Ryan Brennecke / The BulletinRuby Eyed Leach, courtesy The Patient Angler.

One of my favorite searching patterns is a No. 8 Blood Red Leech, so any slim leech pattern with a dark profile and red elements catches my eye. The Ruby Eyed Leech will definitely be one of my go-to patterns on lakes this spring.

Fish it with a 3x or 4x fluorocarbon tippet and a slow-sink line. Leeches swim with a side-to-side motion. Try a long series of 1-inch twitches or strips and then pause to let the fly sink on a tight line. Or try it on a floating line beneath an indicator.

Tie this one on a No. 8-3XL or No. 10-2XL hook. Slide a brass bead up to the eye and put a slightly smaller glass ruby red bead behind it. For the tail, use black and red Arizona Simi Seal dubbing. For the body, dub with copper wire.

—Gary Lewis, for The Bulletin