help with sparkle pupa

skibo5

skibo5

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Joined
Dec 17, 2009
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can anyone give me a list of the material i will need off of this site to tie lafontanes sparkle pupa. http://www.flyfishusa.com i know i need the antron, dubbing, hooks, etc. i just do not know what to use for the wings.

I also have some cdc puffs that i have laying around. Can anyone help me on what i can tie with these cdc puffs caddis wise?
 
the wings , or cdc emergers ,
 
so i can tie the wings with the cdc puffs?
 
cdc_caddis_adult_olive.jpg


also, if you have longer cdc feathers:

http://www.danica.com/flytier/hweilenmann/cdcelk.htm

You cannot use liquid or paste floatant on it. Only powdered stuff.
 
I only use the poofs for emergers (regular cdc for wings), but that's my preference.
 
skibo - This should help you out.

There's two different sparkle pupas:

emergent sparkle pupa (ESP)

deep sparkle pupa (DSP)

The biggest difference between the two is the use of a sparse deer hair overwing, and a few trailing fibers cut from the bubble on the ESP.

The DSP uses a hen back feather hackle collar, and it might be helpful to tie it on a wet fly hook to get it deeper.

If you're gonna buy the stuff to tie these, it might be a good idea to get it from sandly http://www.bigmeadowsflyshop.com/ since he has the authentic stuff to tie them.
 
Skibo-

Heritage posted the same instructions that I use. They are very good. If bigmeadows does not have the material, you can get the original here.

http://www.thebookmailer.com/Supplies/body_FlyTying.html#materials

This Antron yarn is unlike any other antron or z-lon product. It is soft, supple, and works very nicely. Also, while I have your attention. That fly fishes very well as a dry! Very, very well. Just dust it up.
 
Fyi, here are some past threads with some more info:


http://www.paflyfish.com/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=456&forum=2&post_id=2601#forumpost2601


http://www.paflyfish.com/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=6740&forum=5&post_id=70348#forumpost70348
 
I want to thank everyone for the help. I am interested in The esp. I tied a micro caddis with some of my cdc puffs but when wet the puffs would just get pushed down and sort of turn it into slop. I do not know how to keep the cdc puffs up and sort of feather like when wet i guess.
 
I have the real stuff in stock, the bookmailer is not origanal antron.
 
Interesting. Perhaps we should explore BookMailers ideas on their products. I think the fact that these folks choose not to replace the material that they have sold out of with a substitute material shows alot of integrity as well as alot of respect for Garys work. Another poster emailed BookMailer and sent me the BookMailer version of the story. With his permission, here is BMs response:

From what I can see his MasterBlend (100% natural fur with Antron) looks a lot like what I've seen Wapsi sell.
The yarn we sell is a knitting yarn that was specifically chosen by Gary LaFontaine because of it's specific blend. 70% acrylic to 30% antron. A lot of what you see out there (Wapsi included) is 100% antron mixed with fur. Our touch dubbing is just the yarn chopped & blended, so it's the same make-up.


Gary bought refrigerator boxes full of some of the colors of yarn. Others we've had to find through knitting stores, always making sure to keep his correct percentage blend. Unfortunately, some colors are being almost impossible to find. So we've had to discontinue several colors already. Doesn't seem any grandma's want to knit a black baby blanket.


We also sell the clear antron separately that you could use for wings.
Click to expand...
 
Festus wrote:
Interesting. Perhaps we should explore BookMailers ideas on their products. I think the fact that these folks choose not to replace the material that they have sold out of with a substitute material shows alot of integrity as well as alot of respect for Garys work. Another poster emailed BookMailer and sent me the BookMailer version of the story. With his permission, here is BMs response:

From what I can see his MasterBlend (100% natural fur with Antron) looks a lot like what I've seen Wapsi sell.
The yarn we sell is a knitting yarn that was specifically chosen by Gary LaFontaine because of it's specific blend. 70% acrylic to 30% antron. A lot of what you see out there (Wapsi included) is 100% antron mixed with fur. Our touch dubbing is just the yarn chopped & blended, so it's the same make-up.


Gary bought refrigerator boxes full of some of the colors of yarn. Others we've had to find through knitting stores, always making sure to keep his correct percentage blend. Unfortunately, some colors are being almost impossible to find. So we've had to discontinue several colors already. Doesn't seem any grandma's want to knit a black baby blanket.


We also sell the clear antron separately that you could use for wings.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...



That's why I can't find black! Thanks for the info. BTW, gray yarn and a black marker has worked well so far.
 
af i have black in stock. Jack Mickivitz is the only person who has the real antron gary used. jack bought it up. I sell it including clear. I talked to jack this week and he says the others are a newer antron that takes dyes and is not the real stuff. antron's properties have been changed over the years, it is not the same. his antron is totally different then wapsi (which i have had in the past). It is done to gary's specs. This is one I do for the apple caddis its a killer pattern.
 
here is just a sample of the A.B. Caddis material. rest can be seen and bought on my site.
 
Actually Sandy, I'm looking for the sparkle yarn which is combed out and used for the shroud around the fly.
 
same stuff, just pull it out of bag long strands perfect for the shroud (see my previous post) Thats what I did on the apple caddis. I use it for dubbing and shroud, just like gary.
 
Gary used sparkle yarn for dubbing, he just pulled it apart and chopped it up into 1/4 pieces. I believe he even writes this is his book "Caddisflies." The sparkle yarn he used was a blend of wool (65%) and antron (35%). The yarn he used was Aunt Lydia's sparkle yarn. How I know this?...I was lucky enough to meet him and I asked him.

I have plenty of dubbing including black. As I said, i need the yarn for the shroud. I color it with a pen right now, but maybe it's time I dye some yarn black for tying the little black caddis, which is only a little more than two months away, if the snow ever stops.
 
I knew and tied with gary also, I have his book when it first came signed by him along with a few of his flies he tied for me. although this stuff is not the wool blend it it the same. i have real sparkle yarn from him but will not sell any. here is a pic ready for shroud. you have to chop this for dubbing, i use it for my shrouds though. this is black. jack worked with gary on this. he knew him very well.
 
Great customer service!!!....quick response with photos yet! Okay Sandy I'm sold. I plan to make a fishing trip out your way this spring. I will be sure to stop in and get some sparkle yarn among other things.

Jay has "band" himself from going to your shop, but I'll see if I can drag him up there anyway..:lol: If there's fishing to done, you know Jay will be there... ;-)
 
just drag his butt up, I'll make sure there is some black for ya...and any other color too.
 
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