Foam Dragon Bluegill Slayer

[Philly 0]

 

I took a Zoom class offered by Fly Fishers International.  It's a four week class called "Fun with Foam".  The first up was the Foam Dragon Bluegill Slayer.  I'd never heard of it and it looked interesting so I tied up a half-dozen as "homework"   These are not bluegill slayers, but more bass size.  I tied them on a size 4, Partridge Sea Streamer hook.  I did, as I tend to do with new patterns I learn, modified them slightly.  On the original, the body is dubbed,  I used fine crystal chenille instead.  The third wing on the original was a different lighter color to add visibility to the fly.  I kept the third wing the same color as the rest of the fly and added a small orange foam circle punched out of 2 mm craft foam.  Still need a bit of work.  Hopefully, the fish won't be fussy when I fish them next spring.

[BHouk 0]

I thought Jerry did a great presentation.  The fly seems to originate in April of 2013 with Clark Pierce here  https://www.flyfishfood.com/2013/04/foam-dragon-bluegill-edition.html or here https://globalflyfisher.com/video/foam-dragon-bluegill-slayer  The two tone patterns look a little like this...

[Philly 0]

Jerry's an excellent tyer and teacher.  I know him.  He's from the area.  I've attended  a couple of sessions at the fly fishing club he founded where we just sat around and tied flies and we learned from each other.  Different ways of tying, new patterns.  I glad I signed up for these classes.  I do a lot of tying with foam.  It's good to learn a new pattern.  I don't do a lot of trout fishing these days and the Humpy, at size 10, is smaller than the flies I fish for pan fish.  Still plan to tie up a couple maybe in size 8 or 6.  No calf hair/tail, I have none.  I meant to ask him about using snowshoe rabbit for the wing, but forgot.  That's what I plan to use for the wing.

I tend to use brighter colors, yellow and white are my best pan fish colors, and I tied an orange third wing on the olive one, but I didn't like it, so I decided to stick with one color patterns and use the orange dot for the visibility factor   It doesn't show up well in the 2nd picture, but the fly on the left has a white body and a yellow third wing, still used the orange dot. 

[Guest]

I would think you’d be an instructor rather than a student, Philly😏

[Philly 0]

I have no shame.  I do tie in public at times.   My salt water club usually has a table at the NJ Fly Tying Symposium and the Fly Fishing show and we do fly tying classes with groups, like Heroes on the Water,  or at the local LL Bean and Orvis stores, and in-club classes.  If someone wants to know how tie a pattern I'll show them.  I'm good as long as they don't ask me how to whip finish, never have gotten that down.