John Crowe's spun deer hair beetle is the original foam-free beetle pattern. The oval, clipped deer hair body perfectly captures the profile of a beetle on the surface. Durable and effective all summer whenever beetles are active.
1. Thread base — Attach black thread behind the eye and build a base to the bend.
2. Underbody — Optional: wind a few turns of black thread forward to build a slight underbody for the deer hair to grip.
3. Spin deer hair — Spin 2–3 clumps of deer body hair from the bend to just behind the eye, packing each clump tightly. The hair should spin completely around the shank.
4. Shape — Using curved scissors, trim the deer hair into a compact oval beetle shape — flat on top and bottom, full on the sides. Leave a small stub of fibers extending rearward as a tail-indicator.
5. Indicator (optional) — Add a tiny spot of orange or yellow poly yarn on top at the thorax for visibility.
6. Head — Build a neat thread head just behind the eye. Whip finish and apply head cement.
