Surface Buzzer

[guest21]

Prompted by the recent post in the General section concerning trout 'breaking the surface' I thought I'd share a pattern I've been working on that's been prompted by some of my recent outings in my float tube.

Being so close to the water surface in the tube I've noticed how very orange hatching buzzer wings are as they break the surface and escape from the pupal shuck and how very vulnerable they are as they try to make their escape. Recently, at Ravensthorpe and at Elinor I've watched fish very casually take these surface bound flies right next to my tube in almost touching distance.

This is where I'm at at the moment ...



Hook - TMC 200R Size 14
Abdomen - Claret dyed pheasant tail
Rib - x fine oval gold (Lagartun)
Thorax - wound CDC (clipped to appropriate hackle / leg length)
Thorax Cover - Orange Firefly Hi-D Foam

So far the pattern, as it stands works well, it sits in the surface and has been taken confidently. I've got some ideas about making the body more translucent but they're subject to some more 'trials'.

[lhomme]

Very nice, Lighthouse. When you say "sits" do you mean horizontally or does it hang in the the surface?

Regards,
Johan

[SharkeyP]

Nice tie Lighthouse,
I've had some recent success with surface midge feeders with a suspender buzzer with a fine pearl tinsel rib and another with a few shorts strands of pearl Krystal Flash tied in at the tail as a shuck. That'd be a couple of easy variations.

The midges around here are quite small at the moment so a simple body of black thread wraps keeps it skinny.

SharkeyP

[guest21]

Originally Posted by lhomme

When you say "sits" do you mean horizontally or does it hang in the the surface?

Regards,
Johan

Virtually horizontal, with just the hook bend below the surface - hence the choice of hook and finishing the tie at the back of the thorax rather than the eye.

[Wee Jimmy]

I can see why the fish would like it,the naturals are pretty much horizontal in the film at that point.That shade of foam is a good match for suggesting the blush in the wings......nice one.....

[Charliea1234]

Lovely looking fly that, I can think of plenty of uses for it.

When you say "wound CDC" what exactly do you mean - wound like a hackle ? I guess you could also dub it on................

Charlie

[drunkdiver]

I think thats what I needed the other night on Chew. Time for some shameless copying I think.

[Scratch]

Fookin Nora Lighthouse! You lost? Welcome to the (tying) forum

I think the 'attitude' in/on the film is probably significantly more important than than colour to the fish taking at that stage of the hatch. Looks like yours will pretty much nail it. No harm in a nice colour match though, and that's a nice orange on the foam.

[guest21]

Originally Posted by Charliea1234

When you say "wound CDC" what exactly do you mean - wound like a hackle ? I guess you could also dub it on................

Charlie

Yep ... a CDC plume 'stroked' and tied in by the tip then wound like a hackle. The end result is not as predictable as a hen / cock hackle and depends on the profile of the CDC plume - sometimes a goodly number of 'legs' sometimes very few - I like that.

[wingman]

Originally Posted by Scratch

Fookin Nora Lighthouse! You lost? Welcome to the (tying) forum

Tee hee........ he wasn't lost he just looked for the flashing light house