Match the Hatch Challenge #7

[Guest]

Graham, I must say I think that may be your most realistic fly to date, that is AMAZING!

[Leif Ortenholm 0]

Hi smallie... i agree thats a realistic caddis with class!!!!!

Graham i think this challenge is al yours man!!!its a beauty you got there

your legs with foam are a revolution i think for fishable realistic....i just can say you are a tier with your thumbs on the right places

 

Albert

[Graham 0]

All I can say is that I'm blushing, thank you! In a couple days I should have time tye again, yea!

Graham

[uffepuffe 0]

I've tried some of my caddis while fishing last week and found two problems with mine: number one, it's sometimes hard to get them to float on the right side, often they will land upside down. Number two, the wings come of to easy. I think it's because of my poor casting techinique which causes the line to slip under the wings. But still I have to work with the wings.

 

Ulf

[S.Mankov 0]

Hey you amased me I have never seen so perfect flys...

Graham i`ll be pleased if you explain how you make the legs of your caddis!

One more time- great flys!

[SullyTM 0]

Awesome Grahm...I went back into the earlier posts on this caddis. Are you still printing the wings on Dura Lar? Where do you get that material? Office supply store? The Legs. It looks like you've changed the technique. Are the newer legs porcupine quills? They don't look like they're made with foam. Thanks. Thom(aka MrTrout from Hatchmasters.)

[Graham 0]

Hey SullyTM and S.Mankov, the legs on both Caddis are Japanese Nymph Legs, thin plastic fibers. The orange Caddis has the plastic strip pushed through a hollowed out porcupine quill, the second fly has the plastic strip pushed through a little strip of yellow foam, hollowed with a needle. I think the porcupine looks better, but the foam floats better. I bend the legs using a heated bodkin, then colored them with Pantone markers.

 

Both fly's have printed Dura-Lar for wings, bought at a local art store. This product is readily available, do a Google search. I found on line that Michaels sells it, but when I recently visited several Michaels stores close by, none had it on the shelves. I prefer making wings with 0.03 thickness, but the heat inside my color laser printer curles the product about 50% of the time. Now I typically use the slightly thicker 0.04 which prints out nicely every time. I havent tried the 0.02 yet. Once printed I scribe some lines into the film with my bodkin for a more realistic look. Often bend the wings over my bodkin handle for a bit more shaping before tying them on. I also like to paint a thin layer of colored varnish on both sides of the wings before tying on. This makes the wings more flexible, less shiny, and can be built up to give a better 3D realistic look while allowing for a deeper transluscent yet transparent coloring.

 

Graham

 

 

[SullyTM 0]

Grahm...Now we're cookin' with grease I'll check my local Michael's for the DuraLar. I might have to order quills off the internet cuz my local shop doesn't carry them. How are you cutting the foam and what is the approximate size? Double the size of a rice kernel? I notice on the second caddis you've added some hair to the latex? Is that dubbing? Grahm, I've always been impressed with your work and for some reason this pattern has be jazzed Thanks. Thom

[leifehn 0]

Hi Graham!

As I'm new to the forum, I'm not quite sure how to do to send you a Caddis, but I'll give it a try.

I have this Vesterelva Adult (there is also a pupa). It works well and I've goa a few when it's been on the lead.

Hope I get it right when I try to send it to you.

Leifehn

[Graham 0]

Hey Sully TM, The hair in the caddis is home brew dubbing. I have some super fine paint rollers, which I first remove the glued on strip from the center roll, flatten them out, the fibers are semi white- transluscent, and I color a small area with pantone markers, then trim off some fibers with scissors, then use it as my dubbing. I also cut the tiny foam pieces with a razor blade and/or scissors, push a needle through the middle, then slide a plactic nymph leg through, then a tiny drop of super glue, center the leg inside the foam, and tie on as one piece.

Where are you located in California?

 

I have started buying realistic tying supplies from this store in California, via mail order

 

Store that sells realistic tying products - click here

 

Hi leifehn, I enjoyed looking at your web site, you tye some fabulous looking flies. Thanks for joining our little band of merry realistic fly tyers.

 

Graham

 

 

[SullyTM 0]

Graham...I live about 35 miles east of San Francisco in Martinez. I'll check out the web site. Thanks for all the info. Thom

[jocapesca 0]

This fly is from a good friend Jan Siman .

[Graham 0]

Hey jocapesca,

 

Nice Caddis I had not heared of Jan Siman until recently, but I have purchased some of his products, such as the magic shrimp foil, great stuff.

I finally found a store in California that sells products for realistic tyers;

Fly Tying Chronicals - realistic tying products

I used to wait weeks for products ordered from foregin suppliers, now I get products in a day or two.

I'm still waiting, over 8 months now, for an order placed last year from a Canadian site.

Last I heard they forgot my $250+ order. I'm trying to stick to US suppliers where consumer protection disalows charging customers credit cards until products, such as tying materials and books are shipped, including paypal transactions.

 

Sorry for rambling on, once again, nice caddis.

 

Graham