Silk-on-Silk Soft Hackles

[letumgo]

Silk-on-Silk
Hook - Daiichi Model 1510/Size 10
Thread - Pearall's Gossamer Silk (Primrose)
Hackle - Indian Hen Saddle (Speckled Brown)
Body - Kreinik Silk Dubbing (10 O'Clock = Dark Dun, 2 O'Clock = Pale Yellow, 4 O'Clock = Light Cahill, 8 O'Clock = Light Grey)

The flies are all tyed with the same hook, hackle and silk thread. I have simple changed the color of the silk dubbing used to make each fly. The colors are listed in their order (clockwise). The dark grey one is tyed with "dark dun" colored dubbing.

[DOUGSDEN]

Ray,
Classic flies next to classic materials. Very well done! Please post more when possible.
Dougsden

[mvendon]

Hi Ray,

Great looking flies! Did you get ever get a chance to try any of these type out before trout season wrapped up this year? If so, how'd they work?

Regards,
Mark

[letumgo]

Mark - No, I just recently picked up the silk dubbing and have been playing around with it. I will test these next spring.

[William Anderson]

They certainly look like they can't fail. Nice looking flies.

w

[Ruard]

Nice flies Ray. wonder what you have on the red silk in the background??

Greeting

[skunkaroo]

Nice flies Ray. wonder what you have on the red silk in the background??

Greeting

I suspect it's sewing elastic. I used to do the same thing. It holds the material in place and doesn't damage the delicate silk fibres.

I've switched to something easier and cheaper: kids scrunchy hair elastics. A pack of 50 costs $1 CDN over here and they are even softer than the elastics. It works for other materials as well.



Aaron

(PS Don't mean to steal your thunder, Ray)

[Ron Eagle Elk]

Ray,

Excellent looking flies. I have a year round stream just minutes from the house if you'd like to have those field tested before spring.

I may have to try that silk dubbing.

I just read a bit about it on Kreinik's web site. They say it's hydrophobic and well float flies higher and dryer than poly dubbing. Is the hook and hackle heavy enough to break the surface film?

REE

[letumgo]

Aaron - Your right. These are simple elastic bands that I made up from some materials I stole out of my wife's sewing supplies. I just cut small sections of elastic band and then wrap the ends together with my bobbin, to form a loop. I like your idea of the small hair bands (cheap, effective, clever).

Ron - Yes, as Mike mentions, the flies will actually sink if they are tyed without wax, or left untreated by some form of floatant. I was surprised by this as well, since I had expected the flies to ride in the surface film. I recently tested a couple silk-bodied flies in a cup of water and found that after they were dropped into the water a couple times, the soaked up water and began to sink below the surface. The bodies of the fly becomes quite translucent once they become wet. I included a couple pictures of some wet silk-bodies in a recent post, but I would have to find the link. If your serious about testing these, just shoot me a PM with your address. I will send you a few to drown.

Thanks for the additional background Mike. Very informative, as always.

[Ron Eagle Elk]

Ray,

The flies arrived today, in the middle of a multiple day rainstorm. The flies are just beautiful. Simple, but elegant. I must say that I was expecting two or three flies, not a fly box full. They are just lovely and will be used as soon as the water levels drop a bit.

Thanks for the samples.

Your fly testor,

REE