I was thinking of tying extended bodies and heard that they could be made with closed cell foam strips or vernille. I would like to buy some closed cell foam sheets at my local craft store, but am not exactly sure what to look for. How do you distinguish closed cell foam from other types of foam material? Does it have specific properties and/or physical charcteristics?
Vernille is the yarn-like stuff on cards or in skeins or hanks; available from tackle shops, tying supply sources, craft stores, etc. If you've a tying catalog, you'll see Vernille mentioned there.
Closed-cell foam: the opposite of a sponge; dense, closely formed material. Go to the craft store and look for the 1/8" thick sheets of colored foam. If you cut straight slices off the sheets, it's wise to own a metal straightedge. One of the best to own is a thin metal ruler, again available at the craft store, or from a hardware store.
And of course both materials can be found at any reputable fly shop. Vernille is often labeled as super chenille or ultra chenille...same stuff. I assume you are tying big patterns like the Whitlock Damsel if you're looking to use foam...
If you are doing extended mayfly bodies, deer body hair has worked the best for me. Just stick a needle in the vise and lash some deer hair around it - keep it sparse. Remove the needle, tie the butt end in behind the wing. Trim the tips to get the ultra-realistic splayed dun tails and you're in business. Floats like a cork to boot.
Thanks for the advice. Could you explain in more detail how you tie extended bodies with deer hair? How exactly do you get the deer hair off of the needle after you have tied it on? Do you have to start the thread and overlap it before tying on the deer hair? If so, how do you get it off the needle when you are through. I tried the deer hair method on the needle and everthing went great until it came time to remove the extended body from the needle. I had difficulty removing the extended body after I finished and ended up bunching up and wrecking all the work I had done. How do you get the extended hair body off the needle without damaging it?
Tie the thread around the deer hair to start it, not the needle. Then the hair will practically glide off the needle when you finish making the extended deer hair body and tie off the thread.
Another method is to tie a small bunch of deer hair on a regular shank hook just in front of the bend with a heavier thread (3/0 or Danvilles' Flat-waxed Nylon work best) and then spiral wrap the thread up the deer hair bundle to where you want the body to end, make a few wraps at that point and then spiral wrap the thread back to the tie in spot and tie off the heavier thread. This is followed by setting the wings and dubbing the body before hackling.
An even easier method to tie extended bodies is to use poly yarn, antron yarn, or Z-lon in the manner of Bob Neville (who was a Montana tyer and fisherman from Melrose, MT). Tie a single ply of one of these yarns in at the bend; then twist the yarn in your fingers until it is very tight. double the twisted yarn by holding the yarn with one hand at the exact length you want the extended body to be, and then tie if the end of the yarn in the same place you mounted it in the first place. The twisted yarn will wrap around itself forming your extended body. The completed body looks almost like it was woven when done properly. A little floatant on the yarn and it floats like a cork.
Been out of town....I tie them as flytier does. Thread dosn't touch the needle. It can be a little tricky to get the thing started but if you can get a knot around the base of the deerhair on the needle and then wrap up and back making a criss cross pattern round the deer hair it will stay together. Then just slide off the needle and tie in about mid-shank behind the hackle and wings. I used to dub over the deerhair but think the plain deer hair looks more buggy than the dubbing.
Hope this helps...
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