Foam on the Range
When I first worked for Jack Dennis in the 1980s, his Jackson, Wyoming, shop may have sold six foam patterns. They now stock 60 varieties. Foam has gone from being a small addition on a fly to a major component in many thoughtfully created imitations.
Foam is a great material for many dry flies since it doesn’t depend on floatants to maintain buoyancy and is one of the easiest materials to use for tying wide-profile artificials. Many effective foam flies are easy to tie, and the material is inexpensive and readily available.
Foam Types
Foam is manufactured to different densities, colors, shapes, and resiliency. Within a given product line, density and color can vary greatly. If you find a foam that you can’t live without, buy some extra—the next batch might be different.
Closed-cell foam is the most interesting to tiers. However, water-absorbing open-cell foam can be used as an underbody on nymphs. Closed-cell foam is extremely buoyant because its sealed air chambers don’t absorb water. According to Flycraft’s Randy Swanberg, Plastazote foam is made by blowing gasses into molten polyethylene (the same substance found in most plastic bags), and EVA (ethyl vinyl acetate) foams are created by adding small amounts of vinyl to polyethylene. In general, softer, less dense foams usually have more floatation, while firmer, denser foams are more durable.
Sheet foam. Soft Evasote foam, a type of ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA), is the most common fly-tying foam. Polycelon, and Fly Foam are other common names. These are good choices when a soft, compressible material is desired. Sheets are sold from 1/8" to 1" thick.
Recently, firmer and tougher 2mm craft foam, a high-density type of EVA, has become the standard sheet foam and is available in a wide range of colors. Craft foam is easier to use on smaller flies, and it can also be laminated or stacked to make multiple-color bodies on larger flies. Its firmness makes it a good choice for tying extended bodies. Common brand names are Craft Foam, 2MM Foam, Fly Buoy from Scintilla, Cross Link from Rainy’s Flies and Supplies, and Thin Fly Foam from Wapsi.
Cylindrical foam. Foam cylinders in many sizes make it easier to duplicate the rounded shape of insect bodies; however, it can be used to tie offshore flies as well. Edgewater and Dale Clemens Custom Tackle sell firm EVA foams that are probably the most durable tying foams. Clemens’s cylinders are sold in diameters from 1/32" to 1". Edgewater has trout-size cylinders called Dry Fly Components.
Rainy’s Float Foam tubing is the most common round foam, and its molded shape with a smooth exterior finish differs from others. It is sold in four colors and three sizes. In precut EVA cylinders, they sell bumblebee cylinders, damsel bodies, fluorescent parachute posts, and indicator ant bodies. Rainy’s has excellent videos on tying with foam, and their foam packages contain great fly-tying recipes.
Flycraft sells blocksof Plastazote and Evasote with prepunched bodies. The finer cylinders are great for smaller trout flies and have the largest range of colors found in small diameter foam. Flycraft’s foam is one of the more durable soft foams. SuperAnts, easyHopper, nymphWings, and softPops are similar products, which are sold in different sizes. Inchworm and Blue Damsel Bodies come in one size. The color spectrum of Flycraft’s foam will tie other insects as well. There are detailed tying instructions in the packages.
Ethafoam. Gary LaFontaine used this closed-cell packing foam on many of his patterns, including the effective Halo Emergers and Airhead. James Bowen irons the foam flat for the wings on his super-realistic Green Drakes, and Richard Bunses’ dun patterns use this material for the body.
Larger pieces of ethafoam are used as foam caulking rods for window insulation and packing materials for TVs or other electrical equipment. Ken Ligas of Scintilla Dubbing sells 1/4" rods of black and gray ethafoam called Round Buoy. Ethafoams are less durable than other foam types—but are more translucent and buoyant.
Tying Tips
Thread. Overall, flat thread works best on soft foam flies. Rounded threads have more tendency to cut foam and flare it. When lashing the foam to the hook, use moderate pressure and a number of wraps to secure it, rather than a few forceful wraps. If you compress the foam with your thumbnail and index finger, it will adhere to the hook more easily and put less stress on the thread. When tying on large pieces of foam, use a heavier thread. Fine-diameter threads are not strong enough to constrict the bulk.
Bases. Foam flies have a reputation for durability, but the bodies tend to twist around the hook shank more than other materials. To prevent this, some type of base is important. Popper hooks can be used, but are limited in styles and sizes.
Tying thread wrapped over a cemented hook shank is the simplest base. Cyanoacrylate (CA) glues—super glue, Krazy Glue, Zap-A-Gap—nail polish, or solvent-based cements work the best. When using CA glues, squeeze some on a piece of plastic, then use a toothpick for application. This allows you to apply small amounts that dry quickly.
Copyright © 2012 Intermedia Outdoors
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