Synthetic Intruder Variation SBS You can blame Dec for my sudden interest in synthetic materials. We were tying the other day and he whipped out some craft fur. I went into shock and could not believe my eyes. But after a short story and the completion of a Marabou with a craft fur tail I began to see the logic in its use. Using man made materials has been somewhat taboo in camp for as long as I can remember. If the fly was not tied with all natural materials in a classic form you were cheating. A little flash in a calf tail wing or a Mylar rib was OK, but anything else and you were treading into the forbidden zone. I am not sure why I got so hung up on a more traditional approach to fly tying. I still prefer to tie and fish the classics but have found there are times (water conditions) when flies tied with a little pop and flash are highly effective. I guess you can call me old school but I have learned change is progress. Again this fly has not been tested but after taking it for a swing in the tub I am pretty confident it s a winner. This fly moves even when it is sitting still. The banding on the rubber legs was created using the twist and mark method. I used a black Sharpie on chartreuses rubber legs. The turbo dubber made quick work of the twisting. The legs turned out great but I think pre made barred legs is the way to go. I have tried both barred rubber legs and barred crazy legs and seem to be leaning towards the thicker rubber legs. They hold the flare a bit better and are more durable. The fly feels light and the man made materials will not absorb water so it should be fairly easy to cast for its size. It also sinks like a rock. Not a fly for the Wheatley but if you find me dead on the bank check an inside pocket for a zip lock bag, it will be full of these bad boys. Have fun with this one and thanks for looking.
Black and Green Sin Fly Hook: 2 inch aluminum tube with plastic insert Thread: 6/0 chartreuses Butt: Chartreuses chenille Rear Collar: Eight barred rubber legs followed by chartreuse craft fur. Body: Ice chenille with chartreuses grizzly hackle Front collar: Chartreuses craft fur followed by eight rubber legs followed by black craft fur Head: Medium nickel dumbbell Start by securing the tube in the vise. I am using HMH s Spinner Vise. Start the tying thread right at the point where the tube is secured. Next secure in a length of chenille and build up a small ball. Make sure the turns are tight before securing down the tag end.
Next secure in the rubber legs by folding one length of rubber over the tying thread. Then while holding onto the folded rubber leg take a turn with the tying thread. This will trap the rubber leg against the tube. Make sure both ends of the rubber leg are equal. This way you will only have to tie in four lengths to get eight legs or in this case eight feelers.
Take your time in the placement of the rubber leg material. They should be spaced evenly around the tube. The four lengths of material facing forward are then pulled back and tied down. Wrap the thread back to the ball to ensure a good flaring of the rubber leg material.
Build a loop with the tying thread. Load the loop with fibers from the craft fur. The craft fur I use has different lengths of fibers much like any type of fur. I clipped and cleaned the shorter fibers from the clump prior to inserting them into the loop. With the fibers in the loop give it a spin. Holding the loop at a 90 degree angle (straight out from the vise) allows the fibers to spin freely. For the fibers that do get trapped a light rub with Velcro.
Next wrap the body with something Mylar. I found some micro pearl chenille in a needle point shop that make a killer body. A grizzly hackle palmered over the chenille is optional.
The front collar starts by forming a dubbing loop with the tying thread. Clip a clump of fiber from the chartreuses craft fur and remove the longer fibers. Load the shorter fibers in the loop and give it a spin. Build up a ball with the craft fur much like the ball created out of chenille. Secure in four more lengths of rubber leg material same as the rear collar. Build a second loop and load it with long fiber of black craft fur. Collar the front of the fly with the black craft fur making sure all the fiber are pulled back. Wrap on the dumbbell eyes and give it a whip.
The fly is finished by securing the thread with head cement. I did not see a need for chenille or dubbing wrapped over the eye on this one. Good tying and better fishing