The Perfect Danica by Lars Viberg

Essential materials for tying the Danica Extended: Silicone (Dow Corning 732 works great). Fine Dubbing (I use Master Dub light yellow for the female and olive for the male). A rather thick needle (I have glued one to a small handle for more control).

 

Fine Dubbing (I use Master Dub light yellow for the female and olive for the male). A rather thick needle (I have glued one to a small handle for more control).
Put some silicone on the needle like shown
Place 3 black or dark brown hair from a Moose mane
Take rather small amounts of the long dubbing fibres and place it on the needle. Roll the needle away from you while you do this. Try to get it nice and even. Remember to cover all the way up to the point. Grease the dubbing with silicone between every new layer of dubbing.
When the body is finished, pull it slowly off the needle. (Remember to grease it with silicone a last time before pulling it off).
Bend it to a nice “Mayfly” shape before it is dry.
When it is dry, cut the front like shown on the pic.
Place a hook like shown on pic.
Tie in the body. Be careful that you use rather tight turns so that the body will stay in place. Use head cement after tying it in, to fixate it in place. Then let it dry – I use a second vise to place it for drying, so I can go on tying a dried one, while this one is getting ready.
Tie in 2 natural grey CDC feathers to imitate the wings.
For greater floating and more horizontal hackles – and stronger flies – I use Faust Foam. Put it under the wings like shown – stretch it and tie around the wings (2 turns).
Tie in the hackle in front of the wing.
Dub the front of the fly and cover the foam – spin the hackle (lift up the Faust Foam while you turn – important!). Finish of the fly, either under the hackle or at the eye (I combine both). Clip of the Faust Foam leaving a bit to press the hackle down – like shown. This method is invented by Morten Øland.
Now you have a nicely pressed down and strong hackle.
Cut the wings to a nice shape to fit the proportions – and colour the spots on the body to make it look more sexy. Here is a nice, strong and great catching Ephemera Danica.
This is the darker and smaller male

For more information about Lars Viberg and his wonderful artwork please visit: www.theartofflyfishing.net

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