Deep Roller

 

Deep Roller

Hook – 3xl or 4xl nymph hook, size 12-16

Bead – Small tungsten

Weight - Lead/lead free wire

Thread – Black

Tail – Hungarian partridge

*Body – Twisted orange floss

Wing case – Pheasant or turkey tail fibers

Thorax – Rainbow scud dubbing

Legs – Hungarian partridge

 

*Use different colored floss for the body

Street Walker

 

Street Walker

Steelhead

Hook - Gamakatsu T10-6H

Thread - Black

Tail - Purple hackle fibers

Rib - Oval silver tinsel

Body - Purple chenille

Hackle - Purple

Wing - Pearl flashabou/krystal flash

The Patent (La Patente)

 

The Patent (La Patente)

Atlantic Salmon

Hook - Gamakatsu T10-6H

Thread - Black

Tag - Oval gold tinsel

Tail - Green Highlander floss

Ribbing - Oval gold tinsel

Body - Dark gray wool

Wing - Blue dun calf tail

Hackle - Grizzly hen

Black Beauty

 

Black Beauty

Steelhead

Hook - Mustad 7957BX (or equivalent), size 4-8

Thread - Red

Tail - Black calf tail

Body - Fluorescent orange chenille

Hackle - Black hen tied on as a collar

Popular Fly patterns - Terry Hellekson

Note - This fly is sometimes tied on an Eagle Claw 1197N hook and silver bead chain eyes are used

Carter's Dixie

 

Carter's Dixie

Steelhead

Hook - Eagle Claw 1197G (or equivalent), size 4-6

Thread - White

Tag - Oval gold tinsel

Tail - Yellow hackle fibers

Body - Oval gold tinsel

Hackle - Red hen tied on as a collar and tied back

Wing - White bucktail

Popular Fly Patterns - Terry Hellekson

Water Floatman

Water Floatman

Hook - Mustad, R50-94840, size 4 -10

Thread - Black 

Shellback  - Black Chicone's fettuccini foam

Body - Micro crystal chenille

Legs - Brown or olive Super Floss

Reference - Fly Anglers On Line

Marabou Streamer

 

Marabou Streamer - White

Hook - Mustad R74-9672, Size 4-10

Thread - Black

Tail - Red hackle fibers

Body - Silver tinsel chenille

Throat - Red hackle fibers

Wing - White marabou

Topping - Peacock herls

Marabou Streamer - Black

Hook - Mustad R74-9672, Size 4-10

Thread - Black

Tail - Red hackle fibers

Body - Silver tinsel chenille

Throat - Red hackle fibers

Wing - Black marabou

Topping - Peacock herls

Marabou Streamer - Brown

Hook - Mustad R74-9672, Size 4-10

Thread - Brown

Tail - Red hackle fibers

Body - Silver tinsel chenille

Throat - Red hackle fibers

Wing - Brown marabou

Topping - Peacock herls

Marabou Streamer - Yellow

Hook - Mustad R74-9672, Size 4-10

Thread - Black

Tail - Red hackle fibers

Body - Silver tinsel chenille

Throat - Red hackle fibers

Wing - Yellow marabou

Topping - Peacock herls

Popular Fly Patterns - Terry Hellekson

Tie using different colors of tinsel chenille and marabou.

Add a bead or cone heads.

Be creative. Experiment.

Fly Photography

 Every photographer has their own proven method of taking fly photographs. 

The following is strictly MY take on fly photography.

I am in no way a professional photographer. Just a hobbyist still learning.

Just some tip and tricks from over the years.

MY CURRENT CAMERA

NIKON COOLPIX S9900

An iPhone or similar can also be used.

CAMERA TIPS

READ THE MANUAL

Somebody took the time to write it for you so why not give it a read. 

It has all of the instructions and settings for your camera.

If you use the macro function, set the camera to the distance in the manual.

It's usually represented by a tulip symbol.

However, you do not have to have the camera lens nearly touching the subject to take good macro photos.

If you don't have macro on your camera, use the manual focus.

