Making a floss body

[patyer]

Is there a trick to wrapping an all floss body fly. I'm tying some shad flies that consist of nothing more than a little tail, dumbell eyes and wrapped floss body. My problem last year was a few of the flies came unraveled while fishing destroying the fly. Just wondering if there were any tips?

 

[gt05254]

My first question would be: are you wrapping the floss really tightly? You should be.
Suggestions - rib the body with a tinsel, or if that's too obtrusive, a heavy thread. Or, coat the floss with lacquer or whatever.
Happy wrapping,
Gary

 

[fredaevans]

Used this type of fly extensively on the Russian River in Nor-Cal for Shad and even winter run Steelhead. The 'trick' is to do an under-wrap of flat silver foil and the floss over that. Reason the foil is the floss colour will just go 'blaw' once the fly gets wet unless you're using a 'silver/chrome' hook of some sort.

As floss is pretty soft material I'd coat the fly body with Sally Hanson's 'Hard as Nails.' The things danged near 'glowed in the dark.'

 

[Frank Whiton]

Hi patyer,

Here are a few ideas you can try.

1. Where ever you tie in the floss (tail or behind the eyes) wrap the floss in one direction and then back to start point. This gives you a double wrap of floss.

2. You can lay down a thread base and cover with head cement and quickly wrap your floss over the cement wet thread. I would still do the double layer of floss.

3. You can tie in a piece of tinsel or wire and over wrap the floss body as ribbing.

Frank

 

[ChrisinselwynNZ]

as fred said, silver under body will help with colour, so will white.

and Frank, Where ever you tie in the floss (tail or behind the eyes) wrap the floss in one direction and then back to start point. This gives you a double wrap of floss.

I wouldnt put cement or anyting similar on your floss as it will loose its translucentcy (or the ability too bleed which is important for some patterns)

it also pays too flatten your floss and keep taking the twist out as you tie (even to some extent with a rotary vice). this will strengthin it and give a nicer finnish

Chris

 

[patyer]

Thanks everyone. I'll give those suggestions a shot. Never knew about the foil so thanks for the tip.

 

[Frank Whiton]

Hi Chris,

You are right that the cement or glue may effect the color/appearance but the question was how to make the floss body more durable. Gluing the floss does make it more durable. Patyer will have to determine if he likes the results.

The question of color would be a good discussion in its self. While I think color can be a bite trigger in some cases, in other cases it makes no difference. How many times have we started to tie a certain fly and find we don't have the exact color or material that we usually use. We substitute a different material or color and the fly still catches fish. Patyer is tying a subsurface fly and I don't think an off color or slightly different appearance is going to make much difference. At least that has been my experience.

What time of year is it there?

Frank

 

[FISHN50]

Once the fly gets wet, will there be a difference between one coated with S.H or one without. If you don't have a colored underbody & want to keep the color you started with Coat it. Fishing flys & people flys dont have to be the same.

Neil

 

[stimmy7]

I'll second some of what I've read here.

Underbody of white silk or silver tinsel critical for color of floss body to remain as tied when the fly gets wet, unless you're using white tying thread and a nickel hook.

Tie in floss near the shoulder/head, wrap to rear of fly, spin bobbin to flatten floss and wrap second layer forward to have a nice, smooth body.

Coat with some form of lacquer or cement to make body more durable.

Another option is to tie in 6x clear tippet material or "invisible thread" at rear of body and do a clear overwrap for protection.

A fine ribbing wraped in the opposite direction of the floss also helps to protect the body, but teeth will fray whatever isn't covered or coated.

 

[ChrisinselwynNZ]

Hi Chris,

You are right that the cement or glue may effect the color/appearance but the question was how to make the floss body more durable. Gluing the floss does make it more durable. Patyer will have to determine if he likes the results.

The question of color would be a good discussion in its self. While I think color can be a bite trigger in some cases, in other cases it makes no difference. How many times have we started to tie a certain fly and find we don't have the exact color or material that we usually use. We substitute a different material or color and the fly still catches fish. Patyer is tying a subsurface fly and I don't think an off color or slightly different appearance is going to make much difference. At least that has been my experience.

What time of year is it there?

Frank

Hi Frank, it's Summer

Chris

 

[fyshstykr]

Hi Patyer,
Another option would be to try 'Acetate Floss', when dipped in acetone for a short time the solvent reacts with the Acetate Floss and will actually melt it and create a hard body.I'm sure it would take some experimentation to find the correct method and "dip time" needed, but it does create an almost indestructable body.

Here is a link where this method is being used, albeit it for a floss body on a Chironomid, but you'll still get the idea.
Sport Fishing On The Fly - Fly Tying - AcetateChironomid

And remember as the tier suggest....use Acetone in a well ventilated area, and as I've found from previous experience with Acetone, quickly clean up any mess as it can etch some counter tops or plastic type surfaces.

 

[gt05254]

Patyer - in my first post to you, I suggested that first look to see how you're applying the floss to the hook, i.e., are you wrapping it tightly enough? The more I've thought about your problem, the more I think the answer may lay in basic fly tying skill.

Are you wrapping 4-strand, 2-strand, single strand floss? As a rule, I don't use more than a single strand, separating the strands of the multi-strand flosses. If you're wrapping tightly, and tying off appropriately, there's really no reason for your flies to come apart unless they're being chomped on by toothy fish.

Most of the flies I fish (for atlantic salmon) have floss bodies. They just don't seem to come unraveled, nor do those of my friends. I'd go back to basics and make sure you're getting the floss laid down and locked in correctly before coating the body (as I suggested earlier, too) or using other methods that we've suggested. Food for thought,
Gary