The female flower opened only this morning JayG. I had been waiting for some days to see what happens in the cycle of tromboncino, being new to me etc. For a few days I saw a wierd looking thing like a large insect on the end of the fruit, then today a beautiful and normal looking squash flower had burst forth. Thanks for the advice. It has to be worth a go. Worrying that on four plants there is no indication of a male flower as yet, while young fruits are everywhere, a lot like cucumber grow.