First try at extended bodies and coffin flies

[Crotalus]

Trying to tie up some coffin flies for the PA Fish In. These are 2 of the first five that I have tied using extended foam bodies. I dont think my wing colors are right, but i only have grey and green, need to hit a shop this weekend to find a better material.

How are the proportions?


IMG_4316.jpg

Next up, the duns.

[Byron haugh]

Look very nice to me!!!!

[sandfly]

green drake 004.jpg
tied this for the drakes here on pine...

[Lake Erie High Ball]

Nice job you two. Crotalus it looks like you have been doing it a while. Do you save your first attempts of flies?

[Crotalus]

Nice fly Bob, those fancy flat wings are something I need to learn as well, but one step at a time.

What colors would you recommend for wings/bodies on the green drake adult?

Thanks for the compliments, I had read several tutorials about the extended body flies but was never able to translate them into my hands. I stumbled across a video on globalflyfisher.com with Ben Furmisky tying an extended foam body and then everything clicked between my brain and hands. They are far from perfect but a vast improvement over past attemps.

LEHB, I usually save my first attempt or two since they are usually not worth fishing You will notice that i posted the 4th and 5th flies that i tied not the 1st and 2nd

[Heritage Angler]

Hi Joe - Fly Rite #41 is a perfect match for the GD duns. White poly yarn mixed with a bit of black works for the spinner wings, but I prefer to tie coffin flies with hackle (grizzly), and just trim the bottom. When the coffin flies hit the water on Pine, its usually an excercise in futility, as there's a zillion of 'em, and the odds of a fish taking your immitation (or you picking it out of the horde) are slim.

I'd rather concentrate on the nymphs and duns. The fishies whack the snot out of a GD wiggle nymph!

Let's hope we catch the timing right this year.....