Did somebody say Mulberry Fly?
I tie these in #4, #2 and 1/0
Hook: 1/0 2x strong red beak hook ( mustard I think)
Thread: I use 210 Kevlar. You could substitute Chartreuse Danville 210
Body:Blue or purple thin craft foam (Walmart sells huge packages without the self adhesives)
Tail: Chartreuse rubber leg
Super Glue........lots of super glue!
Red, purple and blue Sharpies
Tie in the tail and 3-4 pieces of the heaviest lead wire you have on the top of the hook and wrap a smooth body to the eye. Whip finish and leave the thread attached.
I weight it this way because You want a good bit of weight opposite the hook point so the fly lands on bottom point up. Coat the wraps with a liberal amount of super glue.
Cut a tapered piece of craft foam around 4" long. The widest end will be the length of the hook shank the narrowest about half that width.
***SPECIAL NOTE***
Keep some acetone nail polish remover handy. You'll probably need it to un-stick your fingers after you glue them together
Glue the strip to the body and let it get firmly attached before proceeding.
Gradually wrap the strip using super glue to bond it in place.
Once wrapped, use scissors to create a rough shape. The little bumps and divots are ok. They help form the berry.
Take open overlapping wraps from eye to tail to form the berry. Kind of looks like a hand grenade. Whip finish at the eye.
Use the sharpies to color it up. Give it a light coat of head cement or hard as nails. .....or not!
I test mine in a dish of water to adjust the rate of sink. I'll use a bodkin to make a hole Lenghtwise on the top of the hookand insert lead wire with a dab of superglue as needed to get them to sink slowly and some more quickly. They're all a little different, but so are Mulberries.
As much as anything, the "Kerr-plunk" sound they make when they hit the water entices a strike.
Now, go find yourself a Mulberry drop and hang on!
Rg
