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MIKE*A

Damsel fly patterns??????

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I've been messing with tying adult versions of dragon flys which are similiar except for the wing shape for a couple of years. This past year I came to the conclusion that a small Gartside gurgler with an oversized hackle trimmed off the underside and a long tail worked as well as anything I've tried. It's also an easy tie.

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i fish a lot of damsels in the summer.(dragon patterns, too)..I like a big mosquito hawk ( the big black and green dragon flies) imitation...I use plastic chain beads (Barbie doll pearls colored green or black with a permanent marker), tapered foam body and wings made of colored Fishhair or dyed bucktail, tied in in "spent" styles....I also tie the bodies with deer hair....Tie it, tips facing towards the eye, like in a Thunder creek minnow. Tie in wings and eyes towards the hook eye, then bring the hair back towards the bend, and tie off...simple and very effective....rides a bit lower than foam, and sometimes that's what I prefer....

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Barbie Doll pearls 'eh? wink.gif

 

 

Anyway, this pattern has been my favorite Damsel nymph for a few years now. There is one I've only seen in one book though, and I'd like to try a few. I have had most success with this one in still water, but it also works in weedy areas and slack areas of streams. The tail is marabou tied at the hook, then again near the end to form the abdominal gills. I tie them in green, dark olive and brown. It's basically the braided nymph in the one link above, but without braiding and with plastic eyes and with hackle. I don't weight them directly, and I tie on a 16 nymph hook.

post-2-1069445961.jpg

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thanx guys.........i was primarily looking for the adult versions, but I guess i didn't specify that.......thanx again for the help.

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mike,

 

don't have any pics, but Raney's Foam has several adult patterns available with their products...good stuff for damsels and dragons...very easy to tie...just use your imagination...maybe someone with more technical experitise could provide you a few [pics....may even hit Jim up for a few pics of his versions......

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Luvin'gills, is that extended body some kind of fur, sheep hair or what ? I really like that pattern. Do you mind givin' the recipie and instructions so I don't miss anything ?

I gotta try those.

 

 

 

Oh, marabou, ok. I didn't read the first time bugeyes.gif

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Ok, here are a couple of different approaches for an adult dragon fly. A damsel would have a K for the wings rather than an X (or H). On the top is a Small Gartside gurgler with oversized hackle and extra long tail. I'll put this one in the database.

 

The blue one is similiar to the gurgler but has a foam tail rather than maribou. The fly on the bottom has a tail of Aunt Lydias rug yarn that is doubled up after twisting, and wings of the same material after combing them out with a pets flea comb.

 

Using the yarn for a wing and combing it out was shown to me at a show by Bill Newcomb who had a damsel pattern that used peacock herl for an extended body. I couldn't find one of his flys but it is in an old issue of flytyer that shows flys of the Sommersett NJ fly tying symposium.

 

Of them all I'd stick with the gurgler.

 

Oh, and why are they all white. When I started experimenting with dragon flys and foam the first fly I tied caught ~ 20 fish when I just wanted to test its action out before coloring it with markers. So I haven't worryied about the color much since then.

post-2-1069698609.jpg

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excellent examples, John...I noticed that you used a light colored hackle for the wing of the blue damsel.....do you ever use black or green and if so, have you noticed a difference in the number of strikes? I tie a lot of foam damsels, but haven't used a light color for the wing...just didn't think about it I suppose...just wondering if the color really matters, as for as casting shadows and imitating silohuettes...any thoughts? dunno.gif

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BDH, What I've noticed from watching the real flys hovering over the water is that the fish react very quickly if one hits the surface. Heck, I've seen fish try to take them mid air. The same fast hit behavior occurs when using the artificials. For where I'm fishing I dont think that it makes a difference what the hackle color is. I have tied these with grizzly hackles and had similiar results.

 

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