What have you tied today?

[scotfly]

As I sat at the vice today tying up some more Ammonite nymphs my thoughts wandered as to alternative materials for them. I had done a few with Thin skin and Flexibody, and few with Nymph skin and Latex. There wasn't a lot of choice left when I spotted a packet of Lureflash Neon Edge (Neo Orange) which I bought on a whim about 10 or 12 years ago and had never used, hmm, that has possibilities. It's quite thick I'd better do this one on a bigger hook.........



HOOK - Partridge Czech Nymph #10
THREAD - Red Roman Moser Power Silk
BODY/THORAX COVER - Lureflash Neon Edge
LEGS - Partridge
THORAX - Red Hare's Ear/Seal's Fur Blend.
The back of the body and thorax cover are coloured with a brown permanent marker after tying and the thorax cover is coated with Loon Hard Head.

Whilst I'm tying this one my mind is wandering toward other uses. Plastic Copper (?) John variation maybe.....



HOOK - TMC 5262 #14
THREAD - Red Roman Moser Power Silk
TAIL - 2 Orange Goose Biots
BODY/THORAX COVER - Lureflash Neon Edge
LEGS - Partridge
THORAX - Red Hare's Ear/Seal's Fur Blend.
The back of the body and thorax cover are coloured with a brown permanent marker after tying and the thorax cover is coated with Loon Hard Head.

Then I start thinking about how I could incorporate it into a soft hackle and some of the techniques and material use that Hans Wielenmann has been showing elsewhere in his "produce" range sprang to mind.  8-)
So with a little thought and a lot of inspiration from Hans, my original thoughts finally evolved into the.....

NEO



HOOK - Aiken Fine Wire Eyed Hook #10
THREAD - Red Roman Moser Power Silk
HACKLE - Red Game Hen
BODY - Tying Silk
RIB - Neo Orange Neon Edge (1mm strip cut with a scalpel)
THORAX - Red Seal's Fur (inserted into a split thread dubbing loop)

[Wildfisher]

Works of art Dennis. I'd be too  worried I lost them to fish with them! 

[scotfly]

Nice flees Ardberg, I particularly like the dirty duster.  :
Don't worry about the durability of the 17/0, I've used it quite a bit and have had no problems.

[haresear]

Those are nice Ardbeg. I like the way you illustrated the light V dark underbody.

I tend to be lazy at times (all the time) and don't change thread for different flies, but change the flexifloss instead. Your flies tell me I should be using my brain a bit more.

Alex

[scotfly]

And funnily enough I've been on the DHE's today too. Not as neat as Ardbergs, but they'll do me.

[haresear]

The only reason i changed threads is because that's the only colour of flexifloss I've got.  Skinning cats springs to mind.

Aye Steve, skinning cats is right enough, but there are definite diffeences in the effects gained from using various underbodies V different coloured flexifloss. I don't bother too much about colour most of the time, but I like to have a close match or two for those special fish (no, not the breaded ones .

Alex

[haresear]

Alex, I might try a yellow and get something in the middle.  I was quite surprised just how much a difference there was. 

I will add, they were wrapped under a fair bit of tension so the flexi floss will be pretty thin over the under thread.  It's the first time I've used it, I actually bought the stuff for legs for Chernobyl ant type flees.  It's really good stuff to work with.

Cheers

Ardbeg

Talking of skinning cats, you can get clear flexifloss too. It gets confusing

You are right Steve, flexifloss is great to work with as long as you keep the tension on. I particularly like it for sunk abdomen flies as it is so skinny and pierces the surface film much better than dubbed bodies.

Alex

[Wildfisher]

I particularly like it for sunk abdomen flies as it is so skinny and pierces the surface film much better than dubbed bodies.

That's interesting I have avoided it for sunk abdomen flies because I thought it wouldn't ? without trying it of course.

[haresear]

That's interesting I have avoided it for sunk abdomen flies because I thought it wouldn't ? without trying it of course.

If you think about it, dubbed bodies have a greater surface area, so it is harder for them to penetrate the surface film.

Alex

[Wildfisher]

If you think about it, dubbed bodies have a greater surface area, so it is harder for them to penetrate the surface film.

Alex

That's true, but I thought dubbed bodies could be made to hold water thus sink but flexifloss bodies would not and would float due to surface tension. As I said I did not try it, always just  used it for duns.