I have made many similar flies I make up all my tails up ahead of time when I’m not tying. I use silicone, a drill, a embroidery needle in appropriate sizes. I use either fidbits, or a new paint brush I tear apart for tailing. I have used moose mane also. I then in a neat turn of the drill with the meddle locked in the jaws, apply the silicone. Then I place the tails in and follow up with dubbing the body. I remove them and place on wax paper to dry. The silicone has floatation. I make my wings using mallard feathers. I attach everything similar to your method. I like your foam idea to increase visibility. The floatation of the silicone tail and dry fly preps keeps the fly up, but with your foam idea, my flys will float high and dry all day.
Hi Ed, Thank you for this. I’m very intrigued by your technique on making tails. Have you by chance ever made a video on how you do this? I would be very interested in watching your technique.
I do the same with some of my dries but I use 4-5 pound nylon tied in as a parachute post leave this at least 6 inches I then tie in the hackle then thread the foam onto the post super glue the bottom of the post and push the foam down to the hackle cut the nylon off leaving 10 mm and melt this down this allows me to tie in the wings prior to the hackle I find this a bit more secure
