April meeting

                                              This evening's tyer is John Smith

          

"I’ve been fishing for 71 years, 67 with a fly rod.  I’ve been tying flies for 54 years, starting in 1969 while in the Navy.  My current tying efforts are concentrated on steelhead and still water patterns.  I was initially involved with Rogue Fly Fishers and SOFT from 1977-1996.  After 20 years in Utah we retired to Rogue River in 2016.  I am currently program chair and a board member for SOFF and schedule the tyers for SOFT."

John will be tying three flies:

Lion’s Mane Damsel

Phil Fisher

  

The Lion’s Mane Damsel fly is an extended body damsel fly developed by Phil Fisher, an avid fly fisherman who resides in the Sunriver Oregon area.  Much of Phil’s time is spent fishing the Cascade Lakes including Crane Prairie, East Lake, Wickiup, Hosmer and many others.   It is simple to tie and has received a lot of good reviews from Crane Prairie fishermen.

Materials
Hook:	TMC 5212 size 10-12 or similar
Thread:	Olive brown to match marabou
Body:	Tan to olive marabou with very long fibers
Rib:	Red or copper wire
Thorax:	Olive brown to match marabou
Eyes:	Black plastic bead chain eyes

Twisted Damsel

Larry Tullis

 

The combination of two colors of marabou twisted together with the thread make a better simulation than a solid color and is much more durable. This method can be used for other delicate materials like peacock herl. Use the natural tapers of the longest marabou fibers to your advantage by tying them in tip first. This creates a soft, flowing, tapered, natural chenille. Many color variations are possible. Try a black pearl glass bead head, plastic bead eye, a Swiss Straw wingcase, Mylar ribbing, wire ribbing, a peacock herl head, olive Angora goat for legs or a full soft hackle. Materials Hook:  1X or 2X-long hymph hook, sizes 14 to 8. Bead-head:  Optional: 1/8 inch gold metal or black glass bead. Thread:  Olive 3/0. Tail:  Light olive marabou with Krystal Flash. Body:  Light olive and brown marabou. Wingcase:  Optional: light olive marabou. Legs:  Dyed olive, barred partridge fibers. Collar:  Olive marabou.

Tullis Damsel

Larry Tullis

 

This is an intermountain pattern which I have been successfully fishing since 1997.  Easy to tie, it is very realistic.  It is an early example of an extended body damsel pattern, and replicates the slender abdomen of a damsel nymph.  Best fished with a midge tip, hover or dry line with a long leader toward shore.  The pattern which I will tie differs from the picture in the use of olive colored Straggle String in place of green angora or seal.

 

HOOK SIZES:            12 Caddis Hook

TAIL:                          3 or 4 olive ostrich herls or olive marabou pulled through body 

BODY:                        Olive Larva Lace tied just back of the center of the hook shank

WING CASE:             Olive Swiss Straw.  Tied down behind eyes and then pulled over

                                    Head and tied off and cut behind the eye of the hook

THROAX:                  Medium olive seal or angora goat.  Dub Thorax and around eyes

EYES:                         Melted 40# mono or plastic eyes or black beadchain eyes.

Additional Meeting Notes:

Dave McCants will be offering free fly tying material, just bring your own bag.  In addition, there will be four nice capes from his collection in the monthly raffle.