blue Foam Damselfly (adult)

[Bocianka1]

I see blue damselflies everywhere I go, especially on stillwater. I've often wished I had one to try when nothing else seems to be working. So i went searching for a foam dragonfly with this style and lo and behold I found a tying video from our own Jerry Coviello on youtube.

Foam Damselfly by Jerry Coviello- youtube

Thanks Jerry. The video was helpful and was exactly the style I was looking for. I tied up about 6 of these for a swap and found them to be not too hard to tie. They float like a boat. Can't wait to try some out when the weather warms up.
Here's one of my ties.

damselfly pic2


damselfly pic1

The video shows Jerry using a Detached Body Pin to make the extended foam body. Not having that tool, I found a med/large paperclip made with a similar diameter to what i thought would be used in the Detached Body Pin. I was able to quickly bend the paperclip into the proper shape and it worked perfectly. It had just enough rigidity to work with and the length i needed to make the right size for damselflies.
Not bad for a couple of pennies compared to the cost of the body pin set.

detached body pin

Here's the material list I used:
Extended Body: Blue foam 2mm
Detached body pin: paperclip bent to shape, about 9cm total in width.
Hook: Allen D102BL size 12
Thread: Black 6/0
Body: Peacock Herl
Wing: clear Super Hair with a few strands of pearl crystal flash and a few strands of black crystal flash
Hackle: Black
Over Body: Blue foam 2mm


On a side note: I tried a version with 4 wings instead of 2 to be more anatomically accurate. Jerry had the right idea, the fish can't count. The extra wings throw the proportions off as well as adding too much bulk in the thorax to make a nice tight fly. I went back to doing all 2 wings and just spreading them a little for effect.
I think next time i'll remove the black crystal flash strands as they are a little too bold, but i like the pearl crystal flash for a little extra shine.

 

[JerryC]

Nice. I haven't fished any in the last couple of years. I should have some blue foam. What purpose does the detached body pin serve? I make my bodies by putting a long sewing needle in the vise and folding the foam over it and wrapping the segments. The body slides off the easily. And the foam in front of the segments forms the head and body.

 

[Bocianka1]

The process for making the extended body is exactly the same as you described whether you're using a detached body pin or a straight needle. I tried the detached body pin method mostly because of the wire diameter, but also because that was what the video suggested. Since it's my first time with this pattern i didn't want to go too far off the recipe until i see how it works.

The short answer is: you don't need a detached body pin, you can get by just fine with straight needles.

The advantages of the body pin are pretty minimal. Here are the pro's (such as they are) that i've observed.

The body pin has the little U shaped portion for holding the pin in the vice. This raises horizontal wire above the vice so that the trailing materials don't drag across the vice. I'm not sure it's really an advantage in tying.

The body pin has a curve to it so that your extended body is tied in a default position with a slight upward curve to it. again, i'm not sure it's much of an advantage because the design of the fly incorporates a string through the extended body that can be used to pull it into the desired curve you are looking for.

The body pin has a raised bar the the left-hand side to tie off the extra pull string when you first start tying and keep it out of your way. A minimal advantage at best and one equally served by most spring clips that come on every vice.

The body pins come in several sizes that would theoretically help you with determining the correct length of the extended body. (i found cutting my foam beforehand to the desired length was sufficient for this.

Finally, the detached body pin i made from a paperclip was a smaller diameter wire than my needles of the correct length. Finding a longer needle without having a thick shank in my supplies was difficult. This is the primary reason i ended up making a detached body pin.

hope that helps.

-Keith-

 

[JerryCoviello]

Bocianka1 wrote:
The process for making the extended body is exactly the same as you described whether you're using a detached body pin or a straight needle. I tried the detached body pin method mostly because of the wire diameter, but also because that was what the video suggested. Since it's my first time with this pattern i didn't want to go too far off the recipe until i see how it works.

The short answer is: you don't need a detached body pin, you can get by just fine with straight needles.

The advantages of the body pin are pretty minimal. Here are the pro's (such as they are) that i've observed.

The body pin has the little U shaped portion for holding the pin in the vice. This raises horizontal wire above the vice so that the trailing materials don't drag across the vice. I'm not sure it's really an advantage in tying.

The body pin has a curve to it so that your extended body is tied in a default position with a slight upward curve to it. again, i'm not sure it's much of an advantage because the design of the fly incorporates a string through the extended body that can be used to pull it into the desired curve you are looking for.

The body pin has a raised bar the the left-hand side to tie off the extra pull string when you first start tying and keep it out of your way. A minimal advantage at best and one equally served by most spring clips that come on every vice.

The body pins come in several sizes that would theoretically help you with determining the correct length of the extended body. (i found cutting my foam beforehand to the desired length was sufficient for this.

Finally, the detached body pin i made from a paperclip was a smaller diameter wire than my needles of the correct length. Finding a longer needle without having a thick shank in my supplies was difficult. This is the primary reason i ended up making a detached body pin.

hope that helps.

-Keith-

Hi Keith,
Glad my video help you out. I also used a sewing needle before I got J:son Detached Body Pin.

I just show an intermediate class how to tie a Extended Body Bullet Head Hopper.

Here is the video on that pattern too
https://youtu.be/vqAGHimwMII

Jerry Coviello

 

[JerryC]

Keith, thanks for the explanation. Since I have the needles I'll stick with them.

Jerry, great video. That's pretty much how I tie my extended body.

 

[tomgamber]

Saw a guy use a porcupine quill for one of these once. I have tied them with foam but even in lakes where I've destroyed them with damsel nymphs, I have never had any luck with an adult fly. Obviously I'm not presenting it correctly and haven't tried in forever. Do you really have a luck with these or are they just fun to tie.

 

[sgrim]

Jerry - I just watched your youtube video... near the very end of the video, you used a tool to clip off the thread that I couldn't identify. What is that?

 

[JerryCoviello]

sgrim wrote:
Jerry - I just watched your youtube video... near the very end of the video, you used a tool to clip off the thread that I couldn't identify. What is that?

On the end of my Whip finish tool is a small blade. At one time they made the tool with a blade attached to the handle.

Jerry Coviello

 

[afishinado]

JerryCoviello wrote:

sgrim wrote:
Jerry - I just watched your youtube video... near the very end of the video, you used a tool to clip off the thread that I couldn't identify. What is that?

On the end of my Whip finish tool is a small blade. At one time they made the tool with a blade attached to the handle.

Jerry Coviello

You may be able to sharpen certain whip-finish tools with a file or grinder to act like a blade. It then becomes a handy tool for cutting your thread.

Great fly video by Jerry C.

As far as fishing it, I've had some success with trout here and there, but I rarely fish for trout very much in the summer, so that may explain my lack of success.

The pattern has worked best to me fishing smallies, especially when dragonflies are seen flying over the water. I will say there are times the fly works like magic for smallies and other times it goes completely ignored....feast or famine as they say, but the feasts are something to behold.

Tie some up and give them a try in the summer for smallies or trout. As written above, you can use a large needle to tie the foam or to replicate the commercial one by bending a paperclip or welding wire forming a "U" shape in it used to clamp on your vise.

Again, great video and fly. Good luck to all.