Chironomid body wrap?

[Flymph]

Just plain thread seems to thin and wastes a lot of thread. V-rib and the like has a great segmented look but looks to thick no matter how much it is stretched. What are you wrapping your chironomid bodies with?

 

[Merle]

Just plain thread seems to thin and wastes a lot of thread. V-rib and the like has a great segmented look but looks to thick no matter how much it is stretched. What are you wrapping your chironomid bodies with?

I admittedly don't tie a lot of chironomids, but recently discovered Uni-Stretch which is kind of a stretchy floss like material. It comes on a spool like thread, in a variety of colors, and really lays down nice due to its stretchy properties. It seems like it would be perfect for chironomid bodies.

 

[Jahhn]

I admittedly don't tie a lot of chironomids, but recently discovered Uni-Stretch which is kind of a stretchy floss like material. It comes on a spool like thread, in a variety of colors, and really lays down nice due to its stretchy properties. It seems like it would be perfect for chironomid bodies.

I dislike using thread for them too so this is a great idea, thanks Merle

 

[Sam Roffe]

What Merle said. I've been using my stash of that stretch floss material I bought from Kaughmans years ago.

I have also used red mylar flash for some of my blood worm patterns.

Sam

 

[troutpocket]

I like John Kent’s technique using micro tubing and flashabou with a UV resin coating. Search “guns n roses chironomid” for a tutorial. Sport Fishing on the Fly and Phil Rowley’s YouTube channel have it.

 

[chief]

I have been using Togen’s “Chirony Skin” and recently “Buzzer Wrap” both with good results. It comes in lots of colors.

 

[Buzzy]

Don't completely discount thread wraps with a bit of UV coating, toothy buggers.

 

[SpeyrodGB]

You can always use heavy thread (ultra thread 210 or 280), wire rib and some up resin. The heavy thread builds up quickly. I’ve used it for soft hackle bodies in the past.

 

[Scudley Do Right]

I have some rubber material that was my dad's. I forget what it's called but you just back of the tension as you wrap forward to get the taper.

 

[FinLuver]

Sewing thread underbody then your favorite tying thread or floss over that.

Or, embroidery threads…lots of vibrant colors…

Don’t forget to wrap a flattened Krystal flash (I like the micro stuff) for a rib; also add x-sm wire rib. Again, color choices and material combinations are endless.

 

[_WW_]

I just use the tying thread. You can get a lot of bugs from one spool.

 

[Scudley Do Right]

The rubber material is super floss.

 

[BriGuy]

Dental floss can be used as a first layer. That's what I use the little dispensers the dentist gives me for. I actually use dental floss for quite a few things when tying.

 

[Cowlitz Bottomfeeder]

Scud back and flexi floss work great but after a number of years the bodies degrade and come undone. Ozone?

Mylar gift wrapping and anti static bags are good.

 

[Buzzy]

Scud back and flexi floss work great but after a number of years the bodies degrade and come undone. Ozone?

Mylar gift wrapping and anti static bags are good.

When it came out, I was a fan of Scudback - but you are right that it becomes brittle, loses its stretchability (is that a word?). I ended up tossing six or seven colors of Scudback into the garbage. I no longer tie "rubber" legs since like the rubber bands on my floss spools, the rubber rots; a legless rubber-legged hare's ear?

I messed around with window shade films, lots of neat colors but some of them have an adhesive backing which makes using it more trouble than it's worth (for me).

Flashabou and the other mylar products provide endless options for colors and mixing colors; some of the holographic colors provide a tyer even more options (Phil Rowley's being a case in point). Don't forget a coating on these flies as otherwise they're fragile (Fra gee lay?).

I forget how many years back it was that a guide we fished with up in the Logan Lake area turned us onto "static bags" (anti-); great stuff, not too stretchy but with a good razor or Exacto blade one can cut the material in very narrow strips (it's available now pre-cut, huh!). You sure can get some great color options with your underlayment materials.

 

[_WW_]

When it came out, I was a fan of Scudback - but you are right that it becomes brittle, loses its stretchability (is that a word?). I ended up tossing six or seven colors of Scudback into the garbage. I no longer tie "rubber" legs since like the rubber bands on my floss spools, the rubber rots; a legless rubber-legged hare's ear?

I messed around with window shade films, lots of neat colors but some of them have an adhesive backing which makes using it more trouble than it's worth (for me).

Flashabou and the other mylar products provide endless options for colors and mixing colors; some of the holographic colors provide a tyer even more options (Phil Rowley's being a case in point). Don't forget a coating on these flies as otherwise they're fragile (Fra gee lay?).

I forget how many years back it was that a guide we fished with up in the Logan Lake area turned us onto "static bags" (anti-); great stuff, not too stretchy but with a good razor or Exacto blade one can cut the material in very narrow strips (it's available now pre-cut, huh!). You sure can get some great color options with your underlayment materials.

The ASB is something I use a lot of. I use the tying thread to build the taper underneath it and then coat the finished fly with resin. Makes them pretty bullet proof.