Wasps revisited

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 The new “shut in” policy has really made a change in what you can and  can’t do. But I’ll say it really kept me at the tying vice.
 

I  decided to revisit a fly that has always bugged me at trying to tie in  the realistic sense, the “WASP”. One of my worst days and fishing was  due to a WASP. I was tying on an 18 Adams when I felt a bug land on my  right cheek. With a quick brush as an automatic reaction, in 10 minutes I  had right eye almost swollen and shut. It was the worst fishing day I  ever had.
 

I never forgot that WASP, or that day. It was a week  before I was back to my normal self. What a wallop. I’ve tried tying  wasps before, but was never satisfied with the shape or profile. If you  look closely, their shape is almost “S”-shaped reversed with two  distinct individual body parts. One is the rear body with its tapered  downturn tip, to the upper thorax hump that contains the wings and legs  leaving an actual slim waist between the two bodies. Now this is a  challenge.
 

I can tell you now, after a lot of tail chasing, I’m  satisfied with my results. The fallout however is what I had to do to  modify the hook to conform to the outline profile. In doing so I may  have over compromised the hook shape thus making the fly worthless. I’ll  try and report back. Here are some preliminary planning I did for  considering steps to take in tying.

• Hook shape
• Drawing of bug with hook angle required
• Pictures of the completed bug