How do I make extended tails on certain flies like mayflies?
Here’s a nice step-by-step using deer hair for a green drake (one of the few posts on that site that’s rated “G”):
http://www.drakemag.com/messageboard/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=7520
Here’s one using mallard flank:
http://flyanglersonline.com/flytying/fotw2/040703fotw.php
I’m sure there’s more, hope others chime in.
Regards,
Scott
http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flytying/fotw2/fotw20090810.php shows how to do a furled extended body
My camera doesn’t take good photos up-close so I’ll try to explain.
I use a needle in my vice. I put the eye end in the vice and start the thread about one-third down from the point. Do not cut the tag end but loosely wrap it down the needle and let it stay there. Cut a piece of foam slightly longer than the finished fly. Place one end of the foam at the point and secure it down. Next create the tail using thread wraps and when done whip finish. I then just slip the finished tail off the needle and pull the thread through the tail tightly to form the shape and trim it close. I then cement the threads locking in the shape.
I then remove the needle from the vice and tie the fly body as normal.
Here’s a technique not yet mentioned by others:
Go to a sewing store and buy some ultra-thin beading needles.
Size 10 is good
Size 12-13 are a bit thinner and better.
Size 15 is rare, hard to find and generally too thin anyway.
I use 13 most of the time.
Put the needle in a vise horizontally.
Wind on some thread, all in one spot. Use quite a few wraps.
You don’t want the thread to rotate on the needle, from the weight of the bobbin.
Now tie on a body. You can use a strip closed sell foam, and dimple it down onto
the needle with thread. Add a tail. Whip finish at the front end of the body.
Slide it off the needle. Trim off the curly tag of waste thread. Attach it to the fly.
You don’t need foam. You can use duck flank fibers as the body. Lash that onto the
hook.
You can put wrap a thin strip of spawn sack onto the needle (bait fishermen use it
for bundling salmon eggs…a fine mesh netting). Then dub over the spawn sack.
You can cut thin strips of plastic (like Edge Bright or Lazer Wrap) and lash
that onto the hook. There are a zillion variations. Using monofilament as
a foundation is too stiff and cumbersome. Deer hair bodies end up too
thick, and they always look the same. With the needle you can make extended
bodies with anything. And make them any color you want, any material you want.
clicking on some of the fotos and links will get you ways to make the bodies