AKA the non-sink Klink. Found this on an Aussie site; cool stuff.
hook - Dai Riki 125 #16
thread - UTC 70 tan
abdomen - dubbing tan
wing/post - Congo Hair cream
thorax - 2mm foam tan
hackle - ginger grizzly
Part 1
Mash down barb, attach thread
post up from underneath
tie 2mm foam strip on one side, then the other
tie in hackle, dub abdomen
Part 2
wind hackle (shiny side out, cup side up, top to bottom); tie off at bottom of post
[img]http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag128/SBPatt/Tying/Tying001/IMG_1102_zpsbe5ebd48.jpg[/img
trim foam close to hackle
trim post
Regards,
Scott
Neat fly Scott
Scott,
I’m a huge fan of Klinkhammer style flies. Thanks for posting this pattern variation. Looks like this would be about as unsinkable as I could hope for! I enjoy your SBS. Thanks.
Scott,
Interesting fly pattern and excellent tie, as usual. I do have a question and it’s because I don’t use foam frequently. When you pull that type (it is closed cell isn’t it?) of foam somewhat tight and compress its cells as you did here, doesn’t that somewhat negate the floatation properties of the material?
Allan
Allan,
Yes, it’s closed-cell foam and stretching it like I did probably does negate some of it’s positive buoyancy. I wouldn’t think too much, though; I’d guess it still has a bit more lift than a dubbed thorax.
Regards,
Scott
Scott,
Oh, with that, “still has a bit more lift than a dubbed thorax”, I might agree. Also, and this was an oversight on my part, I failed to see the piece of foam on top of the hackle. That piece is not compressed.
Allan
Craft shop foam, like Foamtastic and Fun Foam has given me problems in the past. I’ve had the dreaded phone call, “those foam flies are not floaty enough”. Which has meant re tying with Veniards Foam sheet. Its Plastazote a much lighter, but hugely more expensive, foam. (I really need to source it from a wholesale supply). Even the Plastazote foam can become dense enough to loose its floatation if stretched too far. (This is the third incarnation at my soldier beetle imitation trying to make it buoyant enough for the customer. It has now been floating, as in the picture for over 14 hours, and has been pushed under many times to make sure it will pop up again.)
The technique of placing foam around and under the wing post on a parachute fly is one I have come across before. However, never as a means of adding floatation to the fly. I don’t recall the fly, but it was an Oliver Edwards pattern I first saw it used on. The fly I tie most using it is the CAM Emerger from Steve Thornton. In both cases the reason for the foam is to blade the wing. In the case of the CAM Emerger the blade wing is meant to catch the breeze, giving it a struggling action in the film.
The way to tell if your fly does gain any extra floatation from the foam would be to tie one sans hackle, Drop it into water and see if it floats. Certainly with craft store foam I doubt it would. With the hackle providing support on the surface the loose foam above the hackle wouldn’t be in the water, therefore to add anything to the flies floating properties it would have to be lighter than the fluid it is immersed in - air. In just the same way that using CdC for a wing post doesn’t add to floatation on a parachute fly.
In your example Scott, you don’t stretch the foam as much as I am used to seeing with this technique, but I do think Allan’s doubts have some validity.
Cheers,
A.
+2
I think the original Klinkhammer will out fish the foam version. I have two reason why I think this is so.
First is the absence of the peacock herl thorax. Hans van Klinken states:
“The thorax
Just a few months after I tied the first Klinkh?mer I discovered that a nice thorax made from peacock herl makes the fly a lot more effective.”
http://www.flytierspage.com/hklinken/klinkhamer_special.htm
The second reason is Hans van Klinken’s article in Fly Fisherman Magazine. The article was titled, “How to tie the classic deep-hanging emerger”. Hans van Klinken’s article had underwater photos of the Klinkhammer from under water. The success of the Klinkhammer is not that it floats in the water but HOW and WHERE it floats.
By placing foam in the fly, this is certainly changed and whether the fly will be as effective as the original is doubtful. It certainly will not be a “deep-hanging emerger” as Hans van Klinken intended.
Everyone, thanks for your input. Guess the only way to find out if this fly’s any good is to try it out - could take on the local bluegills, but I think I’ll wait 'till I get back out to MT in 2 weeks.
Regards,
Scott
<WARNING: Those feeling excessively literal &/or grumpy should avoid this post.>
Scott,
You’re a Baaaaaaaaaad Man. 
I looked at that fly and started thing bluegill and puns at about the same time.
Now I want to tie it with a peacock herl body and two strips of thoracic foam, one red and one white. (Remember this is for 'gills and not trout.) It would, of course, be called the Double-breasted Foam Klink.
<ducking and running>
Ed
P.S. On the serious side, I like it. One could hang a very heavy dropper off it and still see it, in all of its semi-submerged glory.
