Danica Dun
December 8, 2024
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Tying Guide: How to tie Michael Olesen’s Danica Dun Hook: Maruto d21 size 10 Thread: Classic Waxed 12/0 from Semperfli, primrose for the abdomen and
• Hook: Maruto D21 size8 (substitute: any long shank dryfly hook)
• Thread: Brown Semperfli Waxed thread #12/0
• Tail: Moose body or mane hair
• Body: Booby eyes 5mm, yellow or cream
• Wing: 2 selected CDC feathers, grey or brown 4 cm
• Hackle: Coq de Leon, medium Pardo (spotted grey)
• Thorax: CDC dubbing, black
Originally I was inspired by a caterpiller larva tied with a whole foam tube on top of the hookshank
Pay attention to the little details and take your time
Find links to The Feather Mechanic II and articles about The Luna Mayfly on this page
This particular fly is a product of a lot of experimenting and a need for a shortcut, to make a fun and easy foam body, followed by weeks of finetuning. Originally I was inspired by a caterpillar larva tied with a whole foam tube on top of the hookshank.
Pay attention to the little details in the steps below. Don`t rush it, take your time, especially with your first attempt.
Now are you ready to tie the Luna Mayfly?
Continue reading below and discover more about the Luna Mayfly and information about its creation and how to go about tying it.
Briefly about “The Feather Mechanic II: Beyond the Pattern”
A look into the feature of the Luna Mayfly in Gordon van der Spuy’s new book. What Michael’s thoughts were going into this, and places on the web where the book can be bought will also be mentioned here.
See more from Gordon van der Spuy on his socials and website.
You can find a copy of “The Feather Mechanic II: Beyond the Pattern” on www.themissionflymag.com
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Explore a selection of my flies and how to go about tying them. Just follow the easy to read step by step instructions and pictures.
• Hook: Maruto d21 size8 (substitute: any longshank dryfly hook)
• Thread: Brown Semperfli Waxed thread #12/0
• Tail: Moose mane or body hair
• Body: Booby eyes 5mm, yellow or creme
• Wing: 2 selected CDC feathers, grey or brown 4 cm
• Hackle: Coq de Leon, medium Pardo (spotted grey)
• Thorax: CDC dubbing, black
This fly is the product of a series of experiments, a need to take shortcuts, and a longer period of refining the result.
Paying attention to the small details pays off when you’re tying the Luna Mayfly, but it’s a great addition to your fly box and, moreover, enjoyable to tie.
Follow every step in a detailed 18 step, step-by-step guide with picture illustrations and easy-to-understand language.
Are you ready to tie a Luna Mayfly?
Keep reading below to find all the information you need to tie this effective fly.
Place the hook in the vise. I use a long-shank dry fly hook from the Japanese brand Maruto: d21. Cover the hook shank with tying thread, and tie in 3 Moosehair strands as tails. The tail strands should be approximately 2½ cm long.
Cut the foam cylinder in half lengthwise. I use a long-bladed pair of scissors.
Make a slanting cut of 3 mm on the round side of the foam. The foam piece will show this slanted cut.
Tie in the foam piece at the slanted cut, with the round side against the hook shank, right above where the tails are tied in. It’s crucial to fold the foam down over the sides of the hook shank. Take a couple of wraps with the tying thread and leave it 2mm in front of the foam just tied to the hook shank.
Fold the foam forward, stretch it slightly, and use the nail of your thumb to compress the foam around the hook shank. Make 3 wraps with your tyingthread, to create the first segment of the abdomen.
This is how the first segment will look from above.
Fold the foam backward, move the tying thread 3 mm towards the hook eye to create a new segment. Fold the foam forward, stretch it slightly, and use the nail of your thumb to compress the foam around the hook shank. Continue until there are, all together, 6 segments on the body, leaving approximately 3 mm of space behind the hook eye. I also apply brown waterproof marker to the 3 rear segments.
Here, you can see the nearly invisible joints of the body from the underside.
Move the thread forward in front of the foam. Create a hole for the wings in the middle of the foam, at a 45-degree angle, using the dubbing needle.
Keep the needle in the foam while preparing the wings.
Place 2 selected CDC feathers with the concave sides facing each other, even them up and cut awaywhere the lower part of the feather. I prefer the feathers to be at least 3 cm in length to ensure the finished wings are about 2½ cm long.
Remove the dubbing needle and insert the wing feathers into the hole in the foam. Sometimes it works to insert both feathers at once, but often, it’s easiest to do it one feather at a time, depending on the cooperation of the hole in the foam.
Tie the wings down on the hook in front of the foam. Begin with a couple of loose turns and then secure the job with some firm wraps.
Tie in a Cock de Leon feather, just in front of the foam.
Create a small thorax using black CDC dubbing and leave the thread hanging just behind the wing.
Wrap the hackle around the foam as a parachute hackle. You can finish with a whip finish under the hackle or around the hook shank as preferred.
Here’s a view of the fly from the underside.
Pull some of the front hackle fibers to the sides to give the hackle a silhouette similar to spent wings. Stubborn hackle fibers can be removed with scissors, and trim the excess foam as close to the hackle as you dare. In this picture you also have a clear view of the foam crescent from the top, which inspired me to name the fly “Luna Mayfly.”
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