Hula Damsel, light olive, SBS

[Chasing_Tails 0]

Hula Damsel, light olive

Hook: Tiemco 2457, #12

Thread: Uni-Thread 6/0, olive dun

Tail shank: Stainless wire, 31lb

Tail: Ostrich herl, olive

Abdomen (articulated): Pearl Core Braid, olive

Hinge: 10lb monofilament

Back: Thin Skin, Oak Mottled, olive

Thorax: Senyo's Laser Dub, Light Olive

Legs: FTD Bug Legs 14-40, caddis green

Bead: Brass, 7/64"

Eyes: Mono, x-small, olive

Shell: UV Resin
 

Step 1:

Using a tube fly tool (smallest pin) as a mandrel, tie thread onto the end of a 2" piece of Diamond Core Braid material. Start the thread on the braid material and not the mandrel. Make the wraps tight to avoid the material spinning on the mandrel.

Step 2:

Take three ostrich herl tips and tie them in a splayed manner to simulate the gills on the damsel fly nymph. Do not worry about using the thread to keep them splayed as we will be applying UV resin to set them in place.

Step 3:

T

Whip finish and cut the thread. Use thin UV resin (Solarez Bone Dry in this case) or thin superglue on the thread and also where the ostrich herl is tied in to maintain the separation of the tails. Once dry slide the assembly off of the mandrel.

Step 4:

Cut a 2" section of 31lb stainless leader wire.

Step 5:

Bend the wire over the mandrel pin to form a small loop.

Step 6:

Place the loop into your vise and tie in the 1/8" closest to the loop. Do not apply too much pressure to cause the loop to collapse.

Step 7:

Using side cutters, cut off the extra wire leaving a 1/8" stub where the thread was tied on. Press the braid material onto the end and secure with thread. Once tied on, whip finish and coat the thread with thin UV resin or super glue.

Step 8:

Remove the completed tail section from the vise and put aside.

Step 9:

Place hook into the vise with the bead towards the rear. Tie on your thread at the eye.

Step 10:

Tie in your mono eyes at the eye using figure-8 wraps and secure. Apply a drop of thin UV resin or super glue to reinforce the eyes.

Step 11:

W

Move the bead to butt up against the mono eyes. Jump the thread over and behind the bead and anchor with thread wraps. Apply a drop of thin UV resin or super glue into the rear of the bead to reinforce it. 

Step 12:

Cut a section of 2x tippet and pass through the wire attachment point on the tail. Make sure to orient the tippet tag ends so that the tail gills will lay flat inline with the forward body. Secure the tippet material to the shank and then double it back over securing with thread wraps. Trim the tag ends. Apply a drop of thin UV resin or super glue for durability. 

Step 13:

Cut a section of Thin Skin wide enough for a wing case and approximately 2 times the length of the hook shank. Attach to the rear of the body. Be sure not to apply thread wraps too close to the tippet hinge as it will close the loop and inhibit tail movement. 

Step 14:

Place a dubbing ball at the rear of the hook. This will provide support for the rear legs and force them to splay outwards.

Step 15:

Tie a single overhand knot in a 3" section of bug legs. Create a pair and tie each in on the side of the hook. Move the thread rearward to the dubbing ball to force the legs outward.

Step 16:

Tie in a second dubbing ball in front of the rear legs and repeat the steps to create and tie in the middle set of legs. Use the same technique of thread pressure to force the legs outwards.

Step 17:

Create your third dubbing ball In front of the middle legs. Allow the ball to fill the remaining gap up to the rear of the bead. 

Step 18:

Knot and tie in the front set of legs directly behind the bead. Form another thin noodle of dubbing and use it to add bulk to the body as needed and also set the leg positions. Do not be overly concerned about the leg positions as the bug leg material is meant to move in the water and simulate the insect crawling or attempting to grab on to an object.  

Step 19:

Once the dubbing body is complete and the legs are set in your desired position, jump the thread back in front of the bead.

Step 20:

Fold the wing case forward and tie down between the bead and mono eyes. Trim the tag end to create two short V-shaped antennae. Whip finish behind the mono eyes and trim the thread.

Step 21:

Apply thick UV resin over the wing case and between the mono eyes to form a wide head. Overcoat UV resin with hard head cement. Trim legs to length and any errant dubbing fibers.

Step 22:

Add water and watch your damselfly nymph come to life.

 

 

 

[chugbug27 0]

Nice!

[niveker 0]

Very nice indeed, and much appreciated.  

Since we're on the subject, a neat little video on the damselfly's live cycle:

https://youtu.be/iBs07KbRY3w

Never had much luck with the pattern I've used on the lake.  Maybe I'm tying them too big, and on a single straight, shank hook they lack that vigorous wiggle as shown in the video.    

[Guest]

After realizing how lively they are from the video I tried to add a lip to one to create the wiggle.  Still on the drawing board; barely wiggled and kinda large.   I have a simple version with bead chain eyes.

 

 

[Chasing_Tails 0]

3 minutes ago, denduke said:

After realizing how lively they are from the video I tried to add a lip to one to create the wiggle.  Still on the drawing board; barely wiggled and kinda large.   I have a simple version with bead chain eyes.

 

 

 

 

 

I am thinking that taking the bill and making it more perpendicular to the hook, similar to a wakebait crank type lure, should give more wiggle, and less dive. 

[Guest]

Tried a few things.  That one the tail is too heavey.  Bent the lip in different positions nada.   Thinking about the lil swimmer tail stuff for a good action at the expense of realism.  My foam lipped wigglers work great.   Hard to get tiny stuff to act right. Prolly can the lip and get a wavy tail...

[Chasing_Tails 0]

I am going to try using a thin 1mm foam as the wingcase/back and fold it forward and down like a wiggler. I can add some UV resin to the rear of the "bill" to provide some support if required.

Also changing the bead to glass rather than brass to lighten the fly up a bit. I may try one with the bead omitted as well but I do like how it gives the fly a slight amount of negative buoyancy. 

Fishing on a floating line with no weight should keep the fly near the surface similar to the video, but you could also fish it on a sink-tip/intermediate, or throw a bit of weight in front with a small split shot on the tippet to run it like a carolina rig with the fly floating up off the bottom but still at a controlled depth depending on the weight position. 

Dang it, I just cleaned up my desk from this project too...ah well, can't always be tidy.

[Guest]

These wiggle...for ideas.   Foam is tough.  Gotta be nose heavey to dig and thus wiggle.  Otherwise they’ll just roll over and scoot.  Had to insert lead and “tune” many of mine.  I’ve found narrow body helps.  The beveled cylinders wiggle.  These purple ones are great.  Good luck