raffia

[horses50]

The wife has just informed me that she has quite a lot of natural raffia,could i use it ,i think so said i.My question is can i use it to make a detached body for the daddy longlegs and if so how?I know i can wrap it around the hookshank to make a slimmer body.Thank You.

[arkle]

There are quite a few mayfly & daddy patterns tied with natural raffia, but all are tied with it wrapped around the shank. I think from a practical tying point of view trying to make a detached body with it will drive almost anyone up the wall sideways. Due to its fibrous nature, & slightly uneven texture it has great longditudal strength, however it has virtually no lateral strength, esp. when wet. You could try wrapping it on a length of stiff-ish nylon, & counter-ribbed it, but you will find it has a "brush-off" effect & you'll miss more fish than you hook.

[Highlander]

I would give it a miss for detached bodies but used "correctly" will form nice segmented bodies on a hook shank.. Has fell out of favour somewhat over the years are new items make their appearance but useful never the less. It's main use was for Mayfly bodies.
Do not get confused with Raffene as this is a synthetic version of natural Raffia. Oh & always wet it with saliva, makes it easier to work with.
Tight Lines

[horses50]

Thank you for your replies looks like sticking with the foam.

[arkle]

Foam detached bodies are as stiff as nylon ones, and bulky to boot. So they will have the same brush away effect, try twist & furled Flexi-floss. You can put foam on the upper side of the hook shank then without it ruining the gape.