[VFB] Furling rope-dub tails

[DonO]

VFB Rope-dubbers,   I came up with a new one last evening.  Try this.  Take a size 14 hook and rope on a very slender royal blue dubbing at the back end.  Make it fairly long- about 2 to 2 1/2", and rope fairly tight, but not too tight.  Grab the rope about 1" away from the tie-in point and pull it to the back of the hook, doubling the dubbing forward on itself.  Allow the two sides to come together, and it will twist on itself and furl an extended body!  Instant damselfly tail!  And you can blend the blues and greens and goldens, just like the live ones.  Do it big, and you have a dragonfly tail.  Band it with a black marker and it looks real.    I'm already experimenting with all kinds of take-offs on this little take-off.  By varying the dubbing profiles, I can get whatever extended body profile I want.  For a stiff tail, I use nylon thread.  For a limp tail, I use kevlar or just waxed thread.   I did a very slim San Juan Worm by furling both the front and back ends of the fly, using red ice-dub.   Right now I'm working on minnow patterns with different synthetics, including Awesome HAir.  By furling back a tail and brushing the fibers out, I'm getting some interesting small minnow bodies so far.   Next on the agenda is extended body mayflies in one step, with the furl blending into segmentation on the hook.   Back to the bench to experiment some more.   DonO