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DarrellP

Poly cord

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Kim gifted us with some poly cord.  I have a good bit and am not sure how you use it.  Does it help flies float?

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Not sure about it's buoyancy, but you can comb or brush out the fibers and use it much like synthetic hair for streamer bodies. 

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I use white poly cord for the post material on parachute flies. If you have a light tan color and the material is thin enough, you can use it as the trailing shuck material on sparkle duns.

 

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2 hours ago, DarrellP said:

Kim gifted us with some poly cord.  I have a good bit and am not sure how you use it.  Does it help flies float?

Like SilverCreek said for a post or shuck.  I "destrand" it and use it for Dorsey style indicators for nymphing

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2 hours ago, DarrellP said:

Kim gifted us with some poly cord.  I have a good bit and am not sure how you use it.  Does it help flies float?

Don't think you can wrap it like yarn or other such material and have the fly float because poly has a specific density less than water. However, if you shred it or cut it into short strands and dub it like any fur or blend it with fur your flies will tend to be more buoyant. Not float like the proverbial cork but a little better than just plain fur.

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Dry flies don't float by submersion like a boat floats IN the water.

Dry flies float ON the meniscus because they are designed to SPREAD their mass over a larger area. It is the surface tension of the meniscus that allows dry flies to float.

You can do a simple experiment to prove this. Float a dry fly in a glass of water. Then add ONE drop of Dawn or another liquid detergent into the water AWAY from the fly. Dawn Dawn will destroy the surface tension and the dry fly will sink.

Here is a video that show how to get a needle to "float" on water. Add some detergent and the needle sinks because the detergent destroys the surface tension. Detergents are surfactants, which are chemicals that destroy surface tension.

 

 

 

 

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1)  Yes, it does help flies float using two different 2 methods.  First, it is lighter than water (as well as not absorbing any water as well), so if you wrap the shank of the hook, it would work the same as if you were wearing a lifejacket!  Lastly, it can work the same as a hackle feather (if used as a loose dubbing or in place of a feather) by spreading the weight of the fly over the film on the water.

2) It does make a nice post, especially using white and orange colors.  Also, I prefer to tie a true post.  First, I the fasten one end of the poly, then twist it so that it furls, then tie down the front of the post.  You should have the front part of the post leaning against the back part of the post with no thread dam needed.  Check out Al Beaty's Para Post pattern to see what the post would look like - just turn the fly 90-degrees!  BTW, Al's 2X2 pattern uses just a single length of poly and a grizzly hackle - this time parachuted on the hook shank.

paraglenfly.jpg

Now wrap the parachute hackle around the base of the post - you are tying on a true post - not an open umbrella!  Al's pattern was turned 90-degrees and fished that way, allegedly, after a nice bottle of Scotch!  Lastly, cut the top of the furl off parallel to the shank at the desired height of the hook and fluff it out.  Now you have opened the umbrella!

3)  I have used poly for tail/shucks, wings and underwings, posts, and as a body material (similar to using yarn).  Also, not all the uses have been used on dry flies.

4) There is a style of fly, the marshmallow style, developed by the designer of TMC hooks.  The poly is combed out and is melted - it melts as most any plastic.

Hope this helps and if you would like some pattern suggestions, just let me know.

Kim

BTW, remember that the coed is made up of 8 strands/yarns.

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