More on my emerger from Nov's Flies From The Bench.

[Crackaig 0]

In this months (November) Flies fron the Bench I posted this emerger with the working name of NAKH.

As I said in the other post the soft hackle is there for two reasons: It enables you to skate the pattern without it sinking, and it causes the abdomen to kick in the surface when the wind catches the blade wing.

 

Eide commented about colouring the edge of the Nymph Skin before winding the abdomen. Colin mentioned colouring the back with a marker after winding.

 

I hadn't done either as the ones in the photo above are small, tied on Daiichi 1160 Klinkhamer hooks size 16. With the size and amount of stretch in the nymph skin to enable the under body colour to shine through, I didn't think colouring would be appropriate.

 

Today I dug out some size 12 of the same hooks and tied up a couple more. One with the coloured edge to the Nymph Skin that Eide suggested, the other with the back marked as Colin mentioned. Here they are together.

To colour the edge of the Nymph Skin catch it in a bulldog clip.

 

The one marked down the back is marked from head to tail with the pen. It give this result, which is quite a lifelike colouration.

 

If i am to adopt a marked abdomen for this pattern I think this would be the one I would use.

 

In another post a little while ago someone, sorry I don't recall who, commented that they didn't know what my flies were like from the other side. I know it was intended as a joke, but here is this fly from a variety of angles.

 

Cheers,

C.

[troutpounder 0]

How do you pronounce the name? You have done killer body work. What do you use for the body? I tie a similar pattern. Basically a parachute adams fly. With or with out tail, depending if i am making an emerger or not. I tie it with purple body, and the trout love it. Purple haze is the name. I dont know what it is about purple but trout love it!!

[Crackaig 0]

The body is translucent Nymph Skin, a stabilised latex strip, over an under body of two colours of thread. The important part about Nymph Skin is the stabilised bit. Any old latex cut into a strip will harden and crack very quickly. Perhaps these photos from the forthcoming SbS will help.

As the Nymph Skin is very stretchy and quite thick you can sculpt the body shape as you wind by adjusting the tension. Here I have started with a lot of tension and reduced it as I wound it.

 

As for the name, well this is a work in progress. I've been working with Dale, the owner of Virtual Nymph, on developing this fly. It hasn't an official name yet so for working purposes its been nicknamed NAKH Not Another KlinkHamer.

 

Purple is something I have seen come and go in phases. Some years ago it was the indispensable colour in salmon flies. Now it is the best thing in dry flies. I wonder for how long. It has been suggested it is the dark solid silhouette it gives. I really don't know.

 

Cheers,

C.

[Lightline 0]

That's a sweet looking bug, and for sure a producer. The CDC and soft hackle for movement is brilliant. I assume the sbs will show and tell the "blade" wing material and how it is formed? Looks like crystal flash of some sort? I guess I've missed that trick. Look forward to trying some of those.

[shoebop 0]

Well done C.! I've been using strips of surgical gloves for nymphs but these look really nice. I may have to get some nymph skin. Did you say that the latex in a surgical glove will break down quickly?

[Steiner 0]

Why not combine the two methods of coloring the body? Color the edge before winding and then mark the back.

[Crackaig 0]

Thanks guys,

 

I'll try to answer all points.

 

The SbS is in the can but I have offered it to Dale as I am really just the tier that has put his idea together. His new web site is being built just now, and should be available soon. As yet I don't know if he will use it so for now I have to sit on it. If he doesn't use it it will be going on my site, crackaigflies.co.uk. He is away until Tuesday (At another show). I will know this week.

 

The blade wing is the finest Antron I could find. You can do it with any of the poly yarns. What I have used is Gordon Griffiths' Micro Antron. Gordon Griffiths, the materials company, is no longer. I am trying to find out what it really is. The reason for using it is that it makes a more solid blade wing than coarser ones do. The way it is bladed is by tying it around the hook shank as I usually do Making several wraps of thread around the base of the post only, as well as diagonally around the hook shank. Then the foam strip is folded and tied around the post only, while pulling it up on both sides. The original ones used 2mm craft foam but I have dropped this to 1mm on these as it doesn't add as much bulk to the thorax. Once in place around the post you can work under the post with your thread.

Where the foam emerges from the thread wraps it will compress the wing into a blade shape. To encourage this comb out the Antron. The other function of the foam is t make the parachute hackle flatten outwards when it is wound. Don't give in to the temptation to trim off the tag ends of the foam until after you have wound the hackle.

 

Surgical gloves are not all created equal. Some may be stabilised than others may not. A surgical glove is only designed to last minutes before it is discarded. Without knowing more I can not say if they will last on not. The other thing is that Nymph Skin is much thicker. That gives you the steps in the body. Also it is more stretchy. Holding a piece of Nymph Skin 1 inch apart I can stretch it to over 8 inches. That is where the ability to sculpt body shape as you wind comes from.

 

A pack of Nymph Skin contains about 6 feet of material. How long will it take to cut 6 feet of strips from a glove, taking care to make it even? Now think what you would earn in that time in your job. Having it done for you makes it a cheep material.

 

Yes I could use both markings on one fly. However, the original point was the coloured tip to the abdomen. In the area where the abdomen is coloured the turns of nymph skin are very close together. There is a danger of applying so much colour that this feature is lost. Maybe starting the edge colouring further along the abdomen strip will maintain it. I'll throw the idea into the mix.

 

Cheers,

C.

[bellevue.chartreuse.trout 0]

Hi C,

 

It's that 3rd picture (with 2 flies the one on the left edge colored and the 'right ' one surface colored) - the technique that I have been discussing with you in pm (and what I brought up in the November Tying of the month thread) - that is the technique that I am trying to perform better than I am currently.

 

I am finding that it is difficult for me to color that edge with a marker - even when my latex is stretched. I run the marker down the edge - somewhat slowly and the pressure that I use is not as consistent as it should be which results in heavier application of marker and then that runs over the edge and , well - I hope you get the idea now. Perhaps it is that I just need more time to develop the 'knack' of doing this? I was hoping that there was some tips on technique, besides stretching the material, that would help me accomplish this.

 

Your example in the photo (left and right comparison above) looks very nice. My attempts are ok but, need work for certain.

 

Is it really just, practice, practice, practice? Hmmm, time for me to put in some time on this then!

 

BCT