Clyde's Realistic Golden Stone

[clyde]

CLYDE'S REALISTIC GOLDEN STONEFLY

MATERIALS
HOOK: streamer hook sized to the size stone you want to tie
UNDERBODY: lead wire
TAIL: porcupine quills
ABDOMEN/THORAX: latex strips 1/4" wide
LEGS: heat shrink tubing/gold wire
EYES: medium mono eyes
ANTENNAE: porcupine gaurd hairs
WING BUDS: transparency printed pattern then laminated
COLORING: waterproof markers
LAQUER: Sally Hansens Hard as Nails (nude)

TYING STEPS

1. Prepare hook by tying on lead wire down each side of the full length of the shank from the point of the barb to just behind the eye. Then tie in a second lead wire down each side from the barb to approx. 2/3 the distance to the eye. Use a pair of pliers to flat the wire and bend the hook 1/3 from the eye. Apply laquer and let dry.


2. Tie in latex strip and stretch as wrap towards back of where lead stops at rear of hook.


3. Using the latex wrap a small ball at rear of hook to help flair tails.


4. Tie in a porcupine quill down each side of hook extending approx. 1/3 the length of the shank. Presoak the quills in water makes them more pliable and easier to work with.


5. Wrap latex strip forward folding 1/3 of the rear edge under. Stone flies have 10 abdominal segmentations so adjust the width of each wrap accordingly. I like to make 11 or 12 wraps and end up at the point were the bend was made in the shank. Make each wrap as perpendicular to the shank as possible.


6. Color with waterproof marks then apply lacquer and let dry. The Sally Hansens Hard as Nails causes the colors to bleed together which creates a realistic look.


7. The next steps can be done prior to starting or while the lacquer is drying. This is were we prepare the legs and this is done by using heat shrink tubing. Use the smallest diameter heat shrink tubing you can find and it also comes in a variety of colors. Take the heat shrink tubing and shrink it using a heat gun or a blow drier works but is slower. As you shrink the tubing stretch it to create the diameter you desire and this stretching also aids in forming the legs later as when you apply heated tools to it will expand some to create the thicker portions of the legs. Cut this tubing into approx. 3" pieces color and mark the centre. Next put a piece of wire through the centre of the tubing, this help when molding the legs. Then take a piece of unshrunk tubing and cut to approx 3/4 to 1" in length and place this over the previously shrunk piece and centre it on the mark you made. Now take this and shrink the small piece on to the longer piece, making sure to hold onto the end of the longer piece while doing this or it will loose some of the stretch you had in it. Once you have done this you can color and then take a pair of tweezers and heat them with a lighter or a candle (place in flame for 3 to 5 seconds works best but will take some trial and error). Take the heated tweezers and crimp the leg at the middle point to create a flat spot which makes it easier to tie on.

[clyde]

 

8. Heres where thing get a little bit different from traditional tying techniques as we dont finish the fly at the head but rather in the thorax of the fly. So now we tie in the front head/thorax/wingbud. You can buy these premade or you can make these yourself in various ways using different materials. I made these by printing a pattern that I created on the computer onto a transperency sheet and then laminating them to add thickness. I then cut them out.

 

9. Wrap the latex strip forward and build up a small head then wrap back just in front of the bend in the hook and tie off.

 

10. Tie in the rear leg using figure of 8 in the palce were you bent the shank.

 

11. Tie in one porcupine gaurd hair on each side of the front of the hook for antennae. Length should be 1/3 to the full leght of the shank.

 

12.Tie on the mono eyes as close to the front of the hook as possible using figure of 8.

 

13. Tie in the front leg using figure of 8. Leave a little spce behind the eyes for the head.

 

14. Take the latex strip and wrap using figure of 8 around the rear and the front legs and tie off in between the two legs.

[clyde]

15. Fold the front wingbud back and tie off at the back of the head portion.

 

16. Bend and fold the rear portion of the front wingbud forward out of your way.

 

17. Tie on the rear wingbud (same as the front wingbud with the head/thorax portion trimmed off).

 

18. Tie in the middle leg using figure of 8 at the mid point between the front and back legs.

 

19. Wrap latex strip using figure of 8 around middle leg and tie off just in front of the middle leg and cut off remainder of the latex strip. Color with waterproof markers.

 

20. Fold front wingbud back and tie off just in front of middle leg. Whip finish at this point. Color and lacquer and let dry.

 

21. Form and shape the leg with bodkin and tweezers heated with a candle. Experiment with this prior to trying on your fly as it takes some trial and error. Next place a tiny amount of lacquer on the bottom of the thorax and allow to get tacky. Wrap ostitch herl around legs and tie in knot. Apply tiny amount of lacquer to knot.

 

Your now finished FINALLY!!

 

Here is a few pictures of the steps and finished shadow box I made.

[clyde]

[beedhead]

WOW... nice...!!!... ...Allot of effort into your post...Well done!!!

 

Cheers!...Jeff...

[SanJuanWorm]

Wow fantastic.

[Guest RedWiggler]

Those are awesome man.

[Castuserraticus]

Wow - that's some skill shown there.

[admin]

Awesome SBS on the stones. Thanks for sharing a few secrets.

[Pythagoras]

Wow! As George W Bush would say....thats awesome!

 

I've tied Atlantic Salmon flys in my youth and have thought to myself that, if I ever get back into tying, it would be to do realistics but never knew where to start. Thanks, great post!

[SilverDoctor]

Great stone pattern thanks for posting.

[Parry]

Great stone pattern thanks for posting.

haha i sware enough as it is when i loose flies. Dunno what i would do if i lost a couple of these bad boys

 

Purely amazing, great job

[tuber]

Awesome fly, and a most excellent post showing the process!

[albannachxcuileag]

That is one excellent SBS! You must have the patience of a saint to do all that hard work! Will need to give them a go for across here on the Liffey.

 

TLs

[cowtownscribe]

Great flies!

 

You have more dedication than I do. I was once in an intermediate tying session hosted by Dan Cotrell. While checking on our progress, He informed me that my stonefly imitation wouldn't be as effective as it could be, if I didn't dub the legs all the way down to the second knuckle.

 

I quietly finished my fly, and never tied another one again. If that was what it was going to take to effectively catch fish on a fly - this cowboy was going to fail miserably. Fortunately my impressionistic school of thinking has worked for 30 years

 

CS.

[paulf]

...nicely tied dude...keep up the fantastic tying...

[Kingfisher]

Nice stuff for sure. I really like that shadow box. That represents a lot of work in that little box.

 

What are you using for the white latex? It looks like you have cut strips of it from something.

 

Rob

[Gil]

I'm very impressed. I don't know if I could stand to loose one while fishing though...

[thetrout]

WOW, amazing, very inspirational!, i could never do that lol, oh BTW i am now OFFICIALLY the SECOND girl on here!!! WHOOT, thought u all should know. but yah it was truly amazing the job u did!!

[agbff]

man.... thats really impressive work man!