strung Marabou - Black, Fl. Orange (BUY HERE)
Legs: Silicon Streamer Legs - Speckled Copper Black (BUY HERE)
Head: AZ Mega Simi Seal dubbing - Black UV (BUY HERE)

Wyoming Cowboy
Back Hook: Daiichi 2461 #2 (BUY HERE)
Thread: Danville 210 Denier - Brown (BUY HERE)
Tail: AZ Mega Simi Seal dubbing - Golden Yellow (BUY HERE) (item coming soon)
Flash: Krystal Flash - Rootbeer(BUY HERE)
Body: AZ Mega Simi Seal dubbing - Golden Yellow (BUY HERE)
Hackle: Palmer Chenille - Rootbeer (BUY HERE)

Connection:
Beads: Articulation Beads - Nuclear Corn (BUY HERE)
Wire: Articulation Wire (BUY HERE)

Front Hook: Gamakatsu B10S #1 (BUY HERE)
Eyes: Ballzeyes - Large Red (BUY HERE)
Body: AZ Mega Simi Seal dubbing - Golden Yellow (BUY HERE)
Hackle: Palmer Chenille - Rootbeer (BUY HERE)
Collar: Nature's Spirit Prime Marabou - Sulphur Orange. Brown  (BUY HERE)
(Alternate) Nature's Spirit Strung Marabou - Sulphur Orange. Brown (BUY HERE)
Legs: Silicon Streamer Legs - Speckled Glitter Yellow (BUY HERE)
Head: AZ Mega Simi Seal dubbing - Golden Yellow (BUY HERE)

(**buy Cheech Leeches here**)

As a creative fly tyer I am not haunted by waters.  I am haunted by names.  Many nights as I tie flies I will have crazy fly names come into my head that really make me question whether or not I am really sane.  The Stoneflopper, Grumpy Frumpy, and Petite Sirloin Stonefly all made it off the vise, into the hands of able anglers, and eventually into the mouths of some intelligent trout.  The Caddis Leech, Samsquatch midge, and Big Lurch are still works in progress, and I’m still searching for bugs that will fit those names.  The Cheech Leech was a name that was haunting me for several months before it finally appeared onto my vise one night.  It was early one fall morning probably about 2 am.  I was chugging Mtn. Dew by the 2 liter, Bob Marley was blaring in the background, and I wasn’t going to sleep any time soon, so I started throwing stuff onto hooks.  I was pleased with what I saw after I tied the first one, but what would the fish think.

Video Tutorial:

 

            The conditions were very nice for a freezing cold miserable snowstorm.  I had a 3 wt rigged with 3x tippet, and I was set on hooking up with this fly.  I only had one so I began by tying a very perfect loop knot so I wouldn’t lose it.  I was staring at a pool that was known for holding some large educated trout.  The first cast told me that my 3 wt was not an ideal streamer stick.  The accuracy was off, and my furry creature went wide of the honey spot of the hole.  Just then, a nice Cutthroat turned and followed my fly all the way to the back of the hole.  No dice.  From the other side of the creek I heard my buddy yell “hey dummy, don’t you have to strip streamers?”  I got caught up in the fact that I might actually hook up on this ugly thing and dead drifted it.  The next cast the fly made it to the sweet spot.   Flash of orange!  BAM!  Big brown on!  This fish also reminded me in not so subtle a manner that my 3 wt was NOT an ideal streamer stick.  He did get the last laugh because he came off right at my feet.  That was fine with me though, because the Cheech Leech had pierced flesh.  I clipped it off, stuck it in my pocket, and started walking back to the truck.

            After a fly is a proven fish catcher I like to take it back to the fly dungeon to see if I need to improve upon it.  I realized quickly that this fly is an open book, and there are many variations that can be done with it.  The colors can be changed, rubber legs can be added, and the barbells can be put on either side of the hook to make it ride hook up or down.  It has since been distributed to much more able bodied anglers and is terrorizing trout all over the country.

Cheech

Cutthroat that fell victim to a Cheech Leech

Here are some other color variations.