Ring Stinger, Afterburner and Tied Damsel
Some marabou experimentation that provided some very lifelike movement and that can curry favour with fish
First of all, what I can only describe as stacked marabou. I haven't seen anything like it, but as you well know there a seldom any new ideas in the world, especially fly fishing.
I have made two versions, the Ring stinger and the Afterburner, based on this technique. I also did a baitfish, but was not happy with the result.
The Afterburner is shown above and a different version of the same method, the Ring Stinger is shown below
Ringstinger, rear view - Above
and side view - Below
Click on the Image above to take you to the step-by-step instructions
The ring stinger with booby eyes
And now the method of tying...
Tie a good generous clump of red marabou to tail of streamer hook (eg. Hanak H280 #8).
Pinch it off a bit at a time to shorten (do not cut).
Tie on another clump of red, but do not shorten.
If you are making a ring stinger, ignore this step.
Tie on some good chunks of marabou as shown on the top and sides of the hook
Trim roughly as shown to form a big under-body
Do some more of the same to the right of the first clump
Trim as shown, it does not have to be too neat but must be symmetrical.
Tie on the tip end of a marabou feather with a thin shaft.
A thin shaft as you will now palmer the marabou to form the outer body.
Clear any trapped fibres with each turn using a bodkin.
Trim off excess hackle and whip finish.
Strengthen this with a bit of superglue, and your fly is ready.
You can add some eyes, or create a version with a bead.
This is how it looks wet, but the movement is unbelievable.