Now we need some frog?s legs. There are several options here, and I will show a couple more for various patterns, depending on what they are to be used for,but here we are going to use polypropylene braid. This is available everywhere in various DIY markets etc. It is intrinsically buoyant, and does not absorb water. This is important for this fly! This is 2mm (nominal )braid. Cut off two lengths of this as desired. Tie an overhand knot in each length, and fray one end of the length a little using a needle or similar. Place a drop of glue on the knots, and just before the frayed ends. This prevents the knots coming undone, and the frayed ends from unravelling any further. You may also melt the ends and flatten them if you prefer;
You can make these legs even more realistic, if you knot two strands together, and cut off one of the strands behind the knot, this imitates the thicker thighs of the frog very well, but reduces the action somewhat. I prefer the livelier action of the thin legs. You can now colour the body and legs as desired. I have used a pretty universal green frog scheme here, using magic markers;
You need right and left legs! So make sure you colour the right side of the cord! We don?t want to waste such expensive material!!! ( 100 metres costs about a dollar ).
When doing this, always use your lighter marking pens first! As otherwise you will ruin the pens. The colour scheme here is yellow, then green, then brown, and a couple of dark stripes on the back. If you want some really interesting colour schemes, make up some bodies, and give them to your kids to colour. This results in some amazing combinations! keeps your kids busy, saves them scrawling on your wallpaper, ( take the markers off them after they have finished the frogs!!!), and gives you more fly-dressing time!!!
Choose a suitable hook for the size of fly you are dressing, and mount it in the vice. The hook should be long enough so that the eye is not obscured, and the bend is slightly beyond the body of the fly. Start your thread as normal, and take it back to the position shown. Wind in some black wool at the rear, and then some red wool at the front.This simulates the “guts” of the frog when seen from below. Whip finish and varnish. Now take your body, and place a small bead of glue in the centre of the nail, and then place the body as shown. Put aside to set.
Now take your legs, put a few spots of glue where you want them, place the legs a shown, and put aside to set;
Now take your epoxy ( if you are only making one fly just a small amount of 5 minute epoxy is sufficient. If you are making half a dozen, use thirty minute epoxy). Run the epoxy into the nail using a cocktail stick or similar. It should be about level with the nail rim, and no more! You can use a piece of blu-tac or similar putty to hold the nail level while you do this. You should end up with this;