Check and set the white balance of your camera to the lighting you intend to use - it's in the manual on how to do it.

Do not use digital zoom.

Turn off the cameras flash.

More megapixel cameras are not necessary to take fly photos.

Depress the shutter 1/2 of the way down to let the camera focus on the subject. Once focused, depress the shutter the rest of the way down to take the photo (this seems to be the problem on most forums I frequent - out of focused photos and the photographer wants critiques).

Use the self-timer if that's the way you want to take the photo (not really necessary)

TRIPODS

Use a tripod to stabilize your camera.
There are many options to choose from as well as price points.

BACKGROUNDS

Use a background color that is pleasing to the eye.
Your filthy and disorganized fly-tying area is NOT pleasing to the eye.
Light blue, black, gray or light green are good choices.
Take a look at the fly photography of Charlie Craven and Hans Weilenmann for examples.
Their photos of flies are excellent.

Background ideas for fly photography

Those 39-cent foam sheet from the hobby or department store will work for backgrounds.

Different color paper from the scrapbooking department.

MY CURRENT BACKGROUND

Typist Paper Holder

Amazon.com : Vanki 1 pcs Paper Document Copy Folder Holder Stand Wedge for Typing Reading : Office Products

I basically use tan, blue and gray colored papers for backgrounds

I prefer to take my photos directly at my tying area.

LIGHTING

Here is my current setup.

I use 2 full spectrum daylight lamps that I purchased from my local Home Depot. 

They are also available on Amazon.

Ott lights offer the same amount of light for double/triple the price.

 

Totally up to you which one to choose.

Baltoro Desk Lamp Adjustable Neck 27 watts of Power. Grey SL5731RS - - Amazon.com

VIJIM VL100C Pocket LED Video Light

Camera Settings

My setting are as follows

1. Aperture mode

2. No flash

3. Macro mode

4. f6.3 f stop

5. Camera set to 8 megapixels

6. Shutter speed

7. ISO speed picked by the camera

PHOTO EDITING SOFTWARE

Photo editing software come in a couple of categories: free and you have to pay for it.
Free is for me. I am not a professional photographer and never wanted to be one.
I use free software that can be downloaded from the internet.
I personally use a free editing software called "PhotoScape X Pro".
It allows me to resize my photos and do editing as well.

Other free software is - Gimp, Photofiltre, Microsoft Paint etc.
There are photo hosting websites that allow you to edit your photos.

If you want to pay for editing software, there is: Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro etc.

I use Postimage photo hosting website to store my photos.

Re-size your photographs. Nobody likes to scroll side to side to see your photograph.

I create a folder on a portable hard drive for every fly pattern I tie. I keep 2 versions of the fly photo: Original size (straight out of the camera) and a resized version @ 1080 pixels wide. I upload the 1080-pixel wide version to my photo hosting website for use on forums/bulletin boards.

Before Editing

After Editing

FINAL THOUGHTS

Find the equipment and setup that works for YOU.
Be as frugal or extravagant as you want.

Be creative! Experiment!

Blue Charm - White Wing

Blue Charm - White Wing

Hook – Gamakatsu T10-6H

Thread – Black

Tag – Oval silver tinsel

Tip – Yellow floss

Tail – Golden pheasant crest

Butt - Black ostrich herl

Ribbing – Oval silver tinsel

Body – Black floss

Throat – Medium blue hackle fibers

Wing – White calf tail

Atlantic Salmon Flies - Jacques Heroux

Gray Sedge

 

Gray Sedge

Hook - Mustad 7957B (or equivalent), size 8-12

Thread - Black

Tail - Red hackle fibers

Body - Gray chenille

Throat - Badger

Wing - Barred mallard fibers or teal

Popular Fly Patterns - Terry Hellekson

Spruce Nymph

 

Spruce Nymph

Hook - R73-9671, size 8-14

Thread - Black

Tail - Peacock sword fibers

Ribbing - Gold wire. Rib body and thorax

Shellback - Natural gray goose quill section

Body - Pale yellow and red dubbing mixed in equal parts

Thorax - Peacock herl

Hackle - Badger tied on a collar and tied back

Popular Fly Patterns - Terry Hellekson

Dandy Green

 

