Alpaca March Brown Flymph

[tie2fish]

Thanks all. Jeff - I simply pulled a small length of it (approximately 2") out of the wad and then cut that into roughly 1/8" long pieces, which I arranged on the Clark block in a tapered shape before spinning the body.

[Mataura mayfly]

Thanks for the clarification Bill.
It was just in the photograph there does not seem to be a lot of "obvious" cut ends- so I was not sure.
If you cut this into say 1/8" lengths before twisting, it is interesting to note the fibre is reasonably supple and the cut ends will conform to the body shape- rather than poke out in the way say squirrel or hare might. It behaves perhaps more like a dubbing material than a natural fur fibre.
It does have definite crimp in the fibre length though, which should still lend some bulk and air catching properties to the pattern when it is submerged.

[Ruard]

Hi Bill, very nice fly an so Tie2fish I think this is a real compliment!!!


greeting


Ruard

[DUBBN]

Great looking pattern Bill. Always great to see your designs.

[letumgo]

...speechless silence, as my jaw hangs open...



Masterful...

[William Anderson]

Bill, first, I've been studying your flies that I have in my possession with a 10x jeweler's loop all week. All of them. It's not the first time, but this week I have been really looking for some details. They really are elegantly tied, something that is obvious in the fancier flies, but requires some investigation on these flies that are so buggy. You really have nailed each thread turn and proportions to match the Pete Hidy flies we've seen. Just beautiful.

This is no exception. A great use of the dubbing. I have fooled with the brown alpaca some but now I see the potential if I get the staple length right. Something I need to revisit. I sat down to tie some March Browns similar to this but my tying takes shifts before I can get a single reproduction off the vise. I'll post what I came up with in a bit. But I love the way this one looks. I will have to tie up some Brown Drakes with the brown alpaca.

One thing that I noted in re-reading some of the Hidy literature is that he describes his flies as simply dry flies, until he gives them a tug to pull them under, taking the air bubble under with them. I don't know of any flies that he tied with alpaca, but it floats very well, better than most that I dunk and the hydrofuge incapsulates the whole body when forced under. It's a great material for his purposes. (and ours)

w