Willie's Pip
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Willie's Pip
Hook: TMC 2487 size #20- #22
Thread: 8/0 Unithread, Black
Extended Body: Rayon Floss, 2 strands, red
Thorax: Small amount of fine & dry dubbing, black
A customer brought this one in the shop, I thought it would make a good Fly of the month – a chance to talk about this extended body technique.
This is quick & easy to tie, the technique works well on lots of other flies. Plus – What a great little fly.
Start thread mid-shank, keep thread at this point. Tie in 2 strands regular floss, twist the floss tightly until it folds back on itself. The length of the body adjusts at the fold point. Tie down the end at the same mid-shank point. Dub a very small amount of Fine & Dry for the thorax. Whip finish.
This pattern calls for rayon floss, but you can also use Darlon, Zelon or poly yarn to get the same effect, but you get more floatability. Any fly that calls for an extended body can utilize this type of material. Think dry damsels, or large hopper patterns. How about other small, dry mayflies? The Darlon comes in lots of colors, and is easy to work with.
Julie