Mark, Anything that is long, at least 4" (little flies could be shorter) can be used to weave, the length depending on size fly and # of weaves you need to make. The hair must not break as it's making the turns. Soaking it beforehand in conditioner helps. Take the number of hairs you need, lash them down, and tie the other ends in a knot. This makes the strand more manageable. I've used horse, PB, sheep, superhairs, synthetics, longhorn bull tail, yak, skunk-tail, elk-mane, and a few others. Varying the color tones of the hairs adds to the segmentation effects. Peacock does well with some weave styles, too. Havalina is stiff and brittle, but works if soaked real well. Experimenting with the belly material is just as fun. Endless possibilities and combinations. Try rope-dubbing a hackle in with peacock and doing a cross-weave with a yellow-orange dubbing rope for the belly. Very interesting result when used with a black bead-head. A perfect hairy caterpillar with a fuzzy orange belly.
This is one reason I like those split nymph hooks- makes it easier to weave without having to create the body. Oops! Cat's out of the bag. :o) DonO ----- Original Message ----- From: "mark romero" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, December 04, 2004 9:13 AM Subject: Re: [VFB] Sandy Mite - replies > Kevin, what about Moose mane hair, or black Bear, or Skunk, or twisted > peacock hearl, or even wild boar (Javalina)? mark... > > >From: "DonO" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >Reply-To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >Subject: Re: [VFB] Sandy Mite - replies > >Date: Sat, 4 Dec 2004 09:32:40 -0800 > > > >Kevin, > >The hair-weave using the square-knot technique looks pretty good, too. > >I used JimmyD's longhorn hair to tie a stone for him. It's normally on his > >site. > > > >Martin, > >I gave my FTBR to a friend, so I can't consult it, but I don't remember > >finding the same belly-weave in it as I see on this fly. Would you compare > >the photos Rene posted for me and see if the weaves in your book would > >create the flies in the photo? Notice the bottom photo. The stitching > >method doesn't give segments like that. > > > >Jimmy, > >I can't bring up the picture gallery with the stonefly on your site. Are > >you revising it? > > > >Rene, > >Thanks for posting the photos. > > > >If we do a hair-weave swap, I want to be in it, but let's hold off until > >some of these other swaps are out of the way. Time for practicing. > > > >I've done scuds using the 'belly-weave' and rope-dubbed ice dub for the > >legs, picked out. Really fast and looks and fishes great. An underbody > >must be built first, but it is a good spot to hide a little lead strip. > > > >DonO > > > > > >----- Original Message ----- > >From: "Kevin W. Machon" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >Sent: Friday, December 03, 2004 10:49 PM > >Subject: RE: [VFB] Sandy Mite - thanks! > > > > > > > > > > DonO - thanks for bringing up this pattern and technique. Very cool > >with > >a > > > lot of applications. > > > > > > And thanks to everyone else who posted links and pictures. Very > >informative > > > and it goes a long way toward increasing the skills and abilities of the > > > list. > > > > > > After viewing Rene's posted pics, I'll bet this technique could make a > >very > > > realistic salmonfly imitation - either adult or nymph. Use the orange > >weave > > > under the thorax and abdomen with black/dark brown hair or chennile or > > > dubbing for the wraps in place of the squirrell hair. > > > > > > Any thoughts from the list about what dark material might work best > >here? > > > I'd like to try it out. > > > > > > And I would definately be in for a swap using this if it ever happens! > > > > > > Kev > > > > > > > > > > > > >