Dandy Green

Hook - Mustad R73-9671, size 6-10

Weight (Optional) - Lead/lead free wire

Thread - Olive

Tail - Greenish gray ringneck pheasant body feather fibers

Body - Mixture of 50% olive, 30% yellow and 20% green dubbing

Legs - Greenish gray ringneck pheasant body feather fibers tied 

in at each side and extending to the middle of the body

Body can be ribbed with dyed green monofilament

Popular Fly Patterns - Terry Hellekson

Northern Lights

 

Northern Lights

Hook - Any curved style

Thread - Black

Ribbing - Gold wire

Body - Peacock tinsel

Thorax - Peacock herl

Hackle - Hungarian partridge

"Northern Lights" - FAOL (flyanglersonline.com)

Natant Nylon Nymph

 

Natant Nylon Nymph

Originator: Charles Brooks

Hook - 2XL dry-fly hook, #8 - #18

Thread - Brown 8/0

Tail - Mottled brown hen hackle

Body - Brown wool yarn

Ribbing - Gold wire

*Suspender pod - Ball of tan poly dubbing wrapped in nylon stocking mesh

Legs - Mottled brown hen hackle

* For the suspender pod, I used a piece of white foam trimmed to shape.

Walmart was out of my size nylons to wrap the poly dubbing in

Reference - Natant Nylon Nymph (flyanglersonline.com)

Golden Stonefly

 

Golden Stonefly

Hook - Mustad 9672 or equivalent

Thread - Brown

Under body - Nymph Form

Tail - Brown goose biots

Ribbing - Copper wire

Body - Golden stonefly color dubbing

Wing case - Turkey tail feather

Legs - Brown goose biots

Thorax - Golden stonefly color dubbing

Nymph Form

Cajun Coachman

Cajun Coachman

Hook - Mustad 3906, 3906B, 3399 or equivalent 

Thread - Black

Body - Rear, red uni stretch; front, peacock herl

Throat - Brown hackle barbs

Wing - A section of black-and-white barred wood duck flank feather

Sand Fly Nymph

 

Sand Fly Nymph

Hook - Mustad S82-3906, size 6-14

Thread - Brown

Tail - White marabou

Ribbing - Yellow thread

Body - Dark brown floss

Hackle - Ginger/dark ginger tied on as  collar

This fly was developed years ago by Terry Bryant of Spokane, Washington

Popular Fly Patterns - Terry Hellekson

Peacock Blue

 

Peacock Blue

Hook - Mustad S80-3906, size 10-14

Thread - Black

Tail - 3-4 Peacock blue sword fibers

Body - Synthetic peacock dubbing

Legs - Teal feather fibers

Popular Fly Patterns - Terry Helleckson

Olive and Brown

 

Olive and Brown

Hook - Mustad S82-3606B, size 10-16

Thread - Black

Tail - Peacock sword fibers

Ribbing - Oval gold tinsel

Body - Olive dubbing

Thorax - Peacock herl

Hackle - Soft furnace tied on as a collar

Popular Fly Patterns - Terry Helleckson

Mattie's Mistake

 

Mattie's Mistake

Atlantic Salmon

Hook - Gamakatsu T10-6H

Thread - Black

Tag - Oval gold tinsel

Tail - Golden pheasant tippets

Butt - Hot orange chenille

Ribbing - Oval gold tinsel

Body - Fluorescent green wool

Wing - Black squirrel tail

Hackle - Orange, collar style

Hair-Wing Atlantic Salmon Flies - Keith Fulsher & Charles Krom

POP Fly

 

POP Fly

(Partridge Orange Peacock)

Hook - Mustad 3399, 3906 or equivalent

Thread - Black

Tag - Flat silver tinsel

Body - Orange uni stretch

Thorax - Peacock herl

Hackle - Hungarian partridge

Ray Lewis Design