The sky is overcast, clouds are high, and the wind is almost non-existent. You have that special piece of water all for yourself—the one where the river enters a stretch of calm water.
Trout are feeding with such a regular pace that it calms your nerves as you peer into the pool to see what insect has survived this ten-yard killing field. A large Mayfly sails by, bringing a smile to your face as you recognize the green drake. Taking your eyes away from the river, you scan the neat and tidy rows of your fly box and a Blue Upright catches your attention. A perfect day of fishing has begun.
With a textbook cast you elicit a strike and bring it in expecting to land the perfect specimen, instead you are dismayed by a fish of five inches. The remainder of the day, which is cut short at noon out of disgust, brings only two more fish for a measly combined length of 14 inches.
Stomping back to your car, the realization that the conditions were perfect, therefore it was something of your doing that marred the day, is almost too much to take. A final survey of your fly box reveals what is missing—an extended body Mayfly.
Extended body Mayflies have been conceptualized with regularity for the last 40-odd years. From toilet brush bristles to deer hair, fly tiers have run the gamut of materials, the common thread being the high degree of dexterity and patience necessary to master these patterns.
One material emerges as a superior alternative: foam. Light as air, it has to be good—but not all foam is created equally. Our crusade for the perfect foam began south of the boarder, where round and sheet foam were discovered. Aside from the fact that the price was prohibitive, round foam can’t duplicate the silhouette of the real thing without heating the foam to a specific temperature and rolling it to shape, which defeats the purpose by removing its buoyancy. What is needed is something that may be tapered at will.
The search ended where it should have begun—in the craft store. There you will find “Fun Foam.” It comes in an amazing array of colours and, as an added bonus, Fun Foam also takes permanent marker with a xylene base very well. Foam of this nature is extremely buoyant. This means that when foam is applied to the underside of the body, the fly will always ride on its side. Zing Wing is preferred as wing material because it holds its shape but does not twist the leader. Any parachute hackles will do—from deer hair to poor quality hackle. The choice of hook is not crucial, but there are a couple of things to keep in mind: stay with short-shanked hooks and err on the side of heavy. Wet fly hooks are OK, 3399 will do, but our favorite is a 3366 Bass Bug hook. It will take some digging to find, but it’s worth it because they are user-friendly and affordable.
Tying the Extended Body Mayfly
Before you even put your hook in the vise, pre-cut the foam. This will save unnecessary interruptions once you get going. First cut the sheet of foam into 1-inch strips. From this strip you will cut triangles that measure 1-inches in height and 3/16 of an inch at the base (you can adjust length and wit to match the hook). To make the most efficient use of the foam, mark and cut the foam as shown in the diagram.
Secure the hook in the vise and start with a good base of thread. A flex-cement should be used to prevent material from spinning on the hook. Super glue is an option but may discolour foam and other material. If thread is not what you want to see, a base of dubbing can be applied. Go back to the front of the hook, leaving enough space for a head. Lay the foam on the shank so that the “pointy” end is pointing away from the vise, leaving enough base of the foam to cover the shank. Bind the foam to the back of the eye with three wraps of thread. Advance the thread to the middle of the shank; fold the foam back onto itself (the “pointy” end is now pointing toward the vise). Bind the foam down with three wraps. Advance the thread to the back of the shank and bind the foam down with three wraps. Secure and cut the thread. Re-tie in the mid-section. Apply wing material and form the wings. Attach and wind the hackle around the wing. Secure with a whip-finish around the wing.
Variations
As a general rule of thumb, smaller Mayflies are predominantly dark brown to black. Lighter colors may be used on larger hooks.
Using a dark permanent marker, draw a line on the top of the fly to create a shaded effect.
By trimming the extended foam body to the length of the shank and applying a down wing of deer hair, you create a caddis imitation.
By using bright blue, green, red, even orange, foam you can create a very realistic dragon fly. Omit hackle and use spent wing of poly yarn
Cut foam with a very sharp blade and a straight edge, because it is hard to keep a straight line with scissors.
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