This section is an offshoot of Flies In Stages. I've asked several of my friends to photograph and supply comments on their method of tapering an underbody. My hope is we see as many unique ways as there are contributors. I'm pleased to show the efforts of Stefano Farkas, the gentleman who's idea is responsible for this section. Here he shows the underbody for the Childers, this weeks contribution to the Flies In Stages.

Below are Stefano's comments:

"I have been asked by John to show how I make tapered bodies. I wish to be correct so I must say that the way I will show to you is the same shown in Mike Radencich book " Tying The Classic Salmon Fly ": there you could learn well how to do, without my contribution. But, I have a commitment with John and I must honour it.

Firstly, let me say that we don?t need a very well tapered body for the fly I am now tying, the Childers, because only the first third of the body is covered by silk floss while the other two thirds by seal?s fur for which bumps or irregularities in the underbody are not so important.On the contrary, this is crucial with flat tinsel or silk bodies. Anyhow, it is not necessary for the Childers but it will not ruin it!



Photo 1 - As you can see, I have already tyed the gut, the tag, the tail and the butt. I put now the thread at a distance about the half of the tag length. Always flatten it to avoid bumps, turning it anticlockwise ( if you do this thing too much, turn the thread on the contrary ). We must continue to do this operation until the end of the work.

At this point, fix two pieces of white floss with a turn of thread. For this big fly (9/0) I use 2 pieces of 20 inches paired off, leaving about 6" in the front of the hook. I wrap the thread ( maintaining it always flat ) pulling to the front the two pieces of floss and I arrive to the small step I made with the gut.This is very important: put the gut under the hook as the first photo shows and leave this little step. Now I go to the back in the same way, pulling the two pieces of floss, wrapping them with the thread and stopping before arriving at the beginning of the operation ( a quarter of the tag approx.). I cut these two small pieces and I put them again in the front (photo 2), at the same distance ( a quarter approx. of the tag ) from where I cut them before and I tie them to the front in the same way, arriving to the same point ( the little step made by the gut). The photo shows the half stage, before arriving to it. Now I cut the excess floss in the front and the excess floss in the back ( not the two long pieces!).

Photo 3 - I go with the tying thread to the front ( I maintain it flat). Now I start to wrap the two long pieces of floss from the back to the front. The beginning is difficult because it is easy to create bumps. I try to maintain them parallel and flat and I stop in the front, leaving a thin part for placing the wings. I cut the two pieces of left floss and I go back with the flatten thread, ready to continue the Childers.

The tapered body is done (photo 4)".