Bodkin / Patterns

Damsel Foam

Dry Fly · Trout · Intermediate · 1 version

Reference Recipe

  • Hook Standard dry-fly hook, 10-12
  • Thread Blue or olive 8/0

Materials

  • Extended body Blue or olive material (2mm foam strip)
  • Wing White or dun material (Poly yarn or Zelon)
  • Hackle Grizzly hackle (One feather)
  • Thorax Matching leather strip (Fine dubbing)
  • Legs Black ostrich herl (Fine rubber, optional)

How to tie it

  1. Mount the hook and start thread at mid-shank.
  2. Bind a slim foam strip along the shank so the tag extends one shank length past the bend as the abdomen.
  3. Segment the extended foam by binding it every few millimeters with open thread wraps, then return thread forward.
  4. Tie a sparse poly wing flat over the body, angled slightly back.
  5. If using legs, figure-8 a strand of fine rubber across the thorax.
  6. Wind a grizzly hackle through the thorax, then dub over the base to lock it.
  7. Whip finish behind the eye and snip. The foam keeps it riding high and visible.

Tying videos

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