Damsel – Chatto’s MK1

 

There are over 100 different species of Damselflies in Australia and the lava which are usually slender with three terminal gills, that present as tails, form a significant part of a trout's diet. Their bodies have around 10 segments, they have 6 legs and they often have emerging wings. Most appear to be shades of yellow / olive  and brown / yellow with some being quite dark and others quite pale.

This fly captures some of these elements and has a hot spot of red eyes.

Materials

 

Hook Thread Tail and wing Weight Eyes Body and thorax
Tiemco 3761in #14 and #12 Olive Olive rabbit fur Lead wire 2mm closed cell foam or Micro Chenille Dubbing

Process

 

A
  1. Wind the thread half way down the hook shank.
  2. For a size #12 hook tie in 7 wraps of .015 lead wire.
  3. Lock in the lead wire with thread and then continue winding the thread in touching turns to the bend of the hook.

 

B
  1. Tie in a tail about as long as the length of the hook shank.
  2. Wind the thread forward to the 90% position taking the time to fill any gaps in the under-body as you go.
  3. Using figure of 8 wraps of thread tie in a section of closed cell foam or a short length of micro chenille that is about as wide as the the diameter of the eye of the hook. This is wider than the finished eyes but you do trim it later to the required width.
  4. Return the thread to just behind the eyes.

 

C
  1. Tie in a further bunch of rabbit fur behind the eyes with the tips extending forward a distance equal to the length of the hook.
  2. Take the thread back down the hook shank.

 

D
  1. Dub a thin body between the bend of the hook and the eyes.
  2. Brush a piece of Velcro down each side of the fly to pull out some dubbing fibres to represent legs.

 

E
  1. Pull the front bunch of rabbit fur forward and secure it at the eye of the hook.
  2. Return the thread to behind the eyes and then pull the front bunch of rabbit fur back over the eyes to represent the wing casing.
  3. Put a little dubbing on the thread and secure the wing casing behind the eyes with the tips extending backwards like emerging wings.
  4. Still with a little dubbing on the thread take the thread forward under the eyes and take one wrap round the hook shank behind the eye of the hook.
  5. Remove an remaining dubbing material off the thread, whip finish and varnish the thread.

 

F
  1. To finish the fly again brush a piece of Velcro down each side of the fly to pull out some additional dubbing fibres to represent legs.
  2. Trim the eyes to the correct width and just touch the tips of the eyes with a black permanent marker to represent the eye balls.

 



Last Updated: January 30, 2011
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Categories: Flies, Foam and poly flies, Loch flies, Nymphs, Streamers & pulling flies
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