Flies from the vice.

[Arkansas Mike 0]

smallieFanatic's pictures of damsels got me wanting to try my hand at tying them today. I first tried using a free-standing core extension with mono and messed that up stupendously. Then I tried a needle-formed extension. It worked, but my extension didn't lie like I wanted it to after I attached it to the hook. I finally went with a small length of floating fly line. I'm stubborn though, I'm going to work on the first two methods until I can get them to look like I want them to. On this fly, the stripes on the tail aren't straight; the body isn't tight enough and not tapered correctly; and, once again, my eyes are too far apart. I'm sure there is other stuff, but overall, I don't think it's half-bad.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Rocky Maley 0]

smallieFanatic's pictures of damsels got me wanting to try my hand at tying them today. I first tried using a free-standing core extension with mono and messed that up stupendously. Then I tried a needle-formed extension. It worked, but my extension didn't lie like I wanted it to after I attached it to the hook. I finally went with a small length of floating fly line. I'm stubborn though, I'm going to work on the first two methods until I can get them to look like I want them to. On this fly, the stripes on the tail aren't straight; the body isn't tight enough and not tapered correctly; and, once again, my eyes are too far apart. I'm sure there is other stuff, but overall, I don't think it's half-bad.

 

 

 

 

 

I will take a dozen :headbang: :headbang: :headbang: :bugeyes: :bugeyes: :bugeyes:

Rocky

 

[jwilson 0]

Most recently ive been tying some dry elk hair caddis size 16

[smallieFanatic 0]

I like them mike, those will catch fish.

[Arkansas Mike 0]

Another...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Rocky Maley 0]

ah hell i will take a assortment Mike :wallbash: :headbang: :headbang:

 

1 From me today

 

Rocky

[Arkansas Mike 0]

ah hell i will take a assortment Mike :wallbash: :headbang: :headbang:

 

1 From me today

 

Rocky

 

 

 

Thanks, Rocky. Up here next to yours, mine look plain and dull.

 

 

 

Mike

 

[Rocky Maley 0]

ah hell i will take a assortment Mike :wallbash: :headbang: :headbang:

 

1 From me today

 

Rocky

 

 

 

Thanks, Rocky. Up here next to yours, mine look plain and dull.

 

 

 

Mike

 

 

Mike the diff. between your flys and mine are yours will catch fish mine mite catch fish

 

Rocky

 

[Arkansas Mike 0]

Hope you guys don't mind suffering through my little experiments...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks,

Mike

 

 

 

[flyfshn76 0]

Those damselfly's rocks

[Futzer 0]

Mike, those are very good. I use plastic bead chain for my damsel eyes, if you look at a real one, you will see how large the eyes are in proportion. As for your mayfly I would use a little longer hackle, just so it sits upright on the drift. When I burn mono eyes, light one side, pay attention to how much material melts to get the right size, quickly invert the mono as you blow it out, this give you an even eye ball. Then cut the mono the length that burned plus the distance you want between the two. Grab the part you want unmelted with a hemostat or tweezer and burn the other eye, the metal will stop the flame, as it does invert that eye down. Minimizes the guess work. Very good work though.

 

And Rocky, you are just a savant!!!! Thanks for the great photos guys.

 

Cheers, Jeff.

[Ridleyffo 0]

Another...

 

 

 

Nice Damsels Mike

 

My wife skimmed two off the pool today and gave them to me. (Im slowly corrupting her) . Yours are great matches for them.

 

There was a larger green one like your first post and the smaller reddish brown like this one. I put them both in this plastic stacking tubes I have. The red/brown one looked a bit worse than the green, but when I checked a while later the red either loved the other to death or killed it. plenty of air was in there, as the black cad I had in there from saturday flew away when i put the damsels in.

 

I'll try to get a decent photo of them tomorrow. What was really beautiful about them were the small, little and only a few "stained glass" panes they had in their gossamer black wings.

 

I was thinking this afternoon how to do the extended abl. I noticed that they are thinner in the middle and bulge at the ends. I was going to try and melt some micro fibbets at the ends and tie them in loose at the bend. ?? who knows if it would work.

 

Great flys.

[Arkansas Mike 0]

Nice Damsels Mike

 

My wife skimmed two off the pool today and gave them to me. (Im slowly corrupting her) . Yours are great matches for them.

 

 

Thanks, Ridleyffo. I was trying to go off a photo on the brown one. Used floating fly line covered lengthwise with brown Swiss Straw for the extension. I wasn't happy with the hackle/wings. I used blue dun, trying to match the transparent stained-glass look you spoke of on the real ones. They don't show up very good and look a little too sparse. And maybe not long enough. Like Jeff said, my eyes are far too small. I didn't have any plastic bead-chain eyes, so I used the largest mono I had. I'd like to see your damsels if you have time to post the pictures. And your flies. Thanks again.

 

 

Thanks for the compliment and suggestions, Jeff.

Appreciate it, flyfshn76.

 

 

 

Mike

 

 

[jimk 0]

Those damsels look great - here is another photo for you to model from

[Arkansas Mike 0]

 

 

Thanks, jimk. Those blues are beauts, huh?

 

Mike