The Hayden's Grub Fly is a pattern originated down under by Terry Hayden. Terry Hayden makes the famous Hayden Fly Reels and loves to fish. Terry gave me a Grub Fly to try-out when he visited the Long Beach Fred Hall show in 2001. I did try it and it worked so well that I have refined his original pattern. Terry himself has adopted some of these refinements.  

Hayden's Grub Fly: I usually tie it on size #2 EC413, or a size#2-#4 Daichii 2546. Tie-on some weighted eyes of choice so the fly rides point-up. Add some white Kip (calf tail) on the bend side of the hook and long enough to be slightly past the hook point. Tie this in forward of the bead chain eyes (or Dazzle Eyes). Then follow with a thinner and darker colored bunch of Kip on top of that and top it off a few strands of synthetic flash. Then build up a nice head, whip finish and coat with Epoxy and cure. Next cut the rounded nose off of a 1.5 - 2" plastic curly tail Grub and throw the tip away. I like Motor oil, greens, pearls, pinks, black etc (I match the top Kip color to grub color). Next, thread the grub body onto the hook at the centerline and through the lower half of the grub. Position the grub body up under the kip hair and against the bead chain eyes and epoxy head. Apply CA glue to some of the hook shank, the cut face of the grub and the back of the head and bond them (I usually hold it for around 12 seconds using Balsa USA Gold CA) down.  If you cut the grub nose slanting rearwards, you can fold the upper tip of the grub body over the top of, and in between the bead eyes. It blends in great that way and looks like a molded body lure. Experiment! When bonded this way, the grub won't come loose when casting or from toothy fishes. The grub body can be re-glued too, or refurbished by re-gluing it later on. I like to carry spare, pre=trimmed grubs in the field.

Lastly, coat the epoxy head with hard as nails and you are set. Sometimes I add glitter then too, or in the previous step when the epoxy goes on. This fly catches most fish! I have used it in Baja to great success. It works just falling, let alone when stripped with pauses. I have experimented by even adding a spinner to it (ala Spinster, see below) and tied it up to 3/0 with a 3-4" inch grubs for Peacocks.