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Fly Tying

rbob

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About rbob

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    Beginner

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  • Favorite Species
    trout
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  • Location
    Upstate NY
  1. They are not made using balsa dowels. They are shaped from square stock using an emery board. See above regarding my kits.
  2. The two balsa pieces (abdomen and head) are threaded and glued onto a short piece of 8 lb. mono which is melted at each end to prevent the balsa from pulling off. This is the weak link in the construction. They are NOT super durable but fish well enough to make it worth it. They always stay on the surface - and no floatant is needed. The wing material is reflective which makes them easy to see, especially on relatively slow stream flows.Yes I have used them. The takes are very confident. I used to sell kits that contained all the supplies needed to make a lifetime supply, including detailed instructions. I did a McMurray Ant construction seminar at a local shop and most first timer were pretty successful making the bodies.
  3. Winged McMurray Ants. Balsa wood abdomen/head; Moose body hair legs; Produce bag wings.
  4. If you do try the braid let me know what you think.
  5. It is a wader repair material. Comes out of tube as a liquid and dries like rubber. Any similar 'flexible' cement will do. Softex is probably a good alternative.
  6. Legs formed using 65 lb. Power Pro braid coated in aqua seal. They hold their shape when wet. do not interfere with hook set, and are extremely durable. Best Beetle legs, ever.
  7. Vladimir That is a priceless story; another accidental discovery that would not have been made if the observer (you) had not paid such close attention. And you are absolutely right, it is the PERFECT material for insect legs. The properties of the stretched tape are better than I could imagine; not just for looks but the way they fish too. As luck would have it, the cassette tape I found used BLACK tape, not the usual brown. I have tied up several beetles using this technique and they look like they could crawl off my tying bench. I had recently experimented with Power Pro braid and must say this material after being coated with Aqua Seal, comes in a close second to cassette legs. I will post a photo soon as I just received the 65 lb. and 50 lb. test lines that have the best diameters for legs. I would be happy to send you some samples if you'd like. To me, the sharing of ideas like this, from around the world, is what makes forums like this so valuable. Thank you again.
  8. Vladimir. I just tied up a few beetles using your cassette tape technique. Awesome baby! Ideal properties for terrestrial legs. How on earth did you discover this trick?
  9. Joe B. Just tied up a few using cassette tape for legs. Awesome technique and phenomenal properties! Thanks for the link. flytire. relax man. a little hyperbole never hurt anyone.
  10. The BEST beetle legs EVER!!! Coming SOON.
  11. The BEST beetle legs EVER!!!!! Coming SOON.
  12. Which braided backing do you use?
  13. Those legs look fantastic! What is your technique for giving them the shape?
  14. I have UV resin and will give it a whirl. I am also going to try a thin coat of aqua seal just to see. In my preliminary tests, the Power Pro does not go limp in water, remarkably it maintains its properties which are superior to fly line backing.
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