Reversed Poly Para Midge, after Roy Christie

This is my take on the reversed parachutes made famous by Roy. The plan was to spend a week fishing with Roy on his home waters, but circumstances will not permit. It's not much consolation, but I thought I would try out some of his ideas on my local waters. Here's the first.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ps22f1d3d2.jpg
Hook: J:Son Grub size 16
Thread: Veevus 14/0 [?] White
Thorax Cover: 1mm Foam, Black
Hackle: Floating polypropylene Yarn, Black
Thorax: Hare's ear
Abdomen: Stripped peacock dyed yellow

To make the hackle tie the poly yarn in as you would the post for a parachute. Then you need a tool. I'm fortunate in that Ken Newton made me one specially for this job. However a nail driven into a piece of wood for a handle will do, the nail head needs to be about 1/8" (3mm) diameter. You need to make sure the end is flat with a file. Push the tool down on top of the yarn post and rotate it so it spreads the yarn like a hackle. When you take the tool away the yarn will spring back into a cone. To set the yarn in shape heat the flat end of the tool a little in a flame. (Get a grown up to supervise this). Then push it down into the middle of the cone of poly yarn. It will work fished like this, but I like to reinforce the set of the "hackle" with a drop of Diamond Hard UV resin in the centre. I also use Diamond Hard as a coating on the abdomen.

May be a new technique to some.
Cheers,
A.

Nice tie, Alan. I'm confused about where the foam is in relation to the poly yarn hackle, though. Do you split it and tie it around the "post" before you spread the poly yarn? I can't tell. It looks like the poly yarn is coming through the foam.

Joe

Hi Joe,

Yes I tie the foam in as one strip then the poly yarn post, dub the thorax and then split the foam lengthways, to the point where it will go around the poly yarn. The waste ends of the foam are trimmed at an angle to get the taper under the abdomen.
That's probably as clear as mud, but I hope it helps.

Cheers,
A.

That clears it up. Thanks, Alan.

Joe