2007 - Realistic Fly Tying - Baby Red-Eared Turtle

Realistic baby red eared turtle

10xl Partridge Carrie Stevens hook and two pieces of tapered Orvis foam strips

 

Foam colored with markers and painted with colored acrylic varnish

 

Foam segmented up the hook to create the turtles tail

 

Five pieces of fine brass wire secured to the hook to create the legs

 

Wires bound together with thread

 

Toes are separated and yellow goose biot feathers secured to create claws

 

Thin foam strips are tied on top as well as underneath to shape the legs

 

The fun begins, detail coloring, using micron markers

 

 The head is shaped with a long strip of chenille. Blackened mono fishing line was pulled through the head with a needle, glass beads slid down, plastic melted until it was flush with the beads.

 

Two strips of colored Swiss Straw are tied on behind the hook eye

 

Straw is pulled back and secured with thread

 

The red ears are colored

 

The straw is colored with Pantone and Micron markers, pulled forward, and secured with thread

 

Straw is pulled back to shape the turtles retractable neck,
same technique I use for segmenting mayfly abdomens

 

The shell is made with a thin piece of flat foam

 

Pattern was cut into the foam with an X-Acto knife, and flame used to heat the foam for bending
I bent it into shape using my thumb and three fingers, then dipped it in cold water to set the shape

 

Thread is tied between the legs to begin forming the body

 

Swiss Straw is wrapped around

An under shell was also made, and using a needle and thread,
the turtle body was securely sandwiched between the shell pieces

 

He looks real enough to become lunch

 

Oh no!

 

I guess I'll try tying a second one

Tying Realistic Flies
Tying Fishing Flies

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