Tying TPO Sulphur Rabbits Foot



This is a great  "damp" emerger pattern (tied in various body colors), or as an emerger that is swung downstream on a tight line or in front of rising fish that seemed to have spurned every fly in the box.  I often save any flies like this that are worn and won't float well anymore and keep them in my "chewables" section - - -these are great wet/damp emerger patterns for swinging in front of fish.  These flies work.    They have a neat, slim profile and construction, are tied with natural, wiggly material, and fish love them.  I have used these to great effect on our small streams, on tailwaters like the South Holston, Watauga, Smith, and Jackson Rivers, and also on some of the most difficult trout water out West.  They work especially well on area tailwaters under wet/soggy/rainy conditions (hint SoHo and Watauga)....I believe in part due to two things:  One is during wet conditions there are a greater percentage of flies that can't get off the water quickly because they can't get their wings dry; Two is during wet soggy weather there's a high percentage of cripples due to the pelting of the surface by rain...I have seen in over and over in over 20yrs on those rivers and many others.    At times these guys can save the day.  Tie up a few and give them a try- - - fish them to rising fish, swing them in front of rising fish, or fish them down and across, using a strip/pause retrieve- - - if you do the last one make sure you have a heavier tippet or you'll get the fly and tippet taken away from you.  Enjoy...!


Materials

Hook:  Daichii 1130 sizes 16-20
Thread:  Unithread  8/0, color of your choosing, though olive or dun is a favorite of mine, as is
                 Olive dun, which may be my favorite overall for the majority of bwo patterns I tie
Tail:    Hareline Sparkle emerger yarn, black
Abdomen:   Stripped peacock herl over a bit of Krazy glue
Ribbing:  none
Thorax:   Dubbing, Hareline Angora , olive, but coarse Hare's ear works well too in a pinch, I choose both because       they are rough textured dubbings that take floatant and dry dust well, though I usually only use dust on these most of the time because of the CDC

Wing and 'Outriggers': Mark Petijean Dun CDC, Two feathers tied in w/tips extending over hook eye



Directions for Tying the TPO Sulphur Rabbits Foot  Emerger

Steps 1 - 3:   Start thread and lay a thread base as shown, going down the bend of the hook.  Tie in half of a one inch strand of Hareline Sparkle emerger yarn.  Trim excess and carry thread to the rear as shown.

Steps 4-6:  Tie in a stripped peacock herl /stem, apply a very light coat of Krazy Glue, then wrap herl forward as shown creating a variegated, segmented body.  Trim excess.

    Steps 7-9:  With herl trimmed, position the thread as shown.  Tie in two CDC feathers with tips facing forward as shown.  Secure with several tight thread turns, but don't cut the stems just yet.  Bend them back so that they are perpendicular to the hook shank, and secure with several 'X' turns or figure '8' wraps.

 Steps10-12:  Apply Hareline Angora to the thread sparingly, you may have to use wax, as Angora can be challenging to work with due to its extremely coarse nature, but then again that's the very reason I use it on this fly.  Figure eight the dubbing around the CDC stems as shown, lift up the cdc feather tips as shown, coming in front of them.  Make several wraps in front so they stand up.  Perfection isn't necessary here, only that the wing be somewhat upright.  I have come to think that the fly looking like a cripple isn't such a bad thing.

Steps 13-14  Whip finish and cement very lightly.  This fly will sit like an emerging dun, half cocked in the surface film, outriggers splayed out to the sides.  Photo 2 is what the trout see  from underneath, looks like what they see as a mayfly emerger struggles to go through the "escape hole" in the surface film.

                                                        
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                                         Tying a TPO Sulphur Rabbits Foot Emerger Pattern                    

                                                           

                                                            

                                                   Jeffrey Wilkins Fly Tying
                                          3703 Windspray Court 
                                                             Summerfield, NC 27358
                                           (336) 644-7775   jeff@jeffreywilkinsflyfishing.com