January SOTM - Insect Imitation Swap

[AlbaSurf]

Hello to everyone I don't know! My name is Karli-Rae. I joined FAOL in the summer of 2010 and was very active in swaps and such things until I got married, moved to a house, and got busy with life stuff I am sure you know how it goes....

I am very excited to be back tying and swapping with you all and am honored to host the January 2013 Swap of the Month. The name of this swap will be the Insect Imitation Swap. You can make a fly with whatever size hooks you have and whatever materials, but the goal will be to make a fly that looks as realistic as you can possibly make it. (I know many many flies are fashioned to represent bug to the fishes but I am talking about looking like bugs to the fisherman!)

Do these flies have to be "fishable," in other words, materials that can be used in fishing flies, or can materials be used that would normally not be used for fishing such as flora?

You can use any materials that you want, they don't have to be fishable, necessarily. We are going for realism here, but if they are fishable, that's a bonus.

Here's an example.... I tried to make a dobsonfly.



Here's the real bug:

images.jpg

Rules:
1. Don't get hung up the realistic part. The whole point is to think creatively and have some fun. Especially to the new tyers. No one is critical here so have some fun, be daring, and you might surprise yourself!

2. Please send a list of materials with your flies in the mail or post the list in this thread. (You don't have to tell us what materials you will use in advance - I know my materials will be chosen by trial and error.)

3. Please don't post a picture of your fly ahead of time. I will take a picture of each fly when they arrive and post them all together. I like the surprise of not known exactly what they will look like until they get here. I also don't want anyone to get discouraged if they think they have to submit a picture for approval ahead of time.

4. As people sign up with their chosen bug I will PM them my address. Please try to get the flies to me by January 25th. They way I can hopefully get them to everyone before the end of the month.

Please sign in with what bug you would like to try and imitate and we will get this swap rolling!

1. Albasurf - Brown Marmorated Stink Bug OR Earwig
2. Captain_Mortis - Firefly - RECEIVED
3. billhouk - Hannie's Grub - RECEIVED
4. Bob9 - Water Beetle - RECEIVED
5. gmac209 - Black Ant - RECEIVED
6. Gigmaster - Catalpa worm - RECEIVED
7. sjo - Rockworm - taking a break this round
8. Christopher (my husband) - Lacewing - RECEIVED
9. Rick Z - Bee - RECEIVED
10. Icemanxxxv - Dragonfly Nymph - RECEIVED
11. branhap - golden stonefly
12. roadhog - Olive Adult Damsel - RECEIVED

[Captain_Mortis]

Okay, thanks for the clarification. I will be doing something I have not seen since I was a child, fireflies.

[billhouk]

Ok, I'm in with a foam hopper. Tried it before and it didn't work out. I hope I do better this time.

[Bob9]

I'm in with a #8 foam water beetle.

Bob9

[gmac209]

I will try for a black ant - thats the plan anyway- things could change depending on the frustration level .

Hook: Mustad C49S
Thread: Black
Abdomen, back, head: 2mm Foam, color black, covered with lacquer.
Rib: Thin Copper Wire, Black Antron
Legs: Heavy Tying Thread impregnated with lacquer, bent with the aid of heated tweasers
Antennae: Thin Tying Thread impregnated with thinned varnish, bent with the aid of heated tweasers

[Gigmaster]

Rats! Now I wish I hadn't tied those Japanese beetles for the November SOTM. I left some on the kitchen table and my wife tried to swat several of them.

Put me down for a Catalpa Worm. I'll post a pic as soon as I work out the mechanics of tying it. Give me an hour or so.


(sound of clock ticking, with Jeopardy theme in the background........)

OK. I got it (I think). Will this work?

Catalpa Worm

Hook: Cabelas Model 2 sz. 8
Thread: 4 Lb. test TrileneXL monofilament
Weight: medium alloy wire
Body: White 2 ml craft foam, colored with Prismacolor markers
Legs: Black Chinese Hen Neck feather ( I could also probably use black dubbing in a dubbing loop).

Here is the real deal:

[sjo]

Well then, I'll do Rockworms. Green knitting yarn and legs from pheazant I think.

[Gigmaster]

What kind of worms eat rocks? They must be tough little guys.....

Well then, I'll do Rockworms. Green knitting yarn and legs from pheazant I think.

[AlbaSurf]

Put me down for a Catalpa Worm. I'll post a pic as soon as I work out the mechanics of tying it. Give me an hour or so.

You obviously didn't read the rules, lol!

Please post a picture of the REAL BUG if you are going to post a picture, not the tied fly.



Karli-Rae

[Gigmaster]

Oooops. Sorry. Force of habit.

I have corrected the post. And, I am modifying the pattern, so you still don't know for sure what it's going to look like. That was just the prototype, to test out the technique.

I'll have a production model ready in a few days.