Mayfly tails?

[jreichel]

When you ty your mayfly dries, what materials do you use or think works better and what technique do you use?

I am mostly tying compara duns and have used hackle fibers, deer hair, those synthetic things (I think there called fibits and look like tapered mono) and other assorted hairs.

I've tied some strait and some forked, the latter gives me fits. I've tied them one fork at a time like an X and I've tried to leave the tag end of the tying thread and pull it up between the fibers to make them Y out but it always seems to want to go to one side or the other never up the middle so you end up with one side strait and the other sticking out to the side. I've put a small clump of dubbing on first as I have seen in videos. The one fork at a time has been my most successful method but I struggle getting the length right and both sides even. I ty them in long and slide them to the correct length but inevitably one will slip too far and mess it all up. Do you feel forking is necessary or do strait tails work just fine?

Any tips here would destress my tying sessions immensely.

 

[jayL]

Here is a recent thread on tailing. Lots of good info.

 

[hammertime]

I use hackle fibers mostly. Tie your tail in. Before you start dubbing your body, take your first wrap, with dubbing on your thread, under the hackle fibers and continue dubbing the body. Use your thumbnail and kinda splay the fibers around the hook.

Thats what I do. Nothing pretty, but effective and quick.

 

[blueheron]

You need to learn the figure eight wrap, it will come in handy for any split fibers you have to tie in. I would think google or you tube has video on the method

 

[sandfly]

sounds like you are just wrapping your thread around instead of doing a pinch method on your tying along with more pressure on one side compared to the other side.

 

[jreichel]

Thanks jayL I read the whole thread and it was a lot of help.

hammer, blue and sandfly thanks to you also I have a lot to learn and all are good tips and will try them. The pinch method I do use but now that I think about it when trying to ty in fibbits I have neglected to due to concentrating on the placement and forgetting my rapping technique. That's why they tend to wander! So good catch!

 

[skibo5]

hey guys sorry for this question in here but i did not want to start a new thread for something so stupid. I am new to fly tying and my bobin keeps snapping my thread in half on the first could winds. It looks very sharp where it comes out. Is there something i am doing wrong? Or should i get a new bobbin. thanks

 

[Heritage-Angler]

There's a gazillion reasons why your thread could be breaking - a good ceramic bobbin would eliminate one of them. Griffin makes some that are beginner friendly, and pretty reasonable. Check back if that doesn't help...

 

[Festus]

Or should i get a new bobbin

It's your bobbin. I'd say get a ceramic bobbin, but I've found one that I really like because it has a long barrel and is great for tucking your thread into tight spots. It's called the wing bobbin and is available from Feather-Craft.com. I've tied thousands and thousands of flies with mine with no sign of wear at all.

On the split tail problem....put in your ball of fur. Instead of tying in the tail at that point, start the tail back halfway between the ball and the wings. As you wind back towards the ball, work your tailing towards the side of each side of the shank. This I think will relieve your trouble. Good luck.

 

[Festus]

I've exaggerated the colors and materials for demonstration purposes, but the technique is the same no matter the materials used.

 

[govtmule]

good stuff Festus...that can also pass for an egg sac

jeff

 

[Festus]

good stuff Festus...that can also pass for an egg sac

Yes sir. It's a good idea to put egg sacs on some spinner imitations. In fact, Caucci & Nastasi, in their book Hatches, suggested fishing #26 egg sac flies during spinner falls. I've used them with some success.

 

[jreichel]

Skibo5... I had the same trouble when I first started especially with lighter threads, the ceramic bobbin did the trick.

Festus... Thanks I'll give that a try. It looks like it will help a lot.

 

[Chaz]

I use hackle tips for my tails.

 

[beeber2]

No tails on mine. The fish don't seem to mind.

 

[MKern]

Beeber,

How do your dries stay balanced without tails?
Now I can definately see emergers wihtout.

 

[beeber2]

Kern, I fish mostly 'chutes and comparaduns. If I'm fishing an emerger, there most likely will be a shuck, but that's a different animal.

 

[MKern]

gotcha.

I can see the parachutes without tails (although I tie mine with), but do compara's need tail to not tip?

 

[troutslammer]

not even from a balancing or floatinf aspect , they wouldn't look real either unless you only fish real fast water or after a heavy rain. i know arround these parts a trout will stick his nose right against the fly and swim backwards with the current inspecting it , guaranteed no tail =no fish ! just my opinion

 

[Festus]

I read an article somewhere once, I think it was by Eric Stroup. He and a friend were guiding a few folks, and his friends group were getting into the fish. Turns out Erics buddy was fishing a fly that layed sideways in the water on its wings. Eric took a wing off a few flies and his group started in catching fish.

I also have a friend that ties a single wing made out of foam that he fishes sideways to. I ain't for sure, but I think somebody ties a Knock Down Dun that uses the same idea.

Danged fish are funny. Not smart, but funny