sexyloops fly tying school part 17 - emergers

Emergers

Basic description: Insects in their emerging state.
 
Design criteria based on functionality

1. imitate an emerging insect stuck in the water surface film
2. make sure it does not drown competely
3. it would be nice if the angler could see the fly
4. there is no 4 - 4 is the new 5 (edited by Paul)
5. make sure it lands correctly

So based on these parameters (apart from 1. - which is an interpretation) we can check the flies we tie. To me it does not matter so much which techniques are applied - the parameters 2. to 5. must be achieved. 

2. and 3. (and even maybe number 1.)
Checking wether the stuff we tied works is easy. You need a glass with water by the tying desk. Put the fly in and see what happens. Do you see the fly from above? What does it look like from under (hence the glass). Does it drown? 

number 5. - stand up from you tying desk and throw the fly in the air (make sure the cat isn´t around). Observe what happens. How does the fly land in your hand or on the floor. Does it rotate in the air (bad) and so on. Speed of decent and the "force" with which it hits your hand gives you an indication on the floatability. A heavy fly, or which becomes heavy by absorbing water would sink when cast on the water. Such flaw does not show so easy in the simple "water glass test".


Here are some quick shots I did:

from left to right
Blue Bottle on CZ#18, Klinkhamer K4A/S #12, Carpet Yarn Caddis K4A/S #14, Hares Hair Emerger CZ #12




a closer look at the Blue Bottle (basically a black hares hair emerger)

and the beloved Hares Hair Emerger

You will notice that all flies show a mirror image in the water surface - and that to me is they key trigger making emerger patterns so successful. So choose a design that helps this impression. 

Related articles:

http://www.sexyloops.com/index.php/ps/sexyloops-fly-tying-school-part-6-klinkhamer

http://www.sexyloops.com/index.php/ps/sexyloops-fly-tying-school-part-16-hares-hair-emerger

Only possible on sexyloops
... the link to a not even published yet articles - stay tuned and watch out for the STFS on fridays

http://www.sexyloops.com/index.php/ps/sexyloops-fly-tying-school-part-18-foam-hare-klink 

http://www.sexyloops.com/index.php/ps/sexyloops-fly-tying-school-part-19-carpet-yarn-caddis



some more pics of flies - which actually do not tell so very much about what they look like for the fish.
Interesting from a fly tying handycraft perspective though. 


Klinkhamer on the orginal hook used - the Partridge K4St.
- picture by Hans Weilenmann, fly tied by t.z.



a concuction of foam and hares hair, showing that one does not need hackle feathers to tie a dryfly
- picture by Hans Weilenmann, fly tied by t.z.



Hares Hair emerger - with a peacock herl thorax


Hares hair emerger with a black body - I call it "blue bottle"


the CYC - carpet yarn caddis

- stay tuned - step by step coming up in the next issue of the SFTS - Sexyloops Fly Tying School ( I wanted to say that since I saw yoga on TV)