Received several colors of punch yarn in today's mail from REE.

Been thinking about doing a furled extended body midge larva and caddis larva, and it struck me that the olive and gray punch yarns might combine for an interesting concept fly.

( Sorry about the image quality - best I could do on this little fly which is about 1/3" long on a size 20 hook. )


The body consists of an approximate 1" length of each the olive and gray yarns furled together for a mixed or variegated effect. Simply clip each end of the combined yarns in an electrician's clip and twist the clips in opposite directions until the yarns are ready to furl. Hold the clips in one hand and with the other, press a bodkin, or whatever, to the center of the twisted lengths. When you relax the two clips toward center, the yarn should furl at the point the bodkin was pressed. Remove the extended body from the clips and twist it by hand to tighten the furl.

I used a size 20 Dai-Riki 125 emerger hook for this concept fly. Start the thread and lay a thread base where the body will be tied down. Tie the extended body onto the hook securely and trim the excess. Dub the thorax area. I used a Nature's Spirit superfine gray olive dubbing on this example.

Ron advised that the punch yarn will not sink. Tied on a heavier hook ( Dai-Riki 135 scud hook comes to mind ) and fished by itself, it might be effective drifting along on or close to the surface as an emerger. Or trailed behind a weighted lead nymph, it should have some good movement and might prove quite attractive to a hungry trout.

Like all concepts, undoubtedly a bunch of folks have already developed and proven, or disproven, the possibilities for this technique ?? Going to do a couple in embroidery floss also, and give both versions a go next time I'm out and see how they do.

John