Morning,
Can anyone point me to some resources to show me how to tie rubber legs onto a fly pattern? Specifically, I am looking for ways to lay the legs at other than 90 degress or 45 degrees to the hook shank.
Thank you for your time.
Happy Labor Day.
Bob Duff
AKA Draketake
I think it would be helpful if you explained more.
When I have tied in rubber legs, they have either been tied in with a figure 8 tie, or just lashed to the side of the fly/bug. Because the bug is somewhat soft and the legs rubber and compress, the result is the legs extending from the body at about 45 degrees. Given the material involved, I don’t see how it could be otherwise - or why you would want it otherwise. The only other method I can think of is to include the rubber hackle in a dubbing loop. This would probably result in the hackle coming out at more like 90 degrees.
When I tie stoneflies and use rubber for the tail and antennae I just tie it in like tail/forehead fibres and it only splays a little.
What pattern do you have in mind?
http://www.charliesflyboxinc.com/flybox/detail.cfm?parentID=178
That is just one of many rubber leg patterns he demonstrates with an in depth tutorial. Browse his other patterns and you will find what you are looking for.
One technique shown to me was a way to get the legs located exactly where you want them. /instead of laying the rubber strip against the tie-in point and lashing it down, try folding the rubber strip under the tying thread and then, while holding both ends of the leg strip in your left hand, pull the “fold-over-point” down onto the hook just where you want it.
Thanks for the help everyone.
Have a good day.
Bob Duff
AKA Draketake
if your underbody is of soft material, try not to overtighten your thread as the legs will flare out and will be proportionate to your thread tension.
Checkout the late Michael Verduin’s tip in his video on tying the Cap Spider:
Tying Madam X style (cinching legs to each side of the body) will produce legs flared forward and back at 45 degrees on the same plane as the hook shank.
Tying Bully style (laying on top parallel to the hook shank, making one or two passes with the thread then turning the legs 90 degrees and cinching down with a figure 8 will result in two legs at 90 degrees to the hook shank on that plane and two standing up at 45 degrees.