Hey Fly Tiers...What's In The Vise?

[Bluegillonafly]

Forgot to ask...what hook style & size is that?

[rgfixit]

Yupper! Help yourself

I'll do a step by step later today. I tried several methods and found one that's pretty simple.

Rg

[rgfixit]

Well, here goes.
#12 N-Curve hook or TMC-100
1/8" craft foam
Deer belly hair
70 d Danville
Lay a thread base back to about even with the hook point and tie in a foam strip about 3/16" wide


Bring the thread back to the eye and tie in the foam strip. Trim, tie down and whip finish. Add a drop of super glue and let it set a bit.


Start your thread again at the back of the fly. Cut a half pencil sized bunch of deer hair, stack and tie in. I make the tail about a hook shank long. Whip finish right where you are.


Start the thread again at the eye, bring the butt ends forward and tie them in on top. Whip finish in front of the bundle and trim off leaving a small bunch over the eye.


Now you need the magic tool. It's a "knit picker" used for pulling threads. Available at craft stores. Ita a latch gate hook.


Slide the hook under the hair, grab a pair of sililegs and pull the end through.


Pull the legs through, separate them and cross them. Put a drop of super glue on each side.....right here


I've been coating the back with Hard As Nails to help make it last.


Tried a yellow/green one. It's kinda ugly, but gills don't mind.



Rg

[RIVERRAT2]

real great fly, black or brown may kill the pannies??
i am going to try it on pannies
 
RAT

[Out4Trout]

Nice step by step rg. Using foam definitely should make it float longer, I had to keep adding floatant to mine. That green and yellow bug will be easy to see on the water. I see that I'm going to have to add some foam and sililegs to my fly tying supplies - along with the magic tool.

[kc]

Where you get the green deer hair? Love Canal or the Nuke plant. 

[rgfixit]

I bumped into some colors someplace in the last 20 years or so

The pattern has a lot of color potential. It's a little fussy at first, but, after a few, it's pretty quick. I might load two bobbins with the same color thread. Once the tail is tied down, it would be easier to whip finish it after the head is tied down. If you get my drift.

There's a few flies I tie with two bobbins.

If the rain holds off, I'll get a chance to give it a splash tomorrow. Too darned busy today to get on the water. I have no idea how I ever worked and got everything else in my life done

Rg

[rgfixit]

Nice step by step rg. Using foam definitely should make it float longer, I had to keep adding floatant to mine. That green and yellow bug will be easy to see on the water. I see that I'm going to have to add some foam and sililegs to my fly tying supplies - along with the magic tool.

That particular tool is actually a carp baiting tool. I bought it from a UK carp site. But, the knit picker is easier to get.
Rg

[icejohn]

Those are pretty neat... I did tie a few earlier and "tied" the legs in but. Like how you did it and now with the foam that's even better....gonna true it. Thanks Bob.
John

[rgfixit]

It's definitely easier on this fly. There's other ways to pull the legs through without the tool. One could place a small loop of mono under the deer hair before tying it down at the head. Or you could snake the legs under the hook shank after the foam is attached and before you glue it.

I happen to have the tool on the bench for making up carp rigs. I'll pull the other knit picker out for a picture today. I keep it with my leader furling stuff and use it to put the tippet rings in place.

Here's a link to a nice little set of carp rigging tools.
http://www.amazon.com/Baiting-Rigging-Stainless-Scissors-Splicer/dp/B00WGBKPYM
Rg

[WANNAKETCHUM]

Nice bug Rg...

Maybe I'm going out on a limb here but after thinking about it, maybe you could tie down the tail of the foam and then before you move your thread forward to head, tie in your deer hair but leave the head untied. With the foam still open and the deer hair firmly attached at the tail, slip the thread between the foam and hook and while holding the materials back, open spiral it back to the head. Position the silly legs between the foam and hook where you want them then pull the foam up and secure it. That would probably eliminate the step using the little hook. After the foam is secured at the head, adjust the legs if necessary and then apply your s-glue. Pull the untied deer hair forward to where your thread is waiting and finish. That way, you'll only need one bobbin and have to whip finish once. Applying the s-glue after you've placed the legs and just prior to bringing the untied hair forward will also help secure everything.  What do you think?

WK

[rgfixit]

I'll give it a whack. There's more than one way to skin a frog

The only thing is, you really need to glue the foam to the thread base. Otherwise it will eventually spin around the hook.

I tested them out today on the canal. No luck with that fly or anything else on the surface. However.....the Double Martini worked like a charm.
Thanks for the pattern John I owe you one.

Rg

[WANNAKETCHUM]

I'll give it a whack. There's more than one way to skin a frog

The only thing is, you really need to glue the foam to the thread base. Otherwise it will eventually spin around the hook.

I tested them out today on the canal. No luck with that fly or anything else on the surface. However.....the Double Martini worked like a charm.
Thanks for the pattern John I owe you one.

Rg

Rg,

Yes, I understand. Maybe you thought I meant just glue the legs in place. No... I meant for you to run your bead of glue over the entire length, but do it after you have the legs in position and have secured the head of the foam but before you pull the deer hair forward. Instead of an open spiral back to the head I guess you could always keep the wraps close together if you want more of a thread base for the glue to hold the foam. Still, that's not adding any more steps to the fly.

William Ockham, a medieval philosopher stated that..."the simplest solution to a problem is usually the best", i.e. the easiest path that earns the same result (known as Ockham's Razor). 

Please try it and let us know....

WK

[rgfixit]

Actually, it's William of Ockham. And his hypothesis is one of my life principals I interpret his philosophy as meaning .....when you look at a problem, there's a thousand ways to achieve the same result.

Anyway, I get  what you're saying and it's a good idea. In the mean time, I've been playing with the Double Martini.



I'm trying some without hackle and 4 legs instead of 8. We'll see tomorrow

Rg

[WANNAKETCHUM]

Yes... it's been awhile since my philosophy class.. but I'm glad you knew where I'm coming from. 

Nice ties... Always enjoy your posts!

WK