FLYMPH FORUM

Plover and Seal 1180

Hook: Daiichi 1180 #14
Thread: 14/0 Brown
Hackle: Golden Plover
Body: Yellow and Natural Seal in a dubbing loop (one of my first on a block)
Rib: Golden Yellow Rayon
Thorax: same as body

Lovely!

Dub-ya, Howdy;

Good lookin' fly, should bring ya some trouts

hank

That is a beautiful fly, w! You've managed the seal very well (not always an easy thing to do) and the hackle is lovely.

William,

This is a historic fly with your first dubbing-block body.
You'll probably be glad to get back to spinning on your knee!

Both you and Bill gave me some nearly identical "golden olive" seal similar to what you used here.
I spun some bodies with it last night, but found it handled better when I chopped it up a little—but not too fine.
Did you keep the fibers full length? The cutting of dubbing fibers is a fertile area for experimentation, giving subtle but noticeable variations in the spun bodies.

Lance

Thanks guys.

Lance, the fiber length and orientation is something I want to fool around with, especially with the qualities of different furs. I watched Bill "card" the muskrat fur and lay it out perpendicular to the thread before closing the loop and twisting. Then he was "pre-forming" a tapered noodle before applying it to a drop loop. When I was using the seal it occurred to me that the only way I was going to manage it was to align the fibers at 45degrees or less to the thread and the result would be slimmer. I've played with some different lengths and different blends since. I'll start a thread on the subject when I get home.

I keep coming back to look at this fly again and again. Brilliant fly, William.

William,
You make it look so easy! I really like what you do (this and other patterns of yours) and what you have to say regarding making pre-spun dubbing bodies. I wish I would have paid more attention to what you were doing with them! Great pattern friend. The plover is so cool too!
Den-boy