Foam Wing RS2

All of a sudden it's September!  Where did the summer go?  As we head closer to Fall, it's time to think about the BWOs.  BWOs are my favorite hatch of the year.  While I make sure I have plenty of dries with me and try to get out on those nasty days, I usually end up fishing more nymphs and emergers to fish than the actual adults.  As many of you know, the RS2 is one of my favorite flies to tie and to fish.  It just works and the fish don't mind eating it.  The pattern below is a Foam Wing RS2.  There are many different variations of this fly and they all work.  This is just one of the variations.   Tie this just as you would a regular RS2, just replace the antron or fluff wing with white foam.  Tie some up and give them a try and let us know how you did.

FOAM WING RS2 
Hook:  TMC 101 18-24
Thread: 8/0 Gray
Tails:  Mayfly Tails (microfibetts)
Dubbing:  Superfine
Wing:  White Evazote foam cut to size with a razor
Thorax:  Superfine Dubbing

The RS2-Revisited

My posts on the RS2 have been getting a lot of looks ever since they were posted.  It seems like there is a lot of interest in tis fly especially the further East one goes.  I wanted to share another tip that I use to tie one style of the RS2.  By using Whiting Farms Chick-A-Bou, this makes a great wing for the fly.  I tie this fly many different ways but have settled on using this style for the flies I tie for my box and for others.  I am not posting a complete step by step here, but just a few photos of what I do to get the wing sized and tied in. Please excuse the blurred photos.  I was in a hurry to get this completed with the time I had to get it done.  :)

The product.

This is a natural color as far as I can tell.

A single feather from the skin. Strip the short fibers at the base of the feather and use the longer fibers for the wing.

Pull a few fiber from the stem.

Gather the fibers and pinch off the tips.

To get them to look like this.  

Tied in bundle.

Make sure you do not leave a big space behind the eye.  Otherwise, you will have a long front portion to your flies.  I like a short, nice taper in front of the wing.  

I use a half of a double sided razor blade for a very close cut.  Make sure you break the razor in half because it's very easy to get cut as I found out.  

This makes a very close cut that scissors cannot make.  

See, what did I tell you?  A clean, close shave.  

Not the same fly, but the finished fly.  Lots of movement in the wing for below the surface use.  

Tying the RS2 HD video

I don't remember if I shared this with you or not, but I re-did this video and reposted it.  If you haven't noticed, you can find both video and photo tutorials on the right side bar just below the class listings.  Also on the bottom of this page is another link to my Vimeo page with all my videos on it.


Tying the RS2 from Juan Ramirez on Vimeo.
A new updated version of this popular fly. I have deleted the previous video of this fly.

New Sparkle Wing RS2 Video.

RS2 Sparkle Wing from Juan Ramirez on Vimeo.
RS2 Sparkle Wing tied during the favorite South Platte patterns class on 01/29/10. This pattern is a varation on the famous RS2. Tie some up and give them a try. They work great for baetis and I fish them year round.