Anybody tie and fish this fly? Looks good. I think it could also double as a small beetle imitation, as well. Is it a one fish fly? Doesn’t look too durable.
Here is the outstanding, as usual, tightlinevideo video of it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVQm9S7C58I
Joe
Joe,
I agree with your concerns about durability, but it looks like a quick and cheap tie. I have to admit that my natural feeling is to use hackle barbs for the tail. On the other hand, I a disinclined to casually contravene Mr. Harrop’s skill and knowledge. If I tie this pattern, I’ll probably try it both ways with regards to the tail.
Ed
Ed,
You’re right - it is a quick and cheap tie. I’ve tied a few and the only problem I’ve had is having an oiler puff long enough, even on #22’s and #24’s. I only had a few left when I started tying them and I imagine I used up the longer puffs the last time I tied with them. I just ordered some more from Trouthunter and I’m sure there will be longer ones in the new package. It is a buggy looking fly.
Joe
Joe,
I wonder how much impact a rib of fine, silver wire would have on floatability. It might add a few fish to the life of the fly. But now we are making a more complex fly. I think if I was to tie it as a beetle, I would use peacock herl for the body and dark oiler puffs. We are drifting even farther afield. If we are making a beetle, should we make the belly a dark biot, tied towards the rear and folded forward? Are antennae desired? Should it have dark hackle instead of grizzly? Is it still Mr. Harrop’s pattern? This simple pattern becomes a microcosm of fly tying. Simplicity becomes complexity in an effort to improve. The pattern drifts changes until it becomes all but unrecognizable.
Still, the original looks pretty darned good. 
Regards,
Ed
I like it. Very simple and looks productive.
They work great as midge emergers. I tie them with regular CDC feathers rather than the puffs, and leave fewer legs than shown on the video. They’re worth trying.
Boomer51,
I started to try regular CDC feathers last night when I was tying some and ran out of puffs. Somehow I got distracted and didn’t tie any more. I will tonight, though. It really looks like an effective fly.
Joe
I didn’t have any puffs long enough, so just used one more on the front and moved the back one farther back. Looks fine. Looking forward to trying it.
I use short puffs on a similar pattern, but tie them in back to front without doubling back. This is a very simple and quick tie using only thread and a puff, but it loses the legs and uses the CDC tips for the shuck. It works very well in the winter and spring here.
I tie the puff tips in at the bend, with the tips free and pointing back as a short shuck.
Lift the puff and spiral the thread to a few wraps behind the eye.
Tie down the puff at the eye.
Lift the puff and wind a few turns in front it to post it up a bit.
Trim off the stem leaving a short post/head/wing.
I really like the CDC legs and hackle stem shuck on Harrop’s CDC Transitional Midge. They probably help it float better than the pattern that I use. I shudder at using an entire midge hackle for the shuck, but I’m pretty sure I can use the trimmed tip left over after I wind a trailing shuck type midge.
I think I can simulate the legs with some of the CDC instead of posting the whole bunch.
Has anyone tried putting Bug Bond over the back to improves durability. Does it destroy the floatability and other characteristic of the sly? How about Thin Skin or Scud Back?
Regards,
Ed
Durability has not been an issue for the simplified version that I use, and this one looks about the same. It’s such a quick tie, that I try to carry a bunch.
The flies don’t fall apart, but they do stop floating after several fish. If I’m down to my last one, I spend a lot of time refreshing after each fish. I wash it thoroughly, blot dry and use a double dip of desiccant powder. The CDC back will fray quite a bit, but the fish will still eat it.