Sparkle Pupa Soft Hackle

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letumgo
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Sparkle Pupa Soft Hackle

Post by letumgo » Sun Jul 10, 2011 9:38 pm

Image

Hook - Mustad 3121/Size 12 (Turned Up Eye - Limerick Bend)
Thread - 8/0 UNI-Thread (Orange)
Sparkle (air bubble) - Clear Antron
Body - Three strands of Peacock Herl, reinforced in a thread dubbing loop which has been waxed and dusted with tan mole dubbing.
Hackle - Hungarian Partridge (tip tyed)

The hook was a special present from our friend Mark Libertone (Soft-hackle). He gave me a box of these hooks and I have been reluctant to use them, since they are quite rare. Tonight I could not resist the tempation any longer and started playing around with them. Man, are these a beautiful hook!

Thanks again, Mark!

Bill - I used your wax to form the body of this fly. Before I formed the dubbing loop, I coated the thread with your wax and lightly dusted the thread with tan mole dubbing. The body has a small halo of fine mole hairs, which looks nice against the peacock herl. I think this technique has some potential.
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Re: Sparkle Pupa Soft Hackle

Post by hankaye » Sun Jul 10, 2011 9:49 pm

Ray, Howdy;

Awesome,

Hate that word, to over used but appropriate here.

hank

PS. the barb looks you're having thoughts of Capt. Ahab....... :lol:
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Re: Sparkle Pupa Soft Hackle

Post by letumgo » Sun Jul 10, 2011 10:02 pm

Yeah, the barbs are not conducive of catch-and-release fishing, but I dig the look of the curved barb. Sort of like a miniature salmon hook.

It is not a very pretty fly, but it looks quite "fishy" it the vice.

Design Note - I tried to go light on the amount of antron around the body. It is very easy to go overboard with this stuff and overwhelm the body of the fly. I wanted enough to capture a few air bubbles and give it an occasional twinkle. Getting the antron positioned 360° is a challenge. I had to futz with the fly for a while before I was happy with the antron-bubble.
Last edited by letumgo on Sun Jul 10, 2011 10:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Ray (letumgo)----<°))))))><
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DUBBN

Re: Sparkle Pupa Soft Hackle

Post by DUBBN » Sun Jul 10, 2011 10:09 pm

That really is a cool looking hook. I like your interpretation of the Sparkle Pupa. The clear antron is extremely sparse and will be filled in nicely by the partridge. I have had an on going argument as to the merits of Lafontaines pattern. I have always maintained a Soft hackle triggers strikes better than his pattern, yet takes alot less effort to tie. Just an opinion mind you. You seem to have married the two techniques quite nicely.
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Re: Sparkle Pupa Soft Hackle

Post by Soft-hackle » Sun Jul 10, 2011 10:31 pm

Hank,
this is a classic hook, quite old in style. Mustad doesn't make them anymore, I don't think. The barb can be bent flat.

Mark
"I have the highest respect for the skilled wet-fly fisherman, as he has mastered an art of very great difficulty.” Edward R. Hewitt

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Re: Sparkle Pupa Soft Hackle

Post by kacbo » Mon Jul 11, 2011 2:34 am

I like that fly!

Ray, is that HMH vise?
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Re: Sparkle Pupa Soft Hackle

Post by willowhead » Mon Jul 11, 2011 2:36 am

WOW! what a cool hook.....don't think i've ever seen that hook before. You fly is teriffic too Ray.........very well done. Fontaine gave me one of his Sparkle Pupa's once, right after he tyed it demonstrating at Somerset. i've since lost the fly :roll: but at least i was fishing it when i lost it. That guy was a GAS to watch tye, becuase not only was he such a good tyer, he was funny as hell. He was from Conneticut, so he really knew the east coast scene very well. If you don't have his book on the Beaverkill, get it. It's good one. ;)
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Re: Sparkle Pupa Soft Hackle

Post by tie2fish » Mon Jul 11, 2011 8:40 am

That is, as far as I know, a truly innovative way to incorporate mole with peacock herl; yet another new trick from one of our many talented tyers.
Some of the same morons who throw their trash around in National parks also vote. That alone would explain the state of American politics. ~ John Gierach, "Still Life with Brook Trout"
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Re: Sparkle Pupa Soft Hackle

Post by kanutripr » Mon Jul 11, 2011 12:57 pm

That hook is great but I really like the way you tied the hackle. It just looks like legs going in every direction.



Vicki
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Re: Sparkle Pupa Soft Hackle

Post by DNicolson » Mon Jul 11, 2011 1:14 pm

Here are a couple of sites in the UK that still sell up-eyed dry fly hooks.

http://www.fishingmegastore.com/kamasan ... l~292.html

http://www.tomcsaville.com/index.php?pa ... &Itemid=10
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