extended bodies

[trico]

i'm tying deer hair extended bodies, but haven't see anything as to the proportion of the flies, they look fine to me, but was wondering if there is a "correct length"

 

[Heritage-Angler]

If you let me know what the natural is that you're trying to imitate, I can give you the size range of the natural in millimeters. Will that help? Please don't tell me you are tying extended body Tricos! :-o ......Ed

 

[trico]

extended body tricos would be preaty cool!!!! 3 strands of deer body hair on a size 40 hook!!!
i'm tying some "green drake" imitations for penn's this june, don't put off to tomorrow, what you can do today!
the "green drakes" i bought for my first trip out there were green, how silly!

 

[Padraic]

trico wrote:
extended body tricos would be preaty cool!!!! 3 strands of deer body hair on a size 40 hook!!!
i'm tying some "green drake" imitations for penn's this june, don't put off to tomorrow, what you can do today!
the "green drakes" i bought for my first trip out there were green, how silly!

Well, they are out west.

Here's a pattern.
http://www.danica.com/flytier/dschmezer/eastern_green_drake.htm

Here's a nice layman's entamology lesson on the bug
http://flyanglersonline.com/features/nqento/part13.html

I suggest using something besides deer hair. I think the Green Drake is more translucent than deer hair would represent. The dun is very light in color, and the spinner abdomen is hollow. Try something like Larva Lace or antron. (I know, I'm bucking a lot of tradition here, but I apologize to George Harvey et al.)

Try calling Bob Clouser's shop in Middletown. http://www.clouserflyfishing.com/
He ties a Green Drake pattern that is really killer. It's all hackle and it's the only dry I've had any decent luck with so far.

 

[MKern]

trico,
Are you set on using hair for the body?
I have found great directions on dubbed extended bodies, but I don't remember the site - sorry.
I know you use a large sewing needle. Place it in your vise and tie the body as in a normal fly. Apply thinned head cement and wait for it to dry. Then they can be cut to lenth.

 

[Heritage-Angler]

Trico - The Green Drake (Ephemera Guttulata) has a body size range of from 20-30 millimeters. A size 8 or 10 6XL hook would work well. Cream colored abdomen, ginger thorax, cream hackle. Hope this helps.......Ed

 

[Padraic]

I have found great directions on dubbed extended bodies, but I don't remember the site - sorry.

Will this suffice?
http://www.onlineflytyer.com/article_extendedspin.asp

I still like the foam Larva Lace. You can tie it in and leave it long. Then when you get to Penns, you can catch one of the duns and cut the foam to length. You won't have tails, but who cares? You don't have to be that exact. Much better that the light pass through the body naturally.

 

[trico]

thanks for all the help!!!
tying the bodies is the easy part, i use the needle technique, and tie 2 pieces o moose body hair for a tail, then the deer hair i stack tips down, tie the tips in so they are the end of the body, as the hair flairs, i clean out the hair that isn't secured, i think it gives it a very slight taper that way. spiral wrap down, spiral wrap up, whip finish and pull off the needle. you can trim the der hair tips if you like.