Extended Bodies - Hinged
Hinged extended bodies can give a subtle wiggling action to a pattern. For best results the hook upon which the extended body is tied should be straight eyed, and the nylon loop should be of a diameter in relation to the hook eye that allows the body to hinge freely. See notes for alternative hinging material. This technique is used in the Carl Richards' wiggle nymph. The sequence below illustrates a hinged body made for a damselfly nymph pattern.
 | 1. First tie the body of your chosen pattern on a straight eyed hook. Use a drop of varnish on the underlying thread wraps at the tail of the body section for durability. |
 | 2. Next use pliers with side cutters to remove the point and bend of the hook. |
 | 3. Make the cut just short of the materials. |
 | 4. You'll end up with something like this. |
 | 5. Connect the body section to the front section of the pattern with a nylon loop. |
 | 6. Tie the remainder of the fly including a tuft of material to mask the hinge joint. A material like marabou works well without impeding the pattern's action. |