Bodkin / Patterns

Claus Eriksen's Simple Foam Fly

Wet Fly · Advanced · 1 version

Global FlyFisher Recipe

  • Hook Any light, long shank streamer hook, size 4-2, 4-2
  • Thread Brown or black 8/0 8/0

Materials

  • Hook Any light, long shank streamer hook, size 4-2
  • Thread Brown or black 8/0 thread
  • Tail Small tuft of Arctic fox with a few straws of flash mixed in
  • Body Narrow strip of 2 millimeter foam wrapped around the hook/tube
  • Body hackle Short fibered, soft saddle hackle, trimmed on the underside
  • Shield A strip of foam folded and doubled in the front of the fly
  • Legs 1-2 sets of rubber legs, simply laid in the fold of the foam and glued with superglue

How to tie it

  1. Start the thread in the rear. Bulk is no problem since the whole body will be covered with foam.
  2. Tie in the tail and the flash.
  3. Take the thread forward to the front of the fly.
  4. Cut a narrow 2-3 millimeter wide strip of soft 2 millimeter foam.
  5. Tie in the foam in the front of the fly.
  6. Tie in the hackle by the base, shiny side forward.
  7. Wrap the foam to the rear of the fly in touching turns, tie down and trim.
  8. Wrap the hackle in the grooves formed by the foam. Tie down and trim.
  9. Cut a strip of 2 millimeter foam, about 5 millimeters wide. It must be at least twice the shank length
  10. Cut one tip pointy.
  11. Tie in the foam on top of the hook in the rear of the fly, the pointy tip protruding slightly over the tail.
  12. Tie it down with tight turns, whip finish, cut thread and glue or varnish.
  13. Start the thread in the front of the fly.
  14. Pull the form forwards, tie down with a couple of tight wraps.
  15. Bend the tip back to form a head protruding over the hook eye.
  16. Tie it down over the existing wraps.
  17. Whip finish, cut thread and glue or varnish.
  18. Trim the foam on the back, and cut it to a pointy shape.
  19. Rubber legs (optional) can simply be glued into the grooves in the foam or they can be pulled through the front foam loop and glued in place.

Tying videos

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