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Woven Body Stonefly nymph

6K views 16 replies 6 participants last post by  Norseman 
#1 ·
Hi Guys....I have been really slow at posting on this part of the forum...sorry about that. Things should improve, as I now have a digital camera and I will post some of my favorites as time allows.

Just learned how to weave the other day....and this is the result. I just can't wait to feed these to our large rainbows in the Columbia

Best regards
Jake
 

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#3 ·
Pattern as follows:

Sorry guys I will post the pattern with the fly next time

Woven Body stone

Tails/leg/feelers - Tan or Ginger goose biots.

Legs are bent by heating a pair of fine pointed tweezer tips for about 5-8 secs with a BIC lighter. Pinch the biot where you want the bend and fold over the biot. The heat will set the bend. A word of caution here....do the bending before tying it, as sometimes the heat will be too much and sear the leg joint off...then you have to start the fly over again.

Underbody: Heavy lead wire .030 dia. on abdomen, then double back to form thorax. thread wraps and head cement in place so lead color doesnt leech out.

Underbody color: Burnt orange diamond braid unravelled, this will show through the bottom braided section

Adbomen Braid. Top braid is dark brown UTC stretch tubing
( med) The underside braid is Amber UTC stretch tubing also size med. Both woven in place with the overhand or granny knot braid.

Windcase: Dark brown raffia folded back for first two cases then clipped in a V for the wingcase just back of the eyes

Thorax. Unravelled Burnt orange diamond braid material. Dubbing around eyes and last wingcase are any burnt orange dubbing mix....I like it with a little flash in it.

Eyes: Size small black nylon dumbell eyes.

This is a rather labour intensive fly and each one will run you 40 minutes to an hour, depending on tyers experience.

Good Luck....its worth the effort
 
#5 ·
Mark

Its really not that tough....just time consuming with all the tie in steps.....I have found that I make up all the weighted underbodies with the tails in place first and do about a dozen or so up ahead of time....then I do the woven part of the abdomen on all 12.....then I finish by tying off each fly with the thorax.....it's certainly faster when you do up a dozen flies and complete them in stages.

My two cents worth
 
#7 ·
Here's the Top View of a black legged Stone

Little different with two strands of pearl crystal flash tied in under the body braid.....furled then laid up on the back....they ride in the recess of the braid knots....just that little bit of flash.
 

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#10 · (Edited)
Striblue

The legs are made of stipped biots.

A biot is the feather barbule off of the leading edge of a goose wing....they are a very long tapered delta shape.

The way I bend them is related in the pattern above. What I do is use a fine tipped pair of tweezers....heat the tips of the tweezers for about 5-8 seconds on the tip of a BIC disposable lighter flame. Then grip the biot where you want the elbow joint to be with the heated tweezers...and bend or fold the biot over the tweezer at the angle you want....hold it for a few seconds and the biot has taken a set...much like a curling iron with hair.

I really like your idea of using them for Crab legs...I think you are onto something there.....If I can add my two cents worth....I would place 2 -3 biots together...heat and bend them all at the same time ...then use some flex cement to hold all three together....then I think you would have a real kick ass crab leg

If you cannot find biots, any good fly tying supply store will be able to get them for you.

Best regards
 
#12 ·
Jake, Have you tried soaking the biots before bending them? In tying midges I've found that it makes the biots much more supple if I keep them between a wet paper towel for 45 minutes before tying.

John, Contact me if you have any problems finding biots. I think I have almost every color available, and a package goes a long way.
 
#14 ·
Soaking your Biots

John Desjardins said:
Jake, Have you tried soaking the biots before bending them? In tying midges I've found that it makes the biots much more supple if I keep them between a wet paper towel for 45 minutes before tying.

John, Contact me if you have any problems finding biots. I think I have almost every color available, and a package goes a long way.

Hi John....I have to be honest here. I have not used biots a whole lot and when I do they are usually left straight; such as on the prince nymph. With the use of the lighter and heated tweezers, it seems that they hold their set better with less of a chance to straighten out.

When you soak yours, does the shape continue to stay once it has been fished?
 
#16 ·
I'm sorry I shold have been more clear, the soaking has been for easier wrapping when tying them as a quill body. My thought was that maybe the soaking then applying hot tweezers would break fewer biots. Or it could be a complete dead end that I should not have brought up. I will try bending a couple tonight.
 
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