Tying Tenkara Flies - A Beginning

[letumgo]

I have a lot of catching up to do! Let me just quickly add my admiration of each of the flies posted above.

[William Anderson]

A slightly more honest attempt at Tenkara style. Still not perfect but better than most of my tries.



Ties on an Irish Buzzer #12 barbless that I picked up in Ireland off Lawrence Finney. Not sure who actually makes them, but they are kind of cool being black and all..... plus the price was right per 100.
The copper is more of that recycled radio transformer, I like the reddish colour, but it is a very fine wire, this is three strands twisted together and could have been applied a bit tidier. The thread is some of the silk I picked up in San Francisco and just good old black.
The thorax, bronze peacock herl...... just because every fly looks better with Peacock herl!
Hackle, a kind of mid ginger/ light red floppy cock hackle of which I have a huge bag full. I bought a bag (amongst other things) off a retired commercial tier here. Most of this bag was hackle you would use for Mataku streamers and the like. It was like a giant mixture of all the stuff he owned at some stage and into this bag went all the remnants...... it is a real lucky dip bag.

Jeff.

Jeff, this looks right in line with everything I've seen online and now on the video. There is a strong argument for a peacock herl thorax on these flies...mostly to do with hooking up. The taper seems to be a significant factor in the more traditional ties. I'm sure this will work out very well.

w

[Mataura mayfly]

William, I am just "bluffing" my way through and making plenty of mistakes...... but having fun!
Tried a couple last night on some horrid wee Kamasan B520 Whisker Barb snell hooks I was given. The pack says #18 but they sure look a tiny #18 and their aint no eye on them! Looked OK until I shot them on macro..... body tapered ok, hackle looked ok..... it even got a tail because the hackle didn't break off cleanly and I just wrapped it down, but the thread wraps were not exactly butting side to side.
Might have to find myself one of those magnifying ring/lights so I can see better.