Mallard Mojo Meltdown, help!!!!! Options

[leighs52]

I know at one time I could actually tie a pretty good bronze mallard roof, maybe not every time, but often enough to not go completely crazy. Looking back at some of my older posts, there were some pretty good ones, even one that someone labeled "awesome." Unfortunately, I seem to have lost the ability, and it is driving me crazy. I'm tying an Irish fly now, and I've tried to put about 6 roofs on it, with no success.
At the Symposium, I watched Charlie Chute do it. He ties in each slip separately, and positions them in the middle of the wing when he first ties them in, then actually lifts them to lie on top of the wing and marry together. Tried that, failed miserably. The wing just straightens out and wont lie on top or marry together, or the main wing pokes thru the middle. I've tried the one slip folded in half method, the two strips on top of each other method, I've tried them all. I'm going postal.
Anybody have any tricks or ideas they want to share? One thing I do notice is that my winging style seems to have changed a bit, with a steeper upslope at the front of the wing. I suspect that contributes to the problem, but I look at Dave C's flies, who are even more sloped than mine, and his roofs are great. True, he is Dave Carne and I'm not, but there has to be a better way.
Signed,
Frustrated

[Matt Inman]

You seem to know most of the techniques. Walk away from the fly for the night and try tomorrow. That seems to be the best technique for me.

If all else fails, just say that you forgot to add the roof...(That's what everyone else does.)

[roycestearns]

Have you tried the "Lucas spey" method (I don't know what else to call it) and I looked through the spey lesson on his web site which partially describes the process. The first step is when you've identified the strips, that are the correct length (you want to tye in on the gray area), while they are still on the stem stroke them the opposite way that they normally grow. This is rather dramatic almost to the point of stripping them from the stem. Now clip the slips out with the stem (leaving the stem on the slip). When you put the two matched slips (still stroked the opposite way they've grown) together they automatically marry together in an exaggerated roof curve. When you position them and take your soft loop over the gray stem area make sure that your next wraps are forward otherwise they will split.

If nothing else it's one more way to try before you burn your bronze mallard.

[FeathersMc]

Leigh
It's an Irish fly; try getting drunk first.
John

[keyboard112]

Hi Leigh,

I will tell you how I did mine; I have been fighting with roof and how to do it for a few months now. I am new at all of this and it never clicked for me until one frustrating evening, I am probably not doing it right either LOL!!! I stood in front of Charlie for about 4 hours or so at Somerset, and figured I would give his way a try. The key I found that worked for me is, I tie in each slip one at a time so both meet together at the tie in point, that was key. I tie them in on each side of the wing; I then grabbed both tips of the mallard and pulled them straight up in the air. I rocked them back and fourth front to back a little and then bowed them pushing from the tips to the front of the fly to get them to lock together. Next they were married, then I laid them down over top of the wing, gave um a few rubs and there it was. The other trick I found was, find the flank with the most curves and give them some hump also. I also noticed that some of the feathers just didn't want to go together either, I tried a few different ones before they would work together with each other. I hope this helps out.

Keith

[Dave Carne]

I pre-curve the strips as much a poss (NO stem as it gets in the way and prevents fibre movement to where it 'needs' to be) and suck the roots a little to draw them together and to provide some lubrication to the thread (especially important as I use gossamer nowadays which is much less slippery than synthetics).

I tie them one at a time (face first - mainly coz this is the most difficult one given my thread direction) pointing up in line with the front edge of the wing, once the first strip is on I run a slightly dampened finger across top edge and (if you've precurved them to more or less the right shape anyway) this is sufficient to pull it into crisp contact with the wing's upper edge. Then repeat the process for the blind side.

I would say that certain BM just won't behave, come what may - even if it looks perfect. And also that it is important to tie it as upright (when seen in cross section from the front) alongside the wing as poss. I would also say that, as with shoulders, using thinner strips to try and make life easier is a mistake - they're actually much harder to do if they're too thin.

Dave

[willowhead]

Great stuff. Tkx. all. me

[CapeBSalar]

Excellent tips for a most frustrating problem. Thank you.