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[BC Fishing]

This dry fly was a big hit for all species (except pike & wallaye & catfish who take only large poppers) in Europe in 2015, so I decided to give it a try.
It's drifted like a dry fly, or beetle, swung across the current like a water boatman, or popped like a popper/terrestrial. Foam makes in unsinkable and the offset hook is just fantastic.

Quite an easy tie as well, takes no time at all.

I hope this helps:
1) Create the offset body. Use foam, peacock hurl, tinsel.
2) Attach long hind legs to the circle or scud hook (I used deer hair)
3) attach the foam body from step 1 to the mid section of the hook
4) cover the attached section with a few wraps of brightly coloured dubbing.
5) add white wings on both sides.
6) wrap dry fly hackle on the head like on a traditional dry
7) whip finish

[clarkii]

Lately I have been tying prototypes, got 4-5 of each idea so far, and they happen to be all ties on size 16's. 

Will be testing them when I get home.

[RalphH]

GPs

[HOOK]

Been tying chironomids lately to fill gaps in my box and add some new patterns to try out. Here are a couple pics of what I've had to refill in the box


^^^^ I tie these with smaller beads now

Pattern on the right --- Dirty Olive.    one on the left is a variation I came up with and does work almost as good


Always must have some tiny black/silver in the box for early season but damn they get destroyed quickly

[BC Fishing]

Always must have some tiny black/silver in the box for early season but damn they get destroyed quickly

Lovely photo of your chironomids in action! Thank you.

Have you tried using UV resin to help with the durability? The english version of the chinomomid, the "buzzer", is more often than not finished with a clear coat of uv.
I'll try making a few and post a few photos!

[RalphH]

Here it's common to add a clear coat with brushable super glue - loctitie/LePages being the preferred brand. You can also use Sally Hansen's Hard as Nails clear nail polish or Loon Hard Head.

[HOOK]

Lovely photo of your chironomids in action! Thank you.

Have you tried using UV resin to help with the durability? The english version of the chinomomid, the "buzzer", is more often than not finished with a clear coat of uv.
I'll try making a few and post a few photos!

The little silver/black ones get mangled because the white paint chips off and the fact they are size 16 scud hooks sometimes I have to use forceps to remove them which ruins them usually

I actually just started using the Loon UV Thin to coat my c-mids after the LePage super glue kept driving me crazy going cloudy 50% of the time  I'm really loving the resin, took a few flies to get the coating nice and thin and spread perfectly

here are a couple new patterns into the box coated with UV resin

[bigsnag]

here are a couple new patterns into the box coated with UV resin

Nice ties.

Does the Loon UV Thin dries quickly and are non sticky?

Also I hope these are not hooks purchased from Fred's, you know, the imitation Tiemco they carry that will straighten out. Just asking because of the gold color of the metal.

[RalphH]

Lepage's brushable will go cloudy if you breath on it or fix the fly on a drying post made of certain kinds of foam that are not CA stable. I've also found that clouding occurs if the coat is too thick, if it's touched and found older thicker CA is not reliable. There are quite a few threads on this in the tying section on Flybc.ca.

http://forum.flybc.ca/index.php?showtopic=54570

I haven't used UV glues but I've heard various reports that it can remain tacky and needs to be coated with CA or nail polish anyway. I was in Michael and Young a couple of days ago and they have Tuffleye UV kits on sale for about $58 from the reg price of $105.

[wizard]

Also I hope these are not hooks purchased from Fred's, you know, the imitation Tiemco they carry that will straighten out. Just asking because of the gold color of the metal.

I tried a pack of those once, some of the hooks snapped when I debarbed them...that's why I always debarb prior to trying.

[HOOK]

Nice ties.

Does the Loon UV Thin dries quickly and are non sticky?

Also I hope these are not hooks purchased from Fred's, you know, the imitation Tiemco they carry that will straighten out. Just asking because of the gold color of the metal.

You have to use a UV light to cure the resin and takes about 15-20 seconds for a full cure. I wouldn't say they are tacky but if you put on too much they have a rubbery feel to them and seem to have some sort of moisture left behind which I just wipe with my finger before taking them from the vise (its not tacky or sticky so I'm not sure what it is)

It takes a few flies to get it perfect I'd say because you don't want your c-mids with a clear casing around them which is how my first few ended up LoL 


I've used so many different things over the years and had settled on Loctite but then they stopped making the brushable and it became LePage which I believe is NOT the same formula because it seems a lot more sensitive to clouding because my Loctite never clouded on me and I haven't change any of my tying habits between the two brands, very frustrating and the reason why I changed to something else.

I hear the Deer Creek resin is even better than the Loon and probably what I'll order when this bottle is empty

[RalphH]

Loctite and LePages is owned by the same German company and comes out of the same factory in Ireland. You can draw your own conclusions from that. CA is CA and the formula is varied for specific characteristics such as viscosity. Some dry very hard others are somewhat elastic. CA glues set on exposure to water vapour. Loctite brushable is sold in the US while LePages here in Canada. I've had very few issues with either.

[clarkii]

You can also get brushable zap a gap which is a Ca as well

[HOOK]

FYI - if you want to buy good hooks at good prices then check out these two places. I buy mine by the 100 packs and it helps if you know the hook style(s) you are looking for

www.canadianllama.com

www.togenenterprises.com

both of these are Canadian companies with fast shipping and great hooks and beads (only thing I've ordered from either)

[pwn50m3 f15h3r]

I personally like to use ccg hydro on my chironomids. It is easy to work with, and it cures hard and shiny.