I see JZ is starting an articulated fly swap so maybe this will be a timely subject.
What is your favorite material for connecting the articulating segments and why?
For example: though I’ve only tied a few I’m currently thinking that gel spun line may be a good choice because it is strong for the size and if you pick the right one it may be very flexible.
Also how do you anchor it to the front so it will hold when say you are fighting a steelhead or another strong fish…an area where I understand articulated flies do quite well?
I’ve seen old fly line used, dacron backing and a host of other materials. From the rear hook, I like to run the …let’s say backing, along the front hook shank, through the eye (if there is room, usually is on a steelie fly) and back along the hook shank before tying down with the tying thread. I know this is overkill, but I lost a fish witih a fly that wasn’t tied that way and a lost winter steelie is always lost. Never again.
The real trick is to leave the loop between the front hook and the trailer large enough that the trailer hook can be replaced easily. A lot of these patterns are heavy and hug the bottom, banging on rocks etc. nice to be able to put on a fresh, sharp hook.
I also saw that JZ was running another swap. If I wasn’t so jammed up with tying commitments I’d join it in a heartbeat. Should be some great patterns come out of that one.
I’ve been using 20# Berkeley Firewire, one of the many Spectra “superlines” that cropped up a few years ago (other popular brand is “Spiderwire”). What I like about this stuff is that it has about the same diameter as 8# test mono so it makes it really easy to thread the tag through the eye and then back down the shank, as Ron described, on a wide variety of hooks.
