Building a soft yarn nymph body?

[gingerdun]

As you may have seen in Fly Dressings, I've been designing a Golden Stone Nymph based roughly on the construction I learned from one of Leisenring's flies, the Doctor Lyte Palmer. Not being very experienced, I'm having troubles getting the yarn body to taper smoothly, without lumps. The natural insect is wide-bodied, so I definitely want to bulk-up the artificial. I'm using 4-strand wool yarn, but wonder if I should separate strands, or build the body in stages? What would you do?
Here's my tying sequence. If anybody has suggestions for improvement, please speak up.
Thanks,
Lance

• 1. Start the thread near the bend. (Maybe I should start at eye to cover the entire shank with waxed thread to form a secure base.)
  2. Tie in 3 pheasant tail barbs above the bend
  3. Tie in Rib #1, the narrow gold tinsel
  4. Tie in Rib #2, sparsely-dubbed spun body (Clark block), and secure it and the tinsel in a clip out of the way
  5. Wind four or five wraps of thread away from the bend and then tie in the 4-strand wool
  6. Trim barbs off left side of hackle
  7. Wrap thread to mid-shank and tie in hackle by the tip, pointing to eye. (In the photo, I tied it in too far down the shank)
  8. Continue wrapping thread to head
  9. Wrap the wool body, manipulating and reversing direction to build taper, and tie off at eye
  10. Wrap Rib #1, the tinsel, with a few tight wraps over the tail and then continue over the yarn in a widely-spaced spiral.
  11. Wrap Rib #2, the dubbed rope, very close to the tinsel, and tie off at head
  12. Wrap hackle in space between the ribs and tie off at head.
  13. Build thread head to continue the taper to a point.

[letumgo]

Lance - You should definitely separate the yarn into separate strands (ply). I generally cut a piece to the length I need and then untwist the strand and pull the strands apart, allowing the twist to relax out of the yarn. I then lay the individual ply together (or however I need for a particular pattern), and then tye them in together. The strands are then wrapped together, creating a much smoother yarn body than can be created with an normal strand of yarn. You will have greater control of the taper, by wrapping the strands in parallel, under firm tension. You can form the body taper by adjusting how each progressive wrap overlaps with the last part. In other words, at the back end of the fly (narrow profile), you would want parallel wraps with very little overlap. As you approach the center of the fly (wider profile), you can make closer & partially overlapping wraps of the yarn. I use this technique a lot, and have liked the results.

[Mickalo]

I have to agree with Ray on using yarns. I use allot of yarns to build up under bodies, actually learned from some Ray's patterns awhile ago, separating the plies, usually 4 with most acrylics and wool yarns, so much easier to control and get the body taper, or shape, desired. Also work nicely on some soft hackle patterns. Yarns are a very versatile material. I also found that if you lightly wet the plies, like working with Floss, it helps to control it while wrapping.

Mike

[gingerdun]

Ray and Mike,
Your advice to separate the strands or plies and moistening them solved the problem.
Thanks!
Lance

[Old Hat]

I will add that I would also lay a foundation of thread on the hook shank before you begin.

In fact, I usually begin the body with a build up of thread initiating the taper and overall shape.

I then lay a thin layer of cement along the top of the thread base before I wrap my first layer of yarn.

It is important to keep the yarn flat and tight as you make your wraps.

[gingerdun]

I will add that I would also lay a foundation of thread on the hook shank before you begin.
In fact, I usually begin the body with a build up of thread initiating the taper and overall shape.
I then lay a thin layer of cement along the top of the thread base before I wrap my first layer of yarn.
It is important to keep the yarn flat and tight as you make your wraps.

Carl,
Thanks. I read that Polly R. was a big advocate of using glue while building nymphs. I've never tried that.
Do you wrap weight under your nymph bodies too sometimes? My father sometimes wrapped on a little lead before tying, but preferred using split shot to sink them.

L

[DUBBN]

My father sometimes wrapped on a little lead before tying, but preferred using split shot to sink them.

I would have gotten along very well with your dad!

[Old Hat]

Yes, I do wrap some weight sometimes but not very often. I normally use a heavy fly (we call it a tool fly) from the tag end of a perfection loop attaching the leader to tippet, to get the target fly down.

[wayneb]

You could also try punch yarn, it's thin, with a wool like texture. I find it much easier to build a tapered body with, just vary the tension and build back and forth as necessary.

Wayneb

[Mike Connor]

A lot of dressers used dental floss for building and shaping bodies. Very strong and easily worked with. Makes an extremely strong body and you then finish with yarn or whatever.