Tying Tuesday: Two Gurglers, a Food Stamp, and an Extended Body Mayfly

We kick things off with Martyn White’s Gartside Gurgler, a topwater fly that can be waked, skated, and for a more aggressive presentation, popped. Iridescent flash combined with the white body makes for easy locating if you happen to throw this near shaded structure. Following up with Charlie Craven’s Food Stamp: not a “clean and pretty” fly, as he puts it, but effective in mimicking a “chewed up” crippled emerger swirling in surface foam. McFly Angler walks through an Extended Body Mayfly, a delicate dry that is best cast with a soft rod in the short-to-medium range. We end with the Foam Face Minnow from Fly Fish Food, a dynamic pattern that imitates a minnow rising to the surface to feed and results in aggressive takes.

Keep these handy in your box as spring turns to summer.

The Original Gartside Gurgler
Hook: ‪Fulling Mill‬ universal saltwater size 6-2/0
Thread: White
Tail: Sparse bucktail or more full marabou with flash of your choice
Body: Closed cell foam and least 3mm thick
Hackle: Strung saddle

Food Stamp
Hook: TMC 2487
Thread: 30d NanoSilk
Rib: XS Copper Wire
Abdomen: Brown Marabou
Wing Case: 2mm foam
Thorax: Hare’s Mask Dubbing
Legs: Caribou Hair

Extended Body Mayfly
Hooks: Risen Barbless Caddis Scud 2490 (size 14)
Base Thread: Veevus GSP 30 (black)
Tying Thread: Veevus 10/0 (brown)
Dubbing: Fine and Dry (tan)
Tail: Deer hair
Wing: CDL cape feathers
Hackle: Dry Fly Rooster Neck (brown)
Thorax: Peacock herl
Resin: Solarez Ultra Thin

Foam Face Minnow
Hook: Gamakatsu SC15 Wide Gap Saltwater Hook – 1/0
Hook (Alternate): Ahrex 280 Saltwater Minnow Hook – 1/0
Thread: UTC Ultrathread 210 Denier – White
Thread (Alternate): 210 Denier Waxed Danville Flymaster Plus – White #377
Weight: Lead Wire – 0.02
Weight (Alternate): Lead Free Round Wire – 0.02
Tail 1: Extra Select Craft Fur – Medium Gray Dun
Tail 2: Extra Select Craft Fur – Medium Olive
Tail (Alternate): Salty Craft Fur – Grey
Tail 2 (Alternate): Salty Craft Fur – Olive
Underbody: Medium 3/4″ Chocklett’s Finesse Body Chenille – Clear
Underbody (Alternate): Chocklett’s Clear Glass Minnow Chenille
Body 1: EP Fibers – Gray
Body 1 (Alternate): MFC Widow’s Web – Smoke
Body 2: EP Fibers – Olive
Body 2 (Alternate): MFC Widow’s Web – Olive
Flash: Flashabou – Original – 6918 – Pink
Flash (Alternate): Mirage Flashabou – 3065 – Pink
Head 1: Fly Tying Foam – 3mm – Light Gray
Head 2: Fly Tying Foam – 3mm – Olive
Head 1 (Alternate): MFC – High Rise Foam – 3mm – Grey
Head 2 (Alternate): MFC – High Rise Foam – 3mm – Light Olive
Eyes: Fulling Mill Epoxy Eye – Super Pearl – 6.0mm – 15/64″
Eyes (Alterante): 3D Holographic Eyes – 5/32″ – Super Pearl
Glue 1: Fly Tyer’s Z-Ment
Glue 2: Loctite Gel Control Super Glue
Resin: Loon UV Clear Fly Finish – Thick (1/2 oz)