Several years ago I began tying some of my nymph and midge patterns using micro tubing for the body. I found that standard Pheasant Tail nymphs fell apart after several fish because the natural tail fibers were not very durable when used for the body material, and if the fibers weren't long enough, it was difficult to wrap the body with them.

I had some microtubing at my tying bench so I decided to tie several Pheasant Tails using microtubing for the body. This pattern was not only easier to tie with the longer pieces of microtubing, but it worked better than the traditional pattern. If it weren't for breaking off the occasional fly on the bottom, it proved to be durable enough to fish all day. The next modification I made was to use Peacock Ice Dub for the thorax instead of peacock herl, and Fire-Fly for a wing case, officially eliminating the weakest links. Now I tie this pattern using micro rubber legs and a marabou tail to make an indestructible and improved Pheasant Tail.

The transformation of the Pheasant Tail was so successful, I soon modified many of my favorite nymph and midge patterns to use microtubing for the body. Since my nymphs and midges to microtube bodies were more durable, easier to tie, and produced more strikes, it only seemed logical that I would notice the same results if I tried the material with dry flies.

The House and Lot Variant was a favorite fly of President Eisenhower when he visited the West, and for good reason. It is extremely effective as a mayfly or an attractor anywhere in the Rockies. It was easy to see and had enough buoyancy to carry a dropper with split-shot even in heavy currents. I was catching a lot of fish using this pattern but the fly would come apart after landing several fish because the body was made from stripped peacock herl. The problem was evident even after treating the body with head cement.

I recreated this pattern as well, using microtubing for the body and Peacock Ice Dub for the thorax. Not only did this fly work great, but after catching over 20 fish on one fly, the body was still in the same condition as when I first tied it on. Since then I have found this to be the single most effective dry fly on my home waters from July through October. The best thing about this fly is that even though it can be grossly oversized when compared to the naturals on the water, it typically attracts the biggest fish of the day.

After many years of careful observation I realized that no mayflies have a body that resembles dubbing. If you look at a natural on the water the body is be translucent, shiny, and segmented just like microtubing. Quill-body flies have a similar shiny segmentation but they are harder to work with, and still have some durability issues.

One other very important advantage microtube dry fly bodies have is their ability to float. Traditional dry flies with dubbed bodies have the tendency to absorb water, especially after a fish has mauled one. After landing the fish you must dry your fly and treat it with floatant to keep it riding on top of the water. When you use microtubing for the body you create a small sealed tube of air that does not absorb water, making the fly lighter and virtually maintenance free on the water. You should still add floatant to the fly hackle and tail.

Many traditional patterns are tied without parachutes because they need to be heavily hackled to keep the fly riding correctly in the water. They often ride too high, making them stand out from the naturals. With a parachute-style fly and a microtube body this fly rides lower in the water and better resembles the naturals you are trying to imitate.

Tie some of these flies or create your own variations next time you sit down at your vise. Tying flies with microtubing is easy and will increase your productivity--both at your bench and on the water.