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3. Tying extended bodies

Go to youtube and search for Davie McPhail extended body flies, he has several step by step patterns.

Lloyd's book IS very good. He has a lot of innovative approaches.

Deer hair is another way to make extended bodies. Swisher and Richards call it the Paradun. See p. 164-165 in Selective Trout.

I also had some luck this year with a furled polyyarn body on a green drake spinner pattern. It's light, floats well enough, and, best of all, the trout said OK.

I third Louis and Paul recommending Gonzo's book, as much for the approach as the flies. Every TroutNutter that fishes our "name" rivers should own one. Except those of you that live in S. Oregon or N. California - I don't need the competition. :)

Don't forget the good old Fly tiers benchside reference. If you cant find a technique in that tome it is likely you don't need it.

I tie extended bodies with deer/elk hair for Hexagenia imitations (you can do smaller ones for other mayflies). You basically have to tie a bunch of hair extending about a hook-shank's length beyond the bend of the hook, draw the hair together with your fingers into a spike, then spiral-wrap your thread out to near the end of the hair spike, make a few wraps on the end, and then spiral-wrap the thread back down the hair spike. It's tricky and takes some practice but it makes a very nice tapering, curved abdomen and the sprial cross-wraps add to the appearance. Also, while tying in the elk or deer hair, include a few fibers of moose hair, about twice as long as the deer or elk hair, to represent the mayfly's tails - the easiest way to do this is to tie the elk/deer hair on in two clumps with the moose hairs tied in between the two clumps. I would illustrate this with photos but my camera isn't quite up to the task...hope this helps!

Jonathon

That's what I told people, until I got Gonzo's book. Now you need both. ;)

Actually I suppose Gonzo's techniques fall more under "really, really want" than "need"... but in fly fishing those are pretty much the same thing.

check the Flytyer website for this tecnique, a really neat step-by-step pictorial on using the Renzetti wire base method for extended-body mayflies. I'm doing ongoing experimentation on home-made versions, using white 1 mm craft-foam and doing the color and details with Prismacolor pens.

Shane Stalcup's excellent book, 'Mayflies top to bottom' also has some good tips on various extended-body methods- well worth a look.

however they're tied, this is a neat bug to throw; just watch for leader-twist- they can be real helicopters, too!

I Peter 5:7...'Cast your cares upon Him'