salmobytes 0 Report post Posted May 23, 2022 This gets trimmed up front and then mounted loosely on a short shank hook that has a hackle feather attached, but not yet wound. Then, after mounting LOOSELY, wind thread a dozen times between body and shank. Then wind the hackle, also between body and shank. Leave bobbin and hackle pliers hanging. Turn it on its side. Add a micro drop of glue at the fulcrum of the parachute. Trim off the hanging stuff. It's done. Floats like a mayfly. Stings like a hook? Finished fly photo in a day or two. .....mount a #10 beading needle in a vise horizontally. Wet the needle with fabric cement. Tie the above on the wet needle. Slide it off. Any fabric cement will do but Aleene's Flexible Stretchable is the best for fly tying. light olive-dyed duck flank feather body badger guard hairs tails Senyo Laser Dub wing Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikechell 0 Report post Posted May 23, 2022 I'm waiting for the finished photo. I'm a little lost with the directions. Probably because I don't tie this type of fly very often. Looking forward to the photo! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
niveker 0 Report post Posted May 23, 2022 I too was a little lost with the directions. Always appreciate your unique approach, @salmobytes Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
salmobytes 0 Report post Posted May 23, 2022 I need to make video. I'll get there. Most sewing needles are too fat. A #10 beading needle is good. Wet it with fabric cement. Tie on top of the wet needle, any way you want. I make the body with long fibers (Fibettes or Badger guard hairs or squirrel ail) ...with duck flank on top. Now add the Laser Dub wrap-around wing. But you can tie the body any way you wamt Slide it off. Mount it LOOSELY on a short shank hook. Wind parachute between body and shank. Don't whip finish. Use glue instead. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
salmobytes 0 Report post Posted May 23, 2022 Here's an old one, from last season. Pale Morning Duns don't have brown legs so this one is a bit mongrel. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
partsman 0 Report post Posted May 23, 2022 That is very cool looking, do shape the curvature to any shape you want once it’s off the needle? Mike. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
salmobytes 0 Report post Posted May 23, 2022 RE. shape Excellent question. You can heat a beading needle with cigarette lighter and bend it,. and tie on top of that. But then it becomes too hard to slide the fly body off the needle. I tie on a straight #10 beading needle, with the point of the needle flush with the base of the tails. Tie it. Slide it off the needle. Bend the body as needed. Set it aside to cure. Some fabric cements cure hard. Aleene's Flexible Stretchable says soft and gooey. But still holds. These are NOT stiff fly bodies. They do flex. But they also remember what ever shape they had when the glue first cures. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
salmobytes 0 Report post Posted May 23, 2022 Needle flies don't have to be dry flies. I like tying without a hook in the way.......at least until the last step Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
niveker 0 Report post Posted May 23, 2022 Excellent, thank you. I will have to put some time aside to give this a shot. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
salmobytes 0 Report post Posted May 25, 2022 ...one more, made this moring. #20 hook. Badger gurard hairs, olive-dyed duck flank, Senyo Laser Dub and grizzly hackle (if I had olive-dyed grizzly I would have used it) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikechell 0 Report post Posted May 25, 2022 I tried this method once before, as I was trying to make "floating" mayfly bodies by trapping an air pocket in the tail. It "kind of" worked. But, without the needle, there's very little support to hold the wrapped body together, and the glue/sealant didn't last. Each one "unraveled" with the first hit. I've still got a few of the bodies I made sitting on a shelf. Decided they aren't worth tying up. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites