Help with my Lafontaine Pupas

[Wmass]

I have been trying to tie a decent Lafontaine pupa for a while now and can't seem to get it right. Every time I get to the end things look decent but then I notice that the antron yarn begins to twist or seperate into distinct areas leaving gaps in the shell. I can't seem to get it looking right.


ALSO, what is the best way to fish this fly. I have heard about fishing it in the surface film, below water, or deep.

 

[afishinado]

Here’s a good tutorial on tying:

http://hipwader.com/2003/emergent-sparkle-pupa


Once you tie a few, the fly is not really that difficult to tie, here are some tips:

Use “sparkle yarn” for sheath around the body. Pure Antron yarn doesn’t work well, it bunches up as you describe. Sparkle yarn is a mix of regular yarn (wool I think) and Antron yarn. http://www.thebookmailer.com/Supplies/SparkleYarn.html

A metal comb works best for separating “sparkle yarn”

I use three tie-in points for the sheath to get full coverage – one tie-in point on top, and one on each side. Rotate your fly to tie each side in.

Chopped SY (1/4” pieces) works for dubbing since it’s a mix. Pure Antron does not work well at all. It does not adhere to the thread. You can make your own colored dubbing by mixing regular dubbing or wool with pure antron cut into 1/4" pieces. Make sure it's chopped up fine (no long strands) for touch dubbing.

Keep the body sparse using the touch dubbing method a well-waxed thread. A glue stick from an office supply store works well if you don’t have high-tack dubbing wax.

There are two different versions of the fly – the Emergent Sparkle Pupa (ESP) and the Deep Sparkle Pupa (DSP).

The ESP has a deer hair wing and is allowed to hang in the film, you can use floatant on it, or fish it just under the surface.

The DSP has no wing and is fished on the bottom or in the column.
It can be weighted with lead wire on the hook shank and/or a brass bead, or you can add weight to the tippet. I like to tie the fly weighted.



As I said, it’s not that difficult to tie with some practice, and well worth the effort to learn. Good luck.

 

[ryguyfi]

Was on the way home from an appointment last night and was driving past Gander mountain (the closest place to get fly supplies is still 30 minutes away) So I figured I'd stop by and get some angora yarn in either white or cream............. guess what 2 colors were completely sold out..... WHITE AND CREAM!


In that site that shows the tutorial the sparkle yarn looks like actual yarn. Anyone find this anywhere besides a fly shop (Michaels Crafts maybe?) I'd like to tie some DSP's and ESP's but don't have the material.




btw... I have some Haretron nymph dubbing that is a mix of angora and hare. No need to mix. I use it for most of my nymphs, I like the sparkle. (I'm hoping my attraction to shiny objects relates to the fish)

 

[afishinado]

Sparkle yarn contains "Antron" fibers. The "secret" to the fly is the antron fibers create bubbles in the water, and the sheath holds the bubbles around the body making the fly shimmer in the water like the naturals. It sounds like something Billy Mays sells on TV, but the flies actually work. I would try to use some sort of sparkle yarn with antron. Aunt Lydia's sparkle yarn has antron i believe, as well "Book Mailer" sells the right stuff. Good luck.

 

[sandfly]

The original antron that Gary used is no longer available, well except for one place...plus all the colors too...Most antron material now is different properties...

 

[afishinado]

There ya go RyGuy, you can buy if from Billy May...., Uh, Sandfly.

Sandy, I need black sparkle yarn, do you have that color? I've been meaning to make my way up to your neck of the woods to visit your shop and fish.

 

[littlelehigh]

After reading this post yesterday I decide to try a couple last nite. I just dubbed the head with natural hairs ear and used a brown marker to color it I do have brown anton but using it was a real pain. I will try again tonite. I liked the bugginess of hairs ear anyway.

