Extended bodies

[flyfish2002 0]

I am an occasional poster and a frequent lurker. I just got back from north east PA about 50" north of College Station. I went to fish the Green Drake hatch on Penns Creek, Fishing Creek, etc.

 

I tied several Green Drakes, but I did not know that the Green Drake spinner is the Coffin Fly :dunno: Well I took a break to ease my fustration and an old timer who had fly fished the area for years pulled up in his pick-up truck (nice truck, too) and gave me a serious entomology lesson. The lesson ended with him pulling out a large plastic bin with multiple drawers, each of which contained compartments holding a variety of Coffin Flies. He looked through the drawers, selected one in a size 8 and told me to fish it toward the middle of the creek at dusk. I did as I was instructed and it worked great, 'til I lost down the throat of a large, very aggressive brown.

 

I failed to ask the kind gentlman what he tied the extended body with. It wasn't dubbing or foam or hair, but it was white, very firm, curved upward and fairly thick - almost feeling "stuffed" with something. A local fly shop sells coffin flies that are somewhat similar (though NOT up to the standards of the gift I was given). After asking, the shop owner told me that his tier (out of California) won't divulge his secrets, but the shoip owner thinks the tyer uses waxed rope. :help:

 

Any thoughts or advice on how to tie an extended body andwith what materials would be appreciated. I need to go back next year. :bugeyes:

[Worstcaster 0]

I was at a fly tying show where Dave Whitlock was using polypropylene floating yard for the extended body. Tye the yarn onto the shank with a little more than you want extending past the hook bend. Take a match and using the underside of the flame melt the end of the yarn and twist together. The melted ends will become solid again with all ends fused together. Don't set the yarn on fire just melt it.

[Redwings1 0]

I am a big fan of extended deer hair bodies...they float like a cork too...