Another Mayfly.. will try fishing this pattern

[iamasmith]

I was determined to post a fisher this time. This is part of my ongoing experiment to produce a personally satisfying mayfly out of as near as possible natural or traditional materials that fishes well.

This pattern was tied on a Kamasan B110 #14 but I think it would stand a #12 for those proportions.

Tail : Black Pheasant Barb
Body core: Deer Hair
Body: Woven heavily waxed Oatmeal Coloured Cotton
Wing: Teal Wally Wing
Hackle: Grizzle Cock

Thoughts folks?

My thoughts at the moment are that the body might be the downfall. The cotton is ok waxed but really needs some varnish in to drive the water out. Then I think it is far too heavy compared with my previous attempts with dubbed fur over deer hair etc.

I have compensated with a reasonably heavy hackle which should trap a lot of air and I have done some experimentation with the landing. From any angle even without the hackle the thing lands in the right position. The Wally Wings do a great job of seeing to that.

I think the proof of the pudding is really going to be to hook it up the next time I'm out at the Trout Lake and see how many casts it stands.

Go on, have a good dig at the whole thing this time (and I know it isn't the neatest Wally Wing but I was experimenting and the glass was getting towards the end ^^)

Cheers,

-Andy

[madjoni]

Hi Andy
nice looking fly

[marmalade]

Don't confuse me with an expert, but I think you could use a shorter and denser hackle and at the moment it seems to run back a little - in theory there should be a couple of legs in front of the head.

As to the hook size I also think you could tie to a really small hook, even to an 18 (just) because all you need to do is tie on the body, affix wings and wrap a hackle. You don't need to hook to represent the body at all..

I like it though!

[iamasmith]

Originally Posted by marmalade

Don't confuse me with an expert, but I think you could use a shorter and denser hackle and at the moment it seems to run back a little - in theory there should be a couple of legs in front of the head.

As to the hook size I also think you could tie to a really small hook, even to an 18 (just) because all you need to do is tie on the body, affix wings and wrap a hackle. You don't need to hook to represent the body at all..

I like it though!

Four legs, two claws. Thorax longer, wings marginally further back. Secondary wings too. Two legs immediately to the fore and aft of the wing buds and two claws (legs too... vestigial positioning from Nymph claws? - not sure, folks tend to call them claws anyway it sems) that face forward just behind the head. Will do a presentation one with all these bits and extra proportions if you like. Many suggestive patterns don't have the legs at all.. do you think it's criticial to go for a heavier hackle or actually put some legs on? My idea of the grizzle hackle was to be suggestive of legs sat in the contact spot in the water without fuzzing out the view of the wings.

Not sure what you mean about 'the hook to represent the body'... it doesn't here. It is positioned so that it could be removed easily with forceps without touching the fly body and sits in a good strike position given that a mayfly body is so large.

[seanie]

I agree with Madjoni it's a crackin' , Mayfly imitation

[iamasmith]

Originally Posted by seanie

I agree with Madjoni it's a crackin' , Mayfly imitation

Cheers Sean and Madjoni ^^

My other thoughts on the pattern if legs are thought to be too important to skip, are to use knotted pheasant legs and possibly a white parachute hackle so that the hackle assists with the landing and gives the air trap to keep the thing surfaced whilst hopefully being fairly innocuous in the contact spot circle.

At the moment though the fly is fairly practical to tie. I can do the body and have it woven onto the hook in about 5 mins now

The weaving took a few attempts, my first few were too long. I'm using the 1/3rd principle that the tail, body (uncurled) and wing height should all be the same. I now tie 2/3 of the body length on a darning needle. Introduce the hook a couple of weaves in once I've slipped the body off the needle, whip down the deer hair onto the shank and then finish weaving on the body. I have to say that if the wax does it's job of keeping the water out the whole thing is tough as old boots and pretty light

[madjoni]

Hi Andy
It is not easy to waeve body on the needle and also it is not easy to keep this kind of flies to float
here is one of my old flies



p.s.i like your signature..very cool

[iamasmith]

Thanks again Madjoni.

Between fish I put this fly on to try it out.

It actually lands very well but after a few casts it sits a little low in the water. More hackle for the next prototype I think.

[iamasmith]

Here's the YouTube howto... the proportions are better on the fly that I showed on this thread. I guess video is something that I will settle into eventually but there's a lot of stop and start and tying facing in different directions so the camera can see it.

Hope somebody enjoys it anyway.

-Andy

YouTube- Fly Tying - Andy Smith's 'Mayfly #1'

YouTube- Fly Tying - Andy Smith's 'Mayfly #1'

[madjoni]

Hi iamasmith
I like the body part....but if I understood corectly you sad around 6 minute of film you use partridge pheather
That is not partridge mate...that is duck or mallard flank ....sorry