As promised here is my first step by step, it's a bit long as there are a lot of steps, however it's relatively easy once that you've tyed it a few times.
Its my version of the foam bodied mayfly that many have tied that I have tweaked to suit my taste and target water.
I have been very careful to get the scale identical to naturals and get it sitting on the water right. These are young prototypes so won't get there first swim until May!
Materials:
Tail: Fallow Deer
Foam: Rainys Tan Foam 2mm dyed with tumeric and Veniards yellow dye
Thread: Uni70 Yellow for foam body, Uni GSP Yellow for main body.
Dubbing: Rod Tye seals fur (which has added litebrite) Golden Olive shades
Hook: Kamasan B110 Size 12
Wing: Soft Deer Hair dyed Golden Olive (various Rod Tye)
Center Wing: Waspi Tan Antron
Markings: Various Markers
You will have noticed a mayfly picture that I have created, it has two shots - 1 shot to scale and 1 shot massively blown up with measurements and proportions marked. This helps no end for quick reference checks.
Cut the foam into prepared strips for dyeing. My easy method- I dye these foam strips in a mug in the microwave! Boiling water, Vinegar, Dye, Tumeric and Clingfilm - full blast for 3 mins, then dry out on kitchen roll.
Make the small snick in the end, so that the tail fibres come out of the middle of the tail. (this is one of my most noteable tweaks)
Put the needle in you vice, and bring the foam up from the bottom and fallow deer from the top. Draw off a foot of thread from your boobin and attach to your vice spring and lay down the length of the needle and between your pinched fingers so that you can start off the body. This avoids tying to the needle or creating any bulk at the end of the tail.
Work down the body using two turns per segment then one underneath. Pull the foam taught as necessary per section to form the taper in the tail. Use a hand whip finish to complete.
Add the markings whilst still on the needle. I like to use several different tones of brown and rub them into the foam to blend them in.
Trim the end of the tail to a point, this is relatively easy if you use a pair of sharp scissors and work your way round.
I always tye a bunch of these up at a time.
Attaching it to the body
Switching to GSP thread now, start your thread onto the top of your B110 (size 12)
Stack a bunch of deerhair and gently tye it in with a couple of loose turns.
I then move down the shank slightly with tighter turns, with some confidence once you have whipped it in securely you can pull really tight and the GSP will trim the deerhair loose ends and gives much neater finish.
Once you have a nice spread and have tidied up, then your ready to attach the body/Tail.
Offer the tail up to the hook a few millimetres from the back of the wing and attach with two turns, over the last segment.
Split the GSP and add dubbing, I use this technique to add a few different shades, with a few darker brown shades near the bootom of the thread which will form the abdomen when dubbed.
After a couple of turns around the hook add one turn under the tail to stop it slipping around the shank. After another turn or so secure in the antron centre wing.
Bring dubbing to front of wing and add a half hitch.
Split the deer hair wing equally and bring the foam over to the front.
Using you finger nails against the eye of the hook stretch the foam tight before tying down, however be careful as this often snaps and lots of swearing occurs!
Trim the antron and add markings to centre wing and body. Its worth finding a good reference image for this.
And then your done,
If you have enjoyed this, then you should have a read of Steve Thorntons books and take a look at Ollie Edwards, Alan Bithell's and Davie Mcphails versions of this fly as they all inspired me.
Would love to know how you get on fishing this, and ask if you need any help.
Tight lines!
My Corrib Foam Mayfly
well done
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