Evan's cicada instructions

[Panfisha]

Well here they are, step by step (with pictures) directions on how to tie my Evan's cicada.
This particular color combination was inspired by our Maryland summer cicadas called dog day cicadas, which are here every year, but not in big swarms.


To start, you need: Hooks, foam(black and green), chenille (white), wire(green), supreme hair for the wings(or other), flashabou optional, rubber legs(green). Super glue is for holding down the eyes.

For sizing up the foam for the body and eyes for a size 8, I make the body about a little over 1/4 an inch wide. And the eyes only like 3-4 mm wide and about half an inch long.


1.) Start your thread about half way on the shank, and tie on your foam body in the back.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/f...a/P1090251.jpg
2.) Tie in some white chenille and ultra wire, enough to reach the eyelet.(but we wont be going that far)
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/f...a/P1090252.jpg
3.) Wrap the chenille forward to about 1/3 the shank away from the eyelet, and wrap the wire the opposite direction, and tie it off at the same spot as the chenille.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/f...a/P1090253.jpg
4.) Wrap the foam forward and tie it down nice and tight.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/f...a/P1090255.jpg
5.) Tie in some supreme hair, enough to cover about half an inch beyond the bend of the hook. Then tie in some flashabou of your color choice.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/f...a/P1090256.jpg
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/f...a/P1090257.jpg
6.) Here you dab half a drop of super glue or head cement and gently drop the foam eye here, like so. Give it time to dry.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/f...a/P1090259.jpg
7.) Then bring the foam back, and tie it down. Trim the excess foam over the wings, but not too much as just enough will keep the wings down far enough.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/f...a/P1090260.jpg
8.) Tie in a long piece of rubber legs. The back leg should go over the foam, and the front under the eyes.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/f...a/P1090262.jpg
9.) Tie in another short piece of rubber leg, but tie it on so most of it is as long as the front legs. Once both sides have it, wrap a few times infront of it to make the legs stick straight out the sides of the body, like so.
Before
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/f...a/P1090263.jpg
After
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/f...a/P1090264.jpg
10.) Tie on a strike indicator, in my case yellow foam, whip finish, add cement and you're done! Now to just round the eyes off, but not so far out from the head. Cut the wings so they make a point, and I suggest trimming the back of the foam body to make a slight point in the abdomen.

The eyes should look like this.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/f...a/P1090267.jpg
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/f...a/P1090270.jpg

With this fly, there are a ton of variables. Like wing material can be substituted with bucktail, elk hair, pure flashabou, or other synthetic wing materials. Its your's to customize to match your local cicada population.

Or even change the color sceme all together! Like to match the red-eye cicadas that do come in large swarms in the summer.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/f...a/P1070253.jpg

[ROR-EYE]

Looks awesome. Very nice tutorial.

[ducksterman]

Panfisha,

A lot of work and appreciated ...now if you could check with LF [or JC] I suspect it's about ready for a FOTW...then it won't be lost sometime in the future as happens to the bb threads.

[herefishy]

Ha, ha, I looked at the first picture and thought, WOW! is that fly ever realistic.

[jdubach]

This is the best cicada pattern I've yet come across. In southern Illinois these are great to use when they're out because the bass patrol the overhangs along the lake shores at times looking for spinners/drop-offs to gobble up.

[J Castwell]

With his permission and offer, we will put it on the main web as the Fly of the Week soon.

[jmeyerc]

Thanks for this Cicada pattern Panfisha, I think it's concise, neatly tied, colours are nice and the flash is great. So yes, I will be tying some.

Jeanne