Befus Para Emerger BWO

Befus Para Emerger BWO
A parachute emerger that will work for almost all mayfly and midge hatches.

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Description

This is one of the fly pattern my dad (Brad Befus) ties. It is also one of the flies sold in the Umpqua Feather Merchants catalog. I tie this mostly for Blue Winged Olive hatches but in really small sizes (#22-24) works as a midge emerger as well. You can just change up the colors and hook size to match just about any mayfly hatch. There are some good techniques in this fly that can help with tying other flies. This one fly you will certainly want to have in your fly box. Ilike to fish this with a small nymph (Pheasant Tail, Barr Emerger or Biot mayfly nymph) below it on a dropper.

Materials

Thread: 70 Denier UTC olive Hook: TMC 2487 or 2488 14-22 Trailing Shuck: Tan Z-lon Abdomen: Tannish/ Brown Antron Dubbing Thorax: BWO Superfine Dubbing Parachute Post: Closed Cell Foam (White, Yellow, Orange) Hackle: Med. Dun Rooster

Lets Go Tie a Befus Para Emerger BWO ↓
Step 1 Place the hook in the vise.	Step 1 Place the hook in the vise.
Step 2 Then start your thread and wrap over the tag to about 2-3 eyes lengths behind the eye.	Step 2 Then start your thread and wrap over the tag to about 2-3 eyes lengths behind the eye.
Step 3 Next take a piece of closed cell foam cut to the width of 2mm and tie it onto the hook. (When you tie the foam in you want to keep all your wraps in one place.) When you cut the foam you want to cut it so that it is a perfect square. In the end it should be 2mmX2mm.	Step 3 Next take a piece of closed cell foam cut to the width of 2mm and tie it onto the hook. (When you tie the foam in you want to keep all your wraps in one place.) When you cut the foam you want to cut it so that it is a perfect square. In the end it should be 2mmX2mm.
Step 4 Now wrap over the foam to the middle of the hook.	Step 4 Now wrap over the foam to the middle of the hook.
Step 5 Then cut the extra foam off of the hook.	Step 5 Then cut the extra foam off of the hook.
Step 6 Now cover up the tag and wrap your thread to the back of the hook. (You want to wrap the thread a little past the starting point so that when you tie in you trailing shuck in, it actually looks like an emerger.)	Step 6 Now cover up the tag and wrap your thread to the back of the hook. (You want to wrap the thread a little past the starting point so that when you tie in you trailing shuck in, it actually looks like an emerger.)
Step 7 Next tie in a piece of Z-lon which will be our trailing shuck. Don’t worry about length right now. We will come back later to cut it to the proper length.	Step 7 Next tie in a piece of Z-lon which will be our trailing shuck. Don’t worry about length right now. We will come back later to cut it to the proper length.
Step 8 Now wrap over the Z-lon up to the place where you cut off the extra foam.	Step 8 Now wrap over the Z-lon up to the place where you cut off the extra foam.
Step 9 Now cut off the extra Z-lon that is left over.	Step 9 Now cut off the extra Z-lon that is left over.
Step 10 Now pull the foam post back over the body and make a few wraps of thread in front of it so it will stand up.	Step 10 Now pull the foam post back over the body and make a few wraps of thread in front of it so it will stand up.
Step 11 Next we will put bundle wraps on the foam post. These wraps only go around the foam so it gives us a good base to wrap the hackle feather on. I like to make about 6-8 wraps to do this.	Step 11 Next we will put bundle wraps on the foam post. These wraps only go around the foam so it gives us a good base to wrap the hackle feather on. I like to make about 6-8 wraps to do this.
Step 12 This shows what the finished bundle wraps look like on the foam post.	Step 12 This shows what the finished bundle wraps look like on the foam post.
Step 13 Now wrap your thread back to where the trailing shuck is tied in and put a very sparse abount of Antron dubbing on the thread. We will wrap this to make the abdomen. You can chnge this dubbing color to match the nymph color of teh mayfly or midge you are trying to imitate.	Step 13 Now wrap your thread back to where the trailing shuck is tied in and put a very sparse abount of Antron dubbing on the thread. We will wrap this to make the abdomen. You can chnge this dubbing color to match the nymph color of teh mayfly or midge you are trying to imitate.
Step 14 Wrap the dubbed abdomen up the back of the foam post. Be careful not to make this big. Just make a gradual taper like you would on a mayfly nymph body.	Step 14 Wrap the dubbed abdomen up the back of the foam post. Be careful not to make this big. Just make a gradual taper like you would on a mayfly nymph body.
Step 15 Select a medium dun rooster hackle feather.	Step 15 Select a medium dun rooster hackle feather.
Step 16 I trim the feather to remove the fluff and soft web from the bottom of the feather. When holding the shinny side of the feather facing you, trim the fibers about ¼ of an inch along the stem on the top side and just few on the bottom side. Look at the picture to see how I prepared this before tying it onto the hook.	Step 16 I trim the feather to remove the fluff and soft web from the bottom of the feather. When holding the shinny side of the feather facing you, trim the fibers about ¼ of an inch along the stem on the top side and just few on the bottom side. Look at the picture to see how I prepared this before tying it onto the hook.
Step 17 Hold the feather on top of the hook in front of the post with the shinny side of the feather facing you and tie it in with 3-5 tight wraps of thread.	Step 17 Hold the feather on top of the hook in front of the post with the shinny side of the feather facing you and tie it in with 3-5 tight wraps of thread.
