LaFontaine Sparkle Emerger

[sandfly]

here are a few pics on tying the sparkle caddis
this is the tully caddis pattern.

 

[afishinado]

The fly tied in the video has way too much material for the "sheath" - it should be translucent (more like Sandy's). But the biggest mistake, by far is the dubbing. Gary time and time again stressed his "touch dubbing" method for tying this fly. Dubbing with very short fibers by cutting the long fibers from sparkle yarn into 1/8 - 1/4 inch pieces, using sticky wax to just touch the fibers on the thread. The multitude of fiber points sticking out on the shank are what really caused the bubbles to form under the sheath (a lot like CDC).

I believe the main reason many anglers do not find the pattern effective is because it's hard to find a fly that properly tied, and with the right materials.

 

[jdaddy]

afishinado wrote:
Gary time and time again stressed his "touch dubbing" method for tying this fly. Dubbing with very short fibers by cutting the long fibers from sparkle yarn into 1/8 - 1/4 inch pieces, using sticky wax to just touch the fibers on the thread. The multitude of fiber points sticking out on the shank are what really caused the bubbles to form under the sheath (a lot like CDC).

Very interesting. I was taught to tie it by one of the Tully TU guys and he was emphatic about the touch dubbing method but never told me why. Makes a lot of sense.

 

[gfen]

I wasn't aware it was supposed to be touch dubbed, especially because the hardon everyone had for Lydia's Sparkle Yarn was the "tri-lobal antron" air-bubble entrapment nonsense. This puts things into perspective, and I'd be curious if someone with a copy of LaFontaine's caddis flies can verify if he'd specificaly stated to touch dub, or if that's a later development now that the trilobal etc etc etc isn't available.

Who's got the source material? I'm looking at you, Sandy.

The airbubble effect from touch dubbed bodies is the cornerstone of Liesering's flymph pattern, and as I was looking at this (and reflecting on the ones I'd tied for Penn's last weekend), I was thinking that a touched body would work wonders here.

 

[JohnnyUtah]

gfen wrote:

I wasn't aware it was supposed to be touch dubbed, especially because the hardon everyone had for Lydia's Sparkle Yarn was the "tri-lobal antron" air-bubble entrapment nonsense. This puts things into perspective, and I'd be curious if someone with a copy of LaFontaine's caddis flies can verify if he'd specificaly stated to touch dub, or if that's a later development now that the trilobal etc etc etc isn't available.

Who's got the source material? I'm looking at you, Sandy.

The airbubble effect from touch dubbed bodies is the cornerstone of Liesering's flymph pattern, and as I was looking at this (and reflecting on the ones I'd tied for Penn's last weekend), I was thinking that a touched body would work wonders here.

I have caddis flies, and also a Jack Dennis fly fishing dvd. Entitled tying and fishing caddisflies with Gary LaFontaine and Friends.

He always touch dubbed his flies. All of his flies where touched dubbed. This was the way he dubbed. If he wanted a more opaque body he would touch dub and then twist. If he wanted a slightly opaque body he would touch dub and press the dubbing on the thread. The esp he touched dubbed and that was it.

From the book "The synthetic that i specifically recommend for my pupal patterns is Du Pont's trilobal nylon, or Antron."

He then goes on to describe other synthetic materials and there properties. "Creslan. This material, introduced in challenge of the trout, is beautiful. It is a type of Orlon, a product made by American cyanamid corp., that reflect light just like Antron. Its filaments also resist matting. The feeling of the yarn is fine and soft, almost like angora fur,and it is a perfectly suitable substituent for Antron."

He also states that the while the antron does collect small air bubble. The clear filaments of the trilobal antron yarn, reflect light the same way that actual air bubbles do.

The key points to this pattern are sparseness and translucency. Also the use of trilobal antron yarn. Which has colored AND clear filaments blended together. The clear filaments are important. This is the part that is always over looked and missed. He tied many of them with an all clear Antron bubble on them.

All of gary's flies adhere to the sparse rough,and ugly rule.

IF no one has figured out my avatar is Gary holding and presenting his esp.

 

[afishinado]

gfen wrote:

I wasn't aware it was supposed to be touch dubbed, especially because the hardon everyone had for Lydia's Sparkle Yarn was the "tri-lobal antron" air-bubble entrapment nonsense. This puts things into perspective, and I'd be curious if someone with a copy of LaFontaine's caddis flies can verify if he'd specificaly stated to touch dub, or if that's a later development now that the trilobal etc etc etc isn't available.

Who's got the source material? I'm looking at you, Sandy.

The airbubble effect from touch dubbed bodies is the cornerstone of Liesering's flymph pattern, and as I was looking at this (and reflecting on the ones I'd tied for Penn's last weekend), I was thinking that a touched body would work wonders here.

I know you're [d]cheap[/d] frugal, Gary, so I'll give you a cyber-copy of the book in this link CADDISFLIES. One page 46 in steps 12-14, you can see the dubbing noodle he used to tie. I actually talked to Gary ( the famous one) at a FFing show when he was tying up some ESPs and DSPs and he stressed the touch dubbing technique to tie these flies. HTH.

 

[JackM]

Nice find, afish. I liked the dancing caddis pattern.

 

[afishinado]

Jack, somehow I KNEW you would appreciate something free.... :roll:

I've found the Dancing Caddis to be a killer pattern for getting savage STRIKES from trout, but can't seem to hook a dang one of them on that fly....lol.

I have a bunch of Swedish Dry fly hooks that I bought a long time ago if you need them....:lol:

 

[JackM]

afishinado wrote:


I have a bunch of Swedish Dry fly hooks that I bought a long time ago if you need them....:lol:

For FREE?!

 

[afishinado]

JackM wrote:

afishinado wrote:


I have a bunch of Swedish Dry fly hooks that I bought a long time ago if you need them....:lol:

For FREE?!

Yup, just pay the $22.95 shipping and handling fee....and no charge for the plastic hook boxes.

 

[JackM]

Hold them until next May, and we'll save the postage. That should make the price right.

 

[afishinado]

Just kidding, Jack. If you wan'em I'll send'em..for free. PM me.

 

[JackM]

PM sent.