The Booby fly

[smallmouth89]

You can make very effective "booby type" flies by just messing around with Micheal's craft foam at 99 cents a sheet up here in Canada. The concept of buoyancy combined with a sinking line is what makes these things tick. A few years back Joni never used a booby and now she has created her own tadpoles which are booby like in concept but don't require expensive specialized flyshop materials. Creativity and experimentation is what flyfishing is all about for me. If you can show the fish something different that looks edible you will be in business.

God Bless,
Don
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[Dryrod]

[font "Pristina"][green][size 4][cool]Hi there neighbor from the north. Didn't realize tha Michaels were also located in Canada. BTW Had purchased several foam sheets from Micheals in the past for like you said 99¢ / sheet. Thanks for the feedback.[/size][/green][/font]
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[flygoddess]

Right you are Smallmouth. In fact the first BOOBIE I did was out of flat close cell foam like you are talking about. Tie a strip in the front of the hook just behind the eye in figure 8's, then fold the ends in and secure them. Kinda like the Popcorn Fly. It works! we just go with the fancy stuff for us, the fish could care less.[cool]
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[macfly55]

...could you roll these sheets into tight little "tubes".. say by gluing it?? I would think that would give you more foam for floating the fly with... just a thought.. []

MacFly []
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[flygoddess]

I don't know about rolling it. I was just talking fold over. The more you compress the foam, the less it will float, so you want it fluffy so to speak.
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[macfly55]

okay this is gonna sound real dumb.. but.. if rolling it compresses the foam so it does not float as well .. then why do they use foam tubes.. isnt that foam more compressed??

MacFly
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[flygoddess]

No. You can squeeze it and see the difference. The TUBE has more air pockets. Closed cell foam sheets are already compressed to a point. Now if you rolled it loosely, I guess it could work, but you wouldn't be able to roll much...it would be HUGE!
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[macfly55]

as soon as I typed and sent that .. that dawned on this old brain.. but.. for normal use.. how thick (diameter) should the tube be.. I realize this is dependent on the hook size.. which leads to second half of the question..

for this area.. what is the largest and the smallest fly that should be tied.. ?? Im thinking a 10 or 12 down to about a 16 or 18...

MacFly [cool]
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[flygoddess]

I don't think 16 or 18. 10 and 12 will be fine, just remember a short shank hook. The bodies are stubby. A Nymph hook will work fine also.
I am going to say, the eyes should be about the same size as the Gap of the hook to put it into go to form. Then play with it from there
(I know I just said to play with the boobies, didn't I)[blush]
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[macfly55]

sluggish day and sluggish brain here.. you said gap of the hook.. ??? ya lost me there sis... I can get 1/8 and 1/16 cylniders in black, blues, white, yellow, chatruese...[]

MacFly
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[smallmouth89]

Now you've got it. You never know until you try. That's the way to treat any material. Experiment, be creative, think outside of the box. You will surprise yourself with what you come up with.
God Bless,
Don
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[macfly55]

[] Don...

in my last post I was trying to ask what size to get.. the 1/8 or 1/16.. in diameter... fg said something about hook gag and lost me there.. I am gonna guess she meant the length of the piece of tubing used as the eyes..???? as I said.. sluggish day.. so brain is sluggish as well..

MacFly
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[flygoddess]

[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 4]This post is for visual aid so a few pictures.[/size][/black][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 4]Here what I mean by HOOK GAP:[/size][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 4][/size][/font]
[inline "hook gap 1.jpg"]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 4][/size][/font]
[inline "hook gap 2.jpg"]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 4][/size][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 4][/size][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 4]Here is what I mean by using flat closed cell foam for those who do not have the cylinder foam:[/size][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 4][/size][/font]
[inline "boobie strip.jpg"]

[inline "Boobie strip 2.jpg"]

[inline "Boobie strip 3.jpg"]


[inline "Boobie strip 4.jpg"]
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[macfly55]

..thats a pretty good sized cylinder diameter.. at least in my mind..lol.. but thanks for the pics.. helps immensely.. but I am not sure I am talented enough to do what you do with the flat foam..

on diameter.. for the hooks you are talking about.. id guess the 1/8 inch cylinder???

MacFly
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[flygoddess]

[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 4]That would be a good place to start [laugh] Welcome to FLY TYING where you will never look at road kill the same.[][/size][/black][/font]
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[macfly55]

okay.. we got diameter.. what about length..lol.. hook gap.. half the hook shank??

MacFly
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[flygoddess]

[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 4]Shorter the better. A 1X Nymph hook 2X max The lengths are marked on some hooks like Tiemco, but you can eyeball the hooks also like Mustad.[/size][/black][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 4]Hopefully Dryrod will pop in with some hook #'s[/size][/black][/font]
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[macfly55]

Lord I am having a bad day and it is all my fault.. lol.. sorry sis.. I meant length of the piece of foam cylinder that is cut for the boobies eyes.. but knowing hook length would of been my next question[black][size 3](S).... [/size][/black]
[size 3][/size]
[black]MacFly [/black]
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[macfly55]

mustad - 9671 ?
Daiichi - 1710 ?
Orvis - 1524 ?


MacFly [crazy]
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[Dryrod]

[center][font "Pristina"][green][size 4][cool]Never thought about sizing the eyes to the hook gap. I just went with what looked proportionally right. This illustration would be just about correct.[/size][/green][/font]
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