Step 18 Put a small amount of BWO Superfine dubbing on your thread to make the thorax. The thorax should be the color of the adult mayfly or midge you are imitating. For example if you are thing a Plae Morning Dun you would use a light yellow or sulfer color dubbing.	Step 18 Put a small amount of BWO Superfine dubbing on your thread to make the thorax. The thorax should be the color of the adult mayfly or midge you are imitating. For example if you are thing a Plae Morning Dun you would use a light yellow or sulfer color dubbing.
Step 18 Put a small amount of BWO Superfine dubbing on your thread to make the thorax. The thorax should be the color of the adult mayfly or midge you are imitating. For example if you are thing a Plae Morning Dun you would use a light yellow or sulfur color dubbing.	Step 18 Put a small amount of BWO Superfine dubbing on your thread to make the thorax. The thorax should be the color of the adult mayfly or midge you are imitating. For example if you are thing a Plae Morning Dun you would use a light yellow or sulfur color dubbing.
Step 19 Wrap the dubbing to form the thorax. Make sure to start right in front of the foam post and taper the thorax so it is a little smaller by the hook eye. Be careful not to dub to close to the eye so you have room to finish the fly and make a nice head.	Step 19 Wrap the dubbing to form the thorax. Make sure to start right in front of the foam post and taper the thorax so it is a little smaller by the hook eye. Be careful not to dub to close to the eye so you have room to finish the fly and make a nice head.
Step 20 Start to wrap the hackle feather around the bundling wraps at the base of the foam post. The first wrap should be right on top of the dubbing like in the picture. Be careful not to twist the hackle feather or it will make the fibers go every which way.	Step 20 Start to wrap the hackle feather around the bundling wraps at the base of the foam post. The first wrap should be right on top of the dubbing like in the picture. Be careful not to twist the hackle feather or it will make the fibers go every which way.
Step 21 Continue to wrap 2-3 wraps up the post and 2-3 wraps of hackle back down the post to complete the hackle. You can use more or less wraps. Just make it look good to you!	Step 21 Continue to wrap 2-3 wraps up the post and 2-3 wraps of hackle back down the post to complete the hackle. You can use more or less wraps. Just make it look good to you!
Step 22 Carefully pull the wrapped hackle fibers back away from the hook eye with your finger tips and let the hackle pliers hold the hackle feather over the dubbed thorax right behind the hook eye. This will let you tie down the hackle feather without wrapping thread over the hackle fibers you just wrapped. This is how I tie all my parachute flies. There are other techniques to do this but this one works for me.	Step 22 Carefully pull the wrapped hackle fibers back away from the hook eye with your finger tips and let the hackle pliers hold the hackle feather over the dubbed thorax right behind the hook eye. This will let you tie down the hackle feather without wrapping thread over the hackle fibers you just wrapped. This is how I tie all my parachute flies. There are other techniques to do this but this one works for me.
Step 23 This shows the hackle feather tied down with 3-4 wraps of thread. It is now ready to trim off the hackle feather.	Step 23 This shows the hackle feather tied down with 3-4 wraps of thread. It is now ready to trim off the hackle feather.
Step 24 Trim off the hackle feather. Be careful to only cut the stem and not the hackle you just wrapped.	Step 24 Trim off the hackle feather. Be careful to only cut the stem and not the hackle you just wrapped.
Step 25 Now, pull the hackle fibers back over the body once you have the whip finish tool ready to wrap the whip finish. Make the 3-4 wraps with the whip finish tool and complete the whip finish knot. It is important to hold the hackle fibers back out of the way so they do not get tied down into the head of your fly.	Step 25 Now, pull the hackle fibers back over the body once you have the whip finish tool ready to wrap the whip finish. Make the 3-4 wraps with the whip finish tool and complete the whip finish knot. It is important to hold the hackle fibers back out of the way so they do not get tied down into the head of your fly.
Step 26 Trim off the tying thread with your scissors.	Step 26 Trim off the tying thread with your scissors.
Step 27 Now trim the foam post so it leaves a small color spot on the top of the fly so you can see it when you are fishing the fly.	Step 27 Now trim the foam post so it leaves a small color spot on the top of the fly so you can see it when you are fishing the fly.
Step 28 I like to make the foam about two hook eye lengths above the hackle.	Step 28 I like to make the foam about two hook eye lengths above the hackle.
Step 29 Next pull the Z-lon back and trim it so it is about one hook shank length long. You can make them longer or shorter if you like. This can always be trimmed shorter when you are fishing or can be cut off completely if you do not want it on there.	Step 29 Next pull the Z-lon back and trim it so it is about one hook shank length long. You can make them longer or shorter if you like. This can always be trimmed shorter when you are fishing or can be cut off completely if you do not want it on there.
Step 30 You did a great job completing the Befus Para Emerger BWO.	Step 30 You did a great job completing the Befus Para Emerger BWO.
Step 31 Finished fly. Top angled view.	Step 31 Finished fly. Top angled view.
Step 32 Bottom view.	Step 32 Bottom view.
Step 33 Front angled view.	Step 33 Front angled view.

Befus Para Emerger BWO

Description

Materials

Lets Go Tie a Befus Para Emerger BWO ↓

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