Filoplume Mayfly SBS

Another breathable (the filoplume really comes to life in water) nymph, like the Feather Duster; found this one while poking through Randall Kaufmann's great Fly Tyer's Nymph Manual. It was a very sad day when Kaufmann's Streamborn closed an their catalogs stopped coming; always regretted that I never got to visit the shops.


hook - Tiemco 200R #12
thread - Uni 8/0 camel/UTC 70 brown (I'll explain)
tail/abdomen - marabou
rib - copper wire x-small
thorax - filoplume/aftershaft
wingcase -peacock herl


Part 1



mash barb and attach thread and wire 1 hook eye width back from eye; keep tag end of wire on far side of hook bend

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j1...n/IMG_2675.jpg



wrap wire back to point above hook barb

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j1...n/IMG_2677.jpg



measure a marabou feather (abdomen length)

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j1...n/IMG_2681.jpg



tie down; keep marabou fibers on top of hook and wrap up to thorax

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j1...n/IMG_2684.jpg



tie in another marabou feather (on smaller hooks, you could do tail & body with 1 feather) by the tips

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j1...n/IMG_2688.jpg



gather marabou

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j1...n/IMG_2698.jpg



and wrap body to thorax (helps build thorax up a bit for the filoplume)

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j1...n/IMG_2699.jpg



counterwrap wire rib up through thorax, helicopter and tie off

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j1...n/IMG_2702.jpg



tie in some peacock herl for wingcase (original pattern calls for sword fibers but they're a bit flimsy for me)

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j1...n/IMG_2705.jpg



prepare a filoplume/aftershaft feather (I cut away the bottom; shaft is a bit too thick to spin properly)

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j1...n/IMG_2710.jpg

Part 2


as I was preparing to put the filoplume in the split thread, I realized I was using Uni 8/0; great thread for a lot of tying but not one that lends itself readily to splitting. Half hitch and clip off the Uni, re-load the bobbin with the UTC (Danville 6/0 would work great, too) and we're back in action. Split the thread

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j1...n/IMG_2713.jpg



insert the filoplume

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j1...n/IMG_2715.jpg



spin the bobbin, trapping the filoplume and creating a "chenille"

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j1...n/IMG_2718.jpg



moisten fingers and stroke chenille back while wrapping forward (5 shots and I couldn't get 1 to focus)

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j1...n/IMG_2722.jpg



thorax complete

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j1...n/IMG_2725.jpg



pull peacock herl forward to form wingcase; tie off and trim

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j1...n/IMG_2727.jpg



whip finish, SHHAN

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j1...n/IMG_2730.jpg


http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j1...n/IMG_2732.jpg


http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j1...n/IMG_2733.jpg



Any stray fibers in the thorax can be plucked; you can also shorten/thin out the thorax with a few well placed tugs if you're of a mind.



Regards,
Scott

nice work Scott!

That thing is begging to be tied with chickabou or barred marabou for the body and fished as a "whatever" stillwater nymph...

Wally,

Everything but the wingcase came from a pheasant (pheasabou?). I'll have to see what the chick and barred bou's look like.

Regards,
Scott

Looks like it will catch fish to me. Nice tie.

You need to change the title to "aftershaft" not filoplume. Otherwise, nice bug.

Mr. Kaufmann named it; don't think I'm going to be changing it.

Regards,
Scott

Scott
Awesome tie. You ought to turn some of theses sbs into a fly of the week so they are not lost from the site

I like ScottP, nice tie......thanks for sharing

That is really a great looking nymph. Twisted marabou makes such a good looking body I am surprised it is not used more for nymphs. The tail and filoplume should give it great movement also. I know I have some marabou about that color but I think my filoplumes on the pheasant I have are more gray, I may have to do a two tone. Another great Step by Step.

Uncle Jesse,

Check all your gamebird skins for filoplume/aftershafts; you may find some different colors.

Regards,
Scott

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ScottP

Mr. Kaufmann named it; don't think I'm going to be changing it.

Regards,
Scott

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Mr. Kaufmann didn't name it and what he calls "filoplume" is actually "aftershaft".

http://www.2classnotes.com/digital_n...athers_in_Bird

Quote:

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Originally Posted by fishbum

Mr. Kaufmann didn't name it and what he calls "filoplume" is actually "aftershaft".

---

I've got his book, The Flytyers Nymph Manual open to page 66, Chapter 18 titled "Filoplume Mayfly"; there are 4 other times where he calls it Filoplume Mayfly. I believe the fly was developed by Gene Armstrong, who also worked at Kaufmann's and was one of the first to incorporate the feather into a number of successful stillwater patterns. Whether it's the wrong term is a moot point; it's what he calls it and I'll be ***** if I'm going to tell him he has to change it. You want to get wrapped around the axle picking semantic nits, knock yourself out.

Regards,
Scott

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ScottP

I've got his book, The Flytyers Nymph Manual open to page 66, Chapter 18 titled "Filoplume Mayfly"; there are 4 other times where he calls it Filoplume Mayfly. I believe the fly was developed by Gene Armstrong, who also worked at Kaufmann's and was one of the first to incorporate the feather into a number of successful stillwater patterns. Whether it's the wrong term is a moot point; it's what he calls it and I'll be damned if I'm going to tell him he has to change it. You want to get wrapped around the axle picking semantic nits, knock yourself out.

Regards,
Scott

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Perhaps you should try to convince the sceintific community that the aftershaft should be called filoplume per Mr. Kaufmann.

Notice, I did not have to curse to make a point.

Have a nice day with your fly tied with the "aftershaft" not "filoplume" feather.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by fishbum

Perhaps you should try to convince the sceintific community that the aftershaft should be called filoplume per Mr. Kaufmann.

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As much as I respect the scientific (not sceintific) community, I don't think I need to waste their time with such a pointless, trivial exercise. Hope you like the Filoplume Damsel SBS I posted, as well.

Regards,
Scott

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ScottP

As much as I respect the scientific (not sceintific) community, I don't think I need to waste their time with such a pointless, trivial exercise. Hope you like the Filoplume Damsel SBS I posted, as well.

Regards,
Scott

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Ah yes, the "i" before "e" except after "c" rule. Yes I do like your fly tied with "aftershaft".

Thanks. BTW, just to show I'm not a complete troglodite, I do use the term elsewhere. This was from my Chuck Bug SBS:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ScottP

insert aftershaft feather (makes it a bit more durable)



http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j1...n/IMG_0648.jpg

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Regards,
Scott

Scott,

I really like that pattern and it could not have come at a better time! I just finished up 20 of the Hummingbird Christmas globes which I plan to give to the "boys" and staff at Arrowhead Ranch for Christmas and I have a large lot of aftershaft feathers removed from the pheasant feathers used to make them. Now I will use some to tie up this pattern to put in my fly box.

Thanks for sharing.....