Drawing Flies 52 Damsel Adult (in red, white and blue for the American Fourth of July holiday). I have been fortunate enough to have fished some of the most spectacular damselfly waters in the world. Seen hatches so thick that I can’t really describe the action, but a few epic emergences were enough to get bats out feeding during the day. One of my absolute favorite times to be fishing for trout!

Tech info: Canson tracing paper with Pigma pen and watercolor. Backer board underlay provides the tan color. Based on some preliminary “form test” sketches that I had made. Just laid the tracing paper over the form that I liked the best, and drew directly with pen in a loose hand. Then grabbed my paints and carefully added the color.

I’ve been using this perspective a lot lately in my book drawings, and I’m really liking it for many flies (some flies don’t work well with it, but the damsel does). The “form tests” I alluded to above are quick sketches that allow one to get a concept of how a fly might look from various angles and with various materials in play. I went with the form that had a deer-hair body and basic hackle. Didn’t want to try calf-tail wing or braided body material in the 30-minute DF52 time span. I’m pleased with what I got.

Jeff’s Damsel Adult is here. Jeff went more warmwater with his fly, and the plump foam pattern immediately gets me thinking of Northwoods bass. It’s a good thought!