I'll be out and about here in a bit, and will look up a fabric store to see if I can get some of that foam piping material to try.
Wes
On Mar 25, 2005, at 6:15 AM, Tony Spezio wrote:
Wes
I found the foam used in furniture piping will float like a cork. The piping is the bead in the trim used on stuffed furniture.
It comes in coils and is sold by the foot, very inexpensive. It is round, not flat, I have it is 1/8" and another size that is close to 1/4". It has all the characteristics you have listed below, it will not water log. It is white.
I make sausage shaped poppers with it along with other floating flies. On the poppers, I cut off a length about 3/4" long, slit it and glue in the hook, slip it into a length of colored mylar braid tube. Flare the tail end of the tube for the tail, tie off the head and glue on some eyes. I also make cricket and hopper bodies from it.
Tony
I tried to send this yesterday, still having problems sending mail on this address.
Wes Wada wrote:
The subject line might make an interesting topic thread all by itself. *grin*
In this case, the post is just about the mundane topic of tying with foam, and the long search for the perfect fly floating foam.
To my way of thinking, the perfect fly tying foam needs to have these characteristics:
1. small bubble closed cell foam
2. as buoyant as possible
3. as light in weight as possible
4. not too hard or brittle
5. at least white in color
6. the more colors the better
7. durable, with high tensile strength
8. shapeable or formable
