Green Drake

All about flies Fly Tying
1

Okay, getting ready for the Eastern Green Drake on Penns Creek in PA.
Big bug. Huge! Need an extended body for the spinner, often called the coffin fly. One that won’t seriously mess up the dynamics of the fly. I am trying to tie some on a #4 4X long streamer hook, wrapping the back 3/4 of the hook with white foam. I’ve also ordered some McLean’s Quill Body (porcupine)in large white. Any other ideas? I’m running through the “Benchside Reference” and nothing really seems “right.”
Frank Reid

[This message has been edited by Flytyer37 (edited 03 May 2005).]

2

I’m running through the “Benchside Reference” and nothing really seems “right.” … I thought Jim and Ted covered everything in that “adventure” (grin)!

What about looking for a large extended salmonfly pattern like method #122 page 205 and adapting it?

Royce

3

#4 4XL streamer hook? The Penns drakes are not that big. A #10 or #12 Mustad 79580 is correct. I use that hook and a dubbed body with deer hair (spent) or clipped Silver Badger hackle for the wing and do just dandy. Why do you feel you need an extended body?

In any event…deer hair extended bodies, similar to Paradrakes work well. Just too much fuss for me.

4

Both the extended body Green Drake and the Emerger are in the Fly of the Week Archives.

LadyFisher, Publisher of
FAOL

5

Not to be sounding my own horn but there’s a fly I tied for the Coffin fly that works pretty well.It doesn’t require a large hook.In fact the idea is to use a small hook with an extended body to give the impression of a large fly: [url=http://shop.flyfishing.about.com/images/1047/coffinfly.jpg:f2e17]http://shop.flyfishing.about.com/images/1047/coffinfly.jpg[/url:f2e17]
Also, the ‘2 feather fly’ can be tied, also using a small hook.It too has an extended body.Suggest white spade hackle for the tails, body and wing.Badger hackle for the hackle collar.
Yet anoother choice is the White Wulff that uses a size 10,2xl shank hook.

Good luck.

Allan

6

Flytyer37

I made a simple extended foam body parachute that worked excellently last May on some PA streams that shall remain nameless. The trick is to use a hook no bigger than a size 12 dry fly so the weight of the hook will not overcome the buoyancy of the foam. The foam I used is sold by Bill Skilton and is cylindrical and about 1/8? in diameter and about 2? in length. Yellow Breeches Outfitters in Boiling Springs has it: (717)258-6752. The thing is easy and quick to tie, super light, fished great, floated like a cork and caught fish too!

Recipe:

Hook: Your favorite dry fly hook size 12 or smaller
Thread: White 8/0 for body, black for head.
Tail: Dark brown or black Fibbettes
Abdomen: White Skilton?s medium diameter (1/8?) cylindrical foam
Thorax: Blend of favorite dubbing; mix of white and black with olive cast. (I use a blend of Peacock Black and Pearl Ice Dub)
Wing: Your favorite parachute post. (I use a blend of white, (or light grey), and black Hi-Viz)
Hackle: Oversized grizzly tied parachute style.

I?ll try and describe, (sorry no pix):

If you want a taped end on the abdomen: use scissors to do so. I didn?t bother; the fish didn?t care.

If you want a tail, (for looks only): heat a needle and stick it in the end of the foam about ?? or so and leave it there. Then, cut a bunch of dark brown or black Fibbetts and apply gel Super Glue to the cut ends. THEN, pull the needle out and shove the glued up Fibbettes in the hole and squeeze the foam slightly to bond.

Next, tie in your wing post with white thread where you like it and wind the thread to the rear of the hook.

Now cut the abdomen foam to the extended length you want starting BEHIND the wing post, extending past the bend. Cut to size and lash it to the top of the hook shank with the thread; winding to the thorax with evenly spaced ?rib like? winds, not too tight.

(A better way to do this is what I do which is to CAREFULLY slit the foam lengthwise HALFWAY through the 1/8? diameter with a sharp razor blade, on the end that will be attached to the hook shank. Then slip this halfway slit foam section OVER the hook shank and lash it on in the same way. The tying thread will close the slit in the foam as you wrap it and hide the hook shank; and it doesn?t create as dramatic a bend in the foam where the extension begins and the hook ends.)

After lashing on the foam, dub your thorax and do the parachute thing with the hackle and your done!

There are lots of variations of extended bodies out there but this is super easy to tie and as a parachute floats great. It is also durable too; I caught a ton of fish on the same one or two flies over several days last year.

Have fun at Penns!

7

“Fly Fisherman” mag…July 05 just arrived with an article on 'Upper Delaware Drakes".
Is that close enough?

8

Ya’ll are awesome. Thanks for the tips.
Frank

9

I tie an extended body for the Penns Creek drake, lately I’ve been adding a trailing shuck of tan antron and it seems to help a bit. Look here for my version. [url=http://flytyingworld.com/PagesB/bd-green_drake.htm:047df]http://flytyingworld.com/PagesB/bd-green_drake.htm[/url:047df]