Fly Tying: Who's Your Daddy

Fly Tying:

Who’s Your Daddy!

Firstly, lets get something out of the way, so as to avoid confusion. In North America, a daddy long legs is the name given to the Harvestman spider, while in Europe, daddy long legs is the name given to members of the crane fly family, a little confusing but now that we are all on the same page…

By BARRY ORD CLARKE (WWW.THEFEATHERBENDER.COM)

Tipulidae, craneflies or daddy long legs, are a familiar sight both on and off the water more or less the whole summer. There are in fact several hundred species of craneflies from just a couple of mm to over 60mm long. Although most species of daddy long legs are terrestrial there are a few that are aquatic. Craneflies with their scraggly demeanor are remarkably poor aviators and once airborne are largely at the mercy of the wind and where it takes them, being forced to crash land on the water.

With a decent breeze they are blown across the waters surface, like tumble weed, trailing their legs behind them, in some cases even making a bow wave as they blow and skate across the surface.

This behavior and their sheer size makes them extremely attractive to feeding trout and can provide the dry fly fisher with some memorable sport with violent takes.

Realism and durability

Many detached body cranefly patterns are somewhat delicate and easily damaged, be it by fish, prolonged casting or just general ware and tare. Here is a pattern that I was shown by a fly tying friend Erwin Tibad some years ago, that is not only realistic but will probably outlast most other patterns.

The detached body method that is illustrated here requires a little practice but is an excellent way of creating suitable sized bodies, without extra weight or using larger hooks, that will in turn introduce more weight, which is inappropriate for patterns that are intended to float. What is needed is a material that will produce the length and bulk of the natural but also added buoyancy.

Once the technique is mastered, the vinyl body is a welded closed cell, full of air and will float respectively! That being said… You can also add an insert with a small slither of closed cell foam for super buoyancy! The foam body fits all these requirements, just make sure that the foam you use isn’t one that will take on water, like a bath sponge, but a foam of a closed cell type.

Although these bodies are transparent, look delicate and extremely realistic, they are remarkably stalwart and will withstand a hammering.

Tying and Material tips

If you find that the finished body is difficult to remove from the extended body tool, smear a microscopic amount of Vaseline on the business end of the tool before you wrap the vinyl strip. I have found that some tea light candles burn unevenly and are thus unsuitable for the job. You need a tea light that has a steady flame.

The felt pens that I have found work well are, Faber Castell, but if you already own felt pens try them, they may work. The colour I use for the natural body is ‘Nougat 178***’ But don’t just try the natural colours for the bodies, try bright attractor colours such as bright green, orange and yellow, these could make the difference when there are lots of craneflies on the water and add that extra attractor element.When knotting the pheasant tail for the legs there is a very simple method for doing this.

You can watch the video here:

Step 1

You will need a Vinyl surgical glove that is powder free. These are inexpensive and come in a box of 100, this is more than you will ever need so its a good idea to purchase with friends and share them out. You also get a little more for your money if you buy the XL or XXL size gloves.

Step 2

Take a glove and lie it flat on the table.

Step 3

With a large pair of scissors, make a cut across the palm just below the fingers.

Step 4

Leave the thumb on the glove.

Step 5

Now make a cut from the wrist, up over the palm to the edge of the thumb.

Step 6

Open the glove out and remove the thumb so you have the largest sheet of vinyl possible.

Step 7

Boil a little water and place the vinyl sheet in a bowl with the hot water for a few minutes. This will remove the creases from the vinyl and make it easier to handle and cut.

Step 8

Once its soaked for a few minutes and the creases are gone, remove it and let it dry.

Step 9

The palm of the glove nearest the fingers is the thickest vinyl, so mark one edge of the sheet so you know which is the thickest/thinest.

Step 10

Using a ruler and scalpel, cut the sheet into 4-5mm strips.

Step 11 Step 12

At the end of the tool is a small slot, place the thin end of the vinyl strip in the slot.

Step 11 Step 12

Roll the tool between the finger and thumb of your right hand, to wrap the vinyl loosely around the rod. If you wrap too tight the finished body will be difficult to remove from the tool.

Step 13

Wrap the vinyl around and downward until the desired body length is achieved.

Step 14

Holding the vinyl in place with index finger break off the excess vinyl. Leaving a little end piece as shown.

Step 15

This maneuver has to be done in one movement burn and roll. Take a lighter and burn the end of the vinyl and while its still melted roll the tool so the vinyl end will ‘weld’ itself to the end of the vinyl body.

Step 16

This should be the result. That little weld will hold everything in place for the remaining maneuvers.

Step 17

Colour the body with your felt pen, using brush strokes from the base of the tail to the tip. This will give a better segmenting on the finished body.

Step 18

Light your tea light candle. Now holding the tool 5-6cm above the flame carefully warm the vinyl while rolling the tool between your fingers. Take care not to burn it! When the vinyl body becomes shiny and transparent the body is finished.

Step 19

Let the tool and body cool before you try to remove it from the tool.

The extended body tool is available just for a few $ from: https://shorturl.at/suCFZ

Mother of all daddies//

Hook: Mustad Heritage C49SAP #12

Tying thread: Sheer 14/0 Brown

Body: Vinyl surgical glove (Powder Free)

Legs: Pheasant tail fibers

Wings: Indian cock hackles

Hackle: Brown saddle

Step 1

The new Mustad Heritage Alfa point hooks are perfect for this pattern.

Step 2

Secure your curved caddis hook in the vice.

Step 3

Cover the first 2/3 of the hook shank with tying thread.

Step 4

Take your finished extended body and remove it from the tool.

Step 5

If desired you can cut a thin strip of foam to be used as a body insert.

Step 6

Insert the foam into the extended body as shown.

Step 7

Tie the extended body on top of the hook shank at the read of the foundation thread wraps.

Step 8

Prepare six pheasant tail fibre legs by putting a couple of knots in them.

Step 9

Trim away the excess foam insert and tie in two trailing legs - one each side of the body.

Step 10

two Indian cock hackles of similar length for the wings.

Step 11

the hackles in a X shape, with the center of the X being the tying in point, tie in both hackle at once.

Step 12

Once secured, trim away the surplus hackle and secure with a few wraps of tying thread.

Step 13

Select and prepare a hackle. This is done by stripping off the fibers from the base of the hackle. Stripping a little more fibres from the read side of the hackle. This its always a good tip for all hackles, that little extra bare hackle stem helps you steer and position your hackle perfectly when starting the first wrap!

Step 14

Tie in your hackle at the base of the wings.

Step 15

At the centre to the thorax, tie in two more legs - one each side.

Step 16

Now tie in the last two legs out over the hook eye.

Step 17

Carefully wrap your hackle forward through the legs and tie off behind the hook eye as shown.

Step 18

Whip finish and give the head a drop of varnish.