How to Tie a Mop ‘N Glo 2.0

Producer: Tim Flagler

“A full year has come and gone since I produced a video on how to tie the Mop & Glo, and I figured it was time for a few minor updates to the pattern. So, this is it, the Mop & Glo 2.0. It has double the fish-catching goodness of the original and will, no doubt, generate twice the amount of negative response from traditionalists. Anyway, here goes.

I begin with a Dai-Riki #135 in size 14. Start by mashing the barb and getting the hook firmly secured in the jaws of your tying vise.
For thread, I’ve loaded a bobbin with a spool of yellow UTC 140 Denier to blend in with the yellow glo bug part of the fly. Start your thread on the hook shank leaving an eye length space behind the eye and take a few wraps rearward before snipping or breaking off the tag. Continue taking wraps a little ways down the shank and then back up leaving your thread at about the hook point.
For the mop parts of the fly, I’m going to go with a mottled grey. Snip two tentacles free from the backing. Begin stripping material from the butt end of one of these. Try to take about 1/4 of the material off but leave the exposed thread core intact. On the second tentacle, strip roughly 1/3 of the fluffy material away. These lengths aren’t critical but will help to give a balanced look to the fly. Pick up the longer of the 2 first. Lay the bare internal strands on top of the hook shank and take thread wraps to secure them right at the base of the tentacle. You can then lift the butt ends of the strands up and snip them off close. Take a few more thread wraps to make sure the tail end won’t pull free or unravel.
Now, get hold of the second tentacle and place it so its tip extends out over the hook eye, and secure it in the same manner as the other. Then, snip the excess butt ends off close. Take wraps of tying thread to build up a foundation for the glo bug part of the fly and check to make sure you’ve left enough room behind the hook eye for a whip finish.
I’m going to use a homemade dispenser to create the glo bug. My Clown Egg video shows the materials and how to make one of these, if you don’t already know. Lay the dispenser on top of the hook shank and take 3 or 4 diagonal wraps of tying thread to secure the far side of the material. Then, switch your wraps to the opposite diagonal and take 3 or 4 more, which will help to lock down the near side. Lift the front tentacle up to expose the hook eye and take a few thread wraps behind it. Pull the glo bug dispenser back just a little to get it out of the way, then pick up your whip finish tool and do a 4 or 5 turn whip finish to secure your tying thread. Once it’s complete and the knot is well seated, snip or cut your thread free.
Now comes the fun part. Pull 1/4” or so of the glo bug material from the dispenser. Then, with very sharp scissors, snip that length in half. This will form the near side of the glo bug, to make the whole thing roughly spherical in shape.
Say what you want about this pattern or any others that use mop material but one thing that can’t be disputed is their uncanny ability to catch fish, particularly, recently stocked rainbows. Ok you traditionalists, bring it on!

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