spirit river flex floss

All about flies Fly Tying
1

Don’t know about all the white spanflex products, but this one makes a translucent larva that lets the hook show through and seems to show great promise for midge larvae. Not a cream or white, it looks almost light olive over a brass hook.

2

I use to use flex floss for UFO’s years ago. Try different colors of thread for base.

3

Interesting thread.:cool:

Just this morning I tied some small “larvy” type flies with orange and olive ( separately ) threads for color overwrapped with .5mm clear StretchMagic to get the effect Karen is describing, except the color is probably somewhat more defined.

4

Have to give the white a try. Here’s a pretty neat two-tone body done with just Spanflex (similar material)
:
http://www.flyforums.co.uk/fly-tying-step-step/16851-two-tone-spanflex-buzzer-bodies.html

I may have to tie some of these up in smaller sizes to try on tailwaters; I get tired of just tying scuds and zebras.

Regards,
Scott

5

The second fly at Scott’s link is a good example of the base color bleeding through, although that fly uses it for a rib instead of a solid tint.

6

I really like Flexi Floss and Super Floss (from Larva Lace):

http://www.unexcelledfishing.com/index.php?option=com_gescart&task=product_listing&c=red&display_id=44&Itemid=10

This is an updated R.A.M Caddis that was designed by Walt Wiese from Park’s Fly Shop in Gardiner, MT -using Flexi Floss - that has take some nice Trout for me on the East Walker River…

R.A.M. CADDIS, OLIVE … (Variant / Wiese) HOOK: Daiichi 1130, #16-#20
THREAD: Lagartun, 74 Denier, Olive ? for under abdomen? then, Tiemco 16/0, Brown tied in at thorax
OVER ABDOMEN: Chartreuse Flexi Floss
RIB: Wapsi, Copper/Brown, Small
HACKLE: White Hen Saddle Fibers
THORAX: STS Tri-Lobal Dubbing -Hareline- Black

Thanks for the link to those Buzzer patterns ScottP…I see some of those in my future !!!

PT/TB :wink:

7

I found that using red flex floss on the rear of the black gnat (wet) improves results.

Tim

8

… but they fish on Christmas.

The tungsten beadheads got them down nicely - lost both flies on streambed structure shortly after catching a fish on each of them. :roll:

John

9

Very nice fish and flies, John; thanks for sharing your Christmas treat. Happy holidays to you and your loved ones.

Regards,
Scott

10

You’re a brave soul, John, we had 2" of snow here, and it kept us in the house. High yesterday was only 33. Course if I had a trout stream out my back door I might feel differently.
Great pictures.

11

… this afternoon tying some rubber legs stonefly nymphs for tomorrow. When I got through with them, I tied a few smaller nymphs. Then, looking at the amber flex floss legging material for the stoneflies, I decided to try it as a body material.

After a couple false starts, it became evident that you can start the flex floss directly behind the eye ( beadhead on the fly I was tying ) just like you would tying thread, continue down the shank for several turns, and then trim the tag end of the flex floss ( be sure to keep tension on the standing piece, or it might unravel ).

After starting the flex floss, I wrapped touching turns down into the bend and then back up to behind the beadhead. Took a two turn whip finish and that was it. At that point, the fly would probably fish as a larva or pupa, depending on size and color. ( Might be a good idea to secure the floss with some tying thread. ) Went a bit further with a couple wraps of peacock herl and several turns of grizzly hen hackle.

Makes an interesting looking soft hackled nymph ( similar to the orange thread / StretchMagic fly above ). If it catches fish tomorrow, I’ll post some pix. It if doesn’t catch fishies, I’ll delete this post. :roll:

John

12

That was the concept that I was trying to get across, John, to show the hook through the material. Just forgot to mention to start the material behind the eye and wrap it down and back. Looks cool, huh? And it is so thin it makes a nice size midge. And best of all, the fish like it.

13

To keep bulk down on smaller hooks, you could use Danville clear nylon to tie it in down towards the bend and then wrap it up to the eye under tension.

Regards,
Scott

14

… on the West Fork of the Bitterroot.

First cast of the day.

And two more of the half dozen the fly took in not much more than half an hour.

Thanks for the idea, Karen.

John

P.S. Several inches of fresh snow in the back yard today, which is about 77 miles from the garage, and the temp was 34F when I started fishing. Got chased off the water by some heavy, driving rain. Getting to be a weenie in my old age. :shock: But I did go over to the East Fork and had a great time in 43F with only a light breeze and intermittent rain.

15

Glad it worked, John, credit for the idea belongs to Tim Mack, of the one and only fly shop in West Texas. When I saw them sitting in his bin, I just knew he was onto something. So it’s not just the white that goes translucent? I use tying thread to start the floss and finish it.

16

Playing around with different underlay material for some midges:

opalescent mylar/tan sexi-floss

holographic mylar/tan sexi-floss

bare hook/tan sexi-floss

Photos don’t show it but there is a slight difference between the opalescent and holographic mylar flies. The one tied on the bare hook doesn’t have any underglow.

Regards,
Scott