 

[ryguyfi]

I found some sparkle yarn at the Neshannock Fly shop this weekend. I tried tying a few Lafontaines and having problems getting the yarn to spread evenly around the fly... any suggestions? They look ok, but want them to be a bit better.

 

[afishinado]

afishinado wrote:

Use “sparkle yarn” for sheath around the body. Pure Antron yarn doesn’t work well, it bunches up as you describe. Sparkle yarn is a mix of regular yarn (wool I think) and Antron yarn.

A metal comb works best for separating “sparkle yarn”

I use three tie-in points for the sheath to get full coverage – one tie-in point on top, and one on each side. Rotate your fly to tie each side in.

 

[ryguyfi]

yeah I did that... had most of my problem getting the bottom of the fly covered. I rubbed the yarn around the hook to try to get it evenly covered and that usually caused the yarn to fall out of my thread wraps. Just couldn't get the yarn to get to the bottom of the fly, right by the hook, correctly. I'm guessing it's just going to take some practice to get it right.

(have a stagnant vise, not a rotary, so makes it even harder)

 

[afishinado]

ryguyfi wrote:
yeah I did that... had most of my problem getting the bottom of the fly covered. I rubbed the yarn around the hook to try to get it evenly covered and that usually caused the yarn to fall out of my thread wraps. Just couldn't get the yarn to get to the bottom of the fly, right by the hook, correctly. I'm guessing it's just going to take some practice to get it right.

(have a stagnant vise, not a rotary, so makes it even harder)

Most instructions use only two tie-in points. I find using three tie-in points makes it easier to achieve full coverage with the sheath. Tie in the well combed out sparkle yarn to the rear on the fly in three points, one on the top, and one each side of the fly. Pull one segment of the yarn to the front of the fly and wrap it loosely 2 times. Using a dubbing needle or your scissor points, pull the yarn away from the body and spread the fibers around the hook shank. Take two firm turns of thread to lock it in and do the same thing for the next piece of sparkle yarn. It need not be perfect, but the sparkle yarn should loosely surround most of the body and be translucent. In other words, the sheath should sparsely surround the body, so the body is clearly visible when held up to the light. It will come with a little practice. Also, no need for a rotary vise, a stationary vise will work just fine.

The Antron mixed dubbed body naturally creates bubbles when in the water and the sheath traps the bubbles along the body. It all sounds like nonsense, and I know most guys that read this are shaking their heads, but it really works….like magic! Stick with it, most guys will really be shaking their heads when they skunk out during a caddis hatch, while your arms tire fighting all the trouts!!!
Good luck.

 

[ryguyfi]

thanks... you guys ever use a combo of the nymph under the emerger??

I just added elk hair to make my emerger, is this what you do?

I also weighted my nypmh with some lead wraps.

And lastly, what exactly do you use for underneath the sheath... I dubbed using my nymph dubbing in green... do you use other colors?

 

[afishinado]

This is the Deep sparkle pupa (DSP). I usually add lead wire and/or a bead to get it down.

http://www.thebookmailer.com/Flies/Emergers/deepsparklepupa.html


This is the Emergent Sparkle Pupa. Pretty much the same fly with a deer hair wing. It is fished on/near the surface.

http://www.thebookmailer.com/Flies/Emergers/emergentsparklepupa.html


For colors, I tie all black, brown (thorax) and bright green (body), brown and brown, brown / tan/gold, brown and green (olive) and brown and gray.

Also, it is important that the body should be tied sparsely using an antron dubbing mix or finely chopped up sparkl yarn with sticky wax and a touch dubbing method.

 

[sandfly]

I don't have the yarn but the dubbing is long so its easy to tie it in and make the sheath..I have all his colors.

 

[tabasco_joe]

sandfly wrote:
The original antron that Gary used is no longer available, well except for one place...plus all the colors too...Most antron material now is different properties...

Wasn't the original Antron yarn developed for floor carpeting? I understood it wasn't used for clothing and that's why it's not commonly found in craft stores.