Found this on Youtube. Looks interesting, worth watching just for the technique
Foam Cicada fly tying (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUg5a3F3FpM#)
Nice video, never realised that they were on the Trouts menu in NZ.Came accross a huge hatch on Cape Cod when Striper fishing one time,we were driving along and started hitting great clouds of them.Was a bit like hitting a flock of small birds they seemed so big, one came in the window and went down the front of my shirt while driving,huge near death dramatics followed which we still laugh about.
Would love to see a hatch when Trout were feeding on them, not sure Id need a sight post on something that big yet though!
I like the tying technique, dead simple. the fly might spin a bit by the looks of it, however we have found you get away with fishing a pretty heavy tippet with these big flies and it helps. I have just ordered a bit of white sparkle organza on Ebay. 1M x 60CM; in other words a lifetime supply for the entire forum for under a fiver inc delivery. Boy we get ripped off when we "proper" fly tying stuff. :lol: Great idea smearing a thin coat of silicon adhesive on the material.
I just tied a few of these replacing the organza wings with sparse white McFlylon and crystal flash (I don't have any organza yet). This is a remarkably easy and quick fly to tie and I can see it replacing the Scott Sanchez' Mega Beetle which I don't enjoy tying at all. Pre-cutting the body shape out of the foam as described in the video makes it so easy although I'd put a smear of super glue on the hook shank to stop it all spinning round the shank.
these only took a few minutes to tie.
[attachimg=1]
very interesting,im looking to fish foam patterns a lot next year,and like you Fred im looking for easy to tie flies.
check this one out it looks good but took me ages to tie
http://www.charliesflyboxinc.com/flybox/details.cfm?parentID=108 (http://www.charliesflyboxinc.com/flybox/details.cfm?parentID=108)
a bit overdone i think
Garry
This is a very good introduction to foam flies;
http://www.amazon.com/Tying-Foam-Flies-Skip-Morris/dp/1878175890 (http://www.amazon.com/Tying-Foam-Flies-Skip-Morris/dp/1878175890)
Also good;
http://www.amazon.com/Tying-Flies-Foam-Fur-Feathers/dp/0811729095/ref=pd_sim_b_1/182-1311304-4884906 (http://www.amazon.com/Tying-Flies-Foam-Fur-Feathers/dp/0811729095/ref=pd_sim_b_1/182-1311304-4884906)
Materials; http://www.kreinik.com/kshop/home.php?cat=35 (http://www.kreinik.com/kshop/home.php?cat=35)
TL
MC
Garry, I'd agree that looks a bit overdone or overly complex. What matters is how they look from below. This is a fish-eye view of the one above with the pink sighting post. I'd eat that if I was a trout! :lol:
[attachimg=1]
The Baloon Sedge is the easiest foam fly I know - and takes only a couple of minutes to tie. I can't see any reason why it couldn't take a couple of legs or indeed why the deer/elk hair couldn't be replaced or augmented by poly wool.
Charlie Craven has a great collection of SBS on that site and a few nice foam patterns. Here is a foam hopper blog that I like. (not a fan of some of his colour choices :makefun ) http://hopperfishing.wordpress.com/ (http://hopperfishing.wordpress.com/)
Juan Ramirez also does nice foam patterns http://hopperjuan.blogspot.com/ (http://hopperjuan.blogspot.com/)
Hoper Juan Video.
http://vodpod.com/watch/4171812-tying-the-hopper-juan (http://vodpod.com/watch/4171812-tying-the-hopper-juan)
oh yea, Balloon Caddis with legs rocks!
Some great ideas , funny ive been looking at Foam Hoppers and Ants lately as Im planning a trip to Spain for Barbel next year, this guy has some nice fishing and tying vids on Youtube.
fly fishing in Alcántara (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-ishHAApuE#ws)
And a very nice Hopper dressing, takes a while but great looking fly.
fly hopper (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqW2NXINiy0#ws)
Well I got the white sparkle organza and used the silicon adhesive as suggested. The end result looks amazing. They look just like wings. Unfortunately they are useless as they weigh a tonne. I have no idea what kind of silicon adhesive he was using, but it's not like any I have seen. I'll try some of that Orvis water-based head cement, it dries flexible (and waterproof). All it's for is to stop the weave of the cloth coming apart, so it might work.
The silicon adhesive treated cloth might have other applications though. It is remarkably soft, strong and mobile. :8)