Chubby Grub

[letumgo]

Chubby Grub
Hook - Mustad Model R50-94848 (Size 12)
Thread - 14/0 Bennechi (Black)
Abdomen - Art Supply Chamois trimmed into a 2 mm wide strip (natural creamy tan)
Thorax - Hares Ear Dubbing (Light Golden)
Hackle - Indian Hen Saddle (Natural Speckled Brown)
Head - Tying thread (Whip Finish)

I found a small patch of very thin chamois leather in an art supply store and immediately though this stuff would be useful for small grub patterns. This is the first pattern I have tyed with it. Lovely stuff. It lays down in a nice tapered body, giving a nice chubby profile.

SAME FLY - UNDER WATER:


The leather chamois takes on a warmer tan color when it gets wet.

[CreationBear]

I found a small patch of very thin chamois leather in an art supply store

Do you remember what section of the store? I've been searching for some suitable chamois but haven't had much luck--the oldtimers are apparently storing theirs in underground bunkers for use in the Zombie Apocalypse. Also, how did you prep the material--or was it thin enough to just trim and go?

[DUBBN]

I have been tying/fishing Buckskin nymphs alot this year. I tye them in size 18 and 20. What a pain in the backside. The chamois tears apart on a third of the flys as I am wrapping it. I cant dream of getting the chamois to taper as well as you Ray. Great looking bug. In my opinion, that tan color the chamois takes on is the secret to that material.

I bought my chamois at the auto parts store. I think it is 2sq feet.... Heres a pic of the Buckskin.....Rough looking tye but it works pretty well. Cant wait to hear how your pattern does on the trout! As always, your tying skills, photographic skills and imagination come together for some wonderful patterns!

[letumgo]

Rodger - I picked this up at my sons college campus. We were visiting him yesterday and went into one of the stores on campus. The art supply section had some neat materials. The packaging indicates this material is useful for blending pastel or charcoal drawings, blending in pen and ink drawings and creating effects in water colors, and smoothing clay surfaces. To me, it was an instant fly tying material.

Would you like me to get you a pack of this material? I could probably get my son to pick it up for me.

The chamois material is very thin (less than 0.5 mm). It comes in a sheet 5" x 7" sheet, which is easily cut with scissors. I simply trimmed on one edge, creating a long slender strip, which could be wrapped onto the hook. Trim the end into a long slender point, then tye it in at the back of the hook. Wrap the strip forward in overlapping wraps, to form the taper.

A colored metal wire rib, would help accentuate the segmentation of the abdomen.

Wayne - Your flies are a constant wellspring of inspiration to me. I can practically hear your fly begging "fish me". Great stuff.

[Mataura mayfly]

Ray, man you have an eye for the unusual or household materials that will transform into tying materials! Great looking grub and the "wet" photo just emphasises the wonderful body material choice.

Fantastic!

[CreationBear]

"Rodger. Huh?"
"Rodger. Huh?"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVq4_HhBK8Y


Thanks for the info and offer--we've got a lot of arts stores in town, though, so I'm pretty sure I can hunt one up. At any rate, that's a fly that's pretty much "unfair"--cased caddis larvae (AKA "stickbait" in my neck of the woods) were a classic bait here in the Smokies.

It does raise an interesting fly-design question, though--it might be that texture (both visual and tactile) is a lot higher on a trout's list of essential characteristics than those things we tyers usually obsess about.

[letumgo]

OOPS! I though I had read "chase creek". Sorry Jon. My bad. No offense intended. The offer still stands, if you can't find the stuff. Just shoot me a PM, with your address, and I will send you some.

I just went back and looked at the fly again, and noticed it had collected a bunch of gas bubbles, so I took another photo (see below). The fly sat in a small dixie cup filled with ordinary tap water. My water must contain a fair amount of dissolved gases. As the fly sat in the bottom of the cup, the gasses slowly came out of solution, collecting as tiny bubbles over the surface of the fly and the inside of the cup. Anyways, it just looked so cool, I had to take another picture.

[Ron Eagle Elk]

I can see the headlines now: "Run on Art Supply Stores Chamois Started By Ray Tucker!" Nice fly, Ray Love the 2d pic with more gas bubbles.

[William Anderson]

Ray, this is nothing short of remarkable. It's got all the marks of a letumgo classic. Just a fantastic post. Thanks so much. I'm enjoying the underwater pics lately too. It's something I would like to pursue myself.

[Mataura mayfly]

That second wet photo is just way cool..... looks like he just exhaled from his re-breather

I had been experimenting with a new to me style of tie, tossed it in a glass of water much the same as your examples here. Dang thing floated for two days before poking it through the film finally made it sink.

Ray, do you think car wash type Chamois would work the same? Or would your sheet of material be thinner? The thing with Chamois and Buckskin is when it dries it shrinks, so will remain tight on the hook shank for many a fishing trip I would imagine. Be tough enough to repel sharp teeth for a while as well so would be a very economic tie.