Japanese Lantern

Japanese Lantern

Jason Klass Originator

Hook - Firehole Sticks 316 or equivalent, size 12 (I used Mustad C49S)

Head - 2 Small Crystal Pearl Glass Beads

Thread - Black (Unlit) or White (Lit)

Ribbing - Small Copper Wire, Silver (Unlit), Black (Lit)

Body - Thread

Hackle - Pheasant, India Hen, or Partridge

From the Originator

My original Japanese Lantern used pearlescent Mylar for the head, but I recently updated it to use two glass beads instead. That little extra weight makes it sink faster, yet it’s not so heavy (like a tungsten bead) to be a struggle to cast with a tenkara rod. I tie them in two versions: light and dark (which I call “lit” and “unlit”) for differing water visibility and substrate color. This is a very versatile pattern and I have success with it both in dead drifts and downstream.