Paul's Scuba Cicada - A sinking pattern

• Posted on 22 June 2025
• By Paul Jensen
• Posted in fly tying
• 0

Looking for a new cicada pattern to add to your arsenal? Paul's Scuba Cicada tempts fish munching on drowned bugs in both warm and cold water fisheries.

Periodical cicada action in central Pennsylvania is on fire right now and topwater action for trout and a variety of warmwater species couldn’t be better.  Recently, the Tackle Shack crew took a trip down to Spring Creek and had a blast catching trout on a handful of different MFC Cicada patterns.  Recent rains had swift currents and choppy water in many of the nicer runs.  The occasional small wake sank our foam bugs momentarily and sent them tumbling beneath the surface.  These sunken cicadas got bit more than once. 

It got us thinking – What if we fish a Cicada Dry/Dropper with a sinking cicada?  Surely, many of the trout weren’t willing to come up and eat dries, but they’d probably take a sinking pattern.

The next day, Paul hit the vise to craft a sinking cicada pattern. 

We wanted a pattern that would slow sink and hang just a few inches below the surface behind a foam pattern.  After a few renditions, Paul’s Scuba Cicada was born and it’s proven effective for trout, largemouth, and carp.  Give it a try this season before the cicadas disappear for another 17 years!

Both trout and carp took the Scuba Cicada as a dropper behind a foam pattern in a recent trip to central PA.

What you'll need:

Hook: Fulling Mill 6040 Streamer Stripper Size 2-4
Thread: UTC 140 Denier Black
Abdomen: Hareline Small Flexi Squishenille UV Black
Hackle: Grizzle Saddle dyed Orange
Wing: Hareline Krystal Flash Medium Brown
Legs: Hareline Barred Crazy Legs Orange/Gold Flake
Thorax: Hareline Small Flexi Squishenille UV Black
Eyes: 2- Spirit River 1/8” (3.3mm) Hot Bead Hot Orange, connected with 30lb monofilament

Step 1: Slip bead onto 30lb mono and melt end

Step 2: Add a spot of UV resin to help secure the bead

Step 3: Hold the mono with hackle pliers and repeat to make the second eye

Step 4: Strip the end of the squishenille and tie in near bend of the hook

Step 5: Tie in hackle feather

Step 6: Advance thread and tie in eyes

Step 7: Wrap Squishenille forward and create a taper with more bulk towards front of the abdomen

Step 8: Wrap hackle forward and tie off behind the eyes.

Step 9: Tie in rubber legs 

Step 10:

Step 11: Trim legs to length

Step 12: Measure krystal flsh for wings

Step 13: Fold creating 2 loops of Krystal Flash

Step 14:

Step 15: Tie in wings

Step 16:

Step 17:Wrap chenille in front of wing

Step 18: Wrap Chenille forward

Step 19: Wrap Hackle forward

Step 20: Cut Krystal flash loops

Step 21: Trim wings to length

Step 22: Whip finish

Step 23:

Step 24: Finish with a UV resin or head cement for added durability.

For a  full video visit our Youtube Page or stop in and see us for tying tips!