Flytying: New and Old

Tying Tip #8 - Dubbing

2012-01-30T08:32:00.002-05:00

Wet you finger tips before adding dubbing to the thread.

When dubbing, pick out how much you think you need for the fly, then reduce it in half.

Apply your dubbing in one direction, clockwise or counterclockwise.

It is perfectly acceptable to use dubbing wax especially with unruly synthetic dubbing.

A washed out mascara brush makes a more delicate dubbing brush

A popsicle or wooden coffee stirrer with a piece of velcro glued on also makes a excellent dubbing brush.

Follow the link below for Dubbing Techniques (bookmark it!)

http://ukflydressing.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=sbs&action=display&thread=4046

Latest Ezines

2012-01-28T05:22:00.001-05:00

Bloodknot - Blogger Issue

Pool 32

The Fly Fishing Show - Marlborough, Mass

2012-01-21T08:29:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, I traveled the 77 miles from my house and attended the Fly Fishing Show in Marlborough Massachusettes and as much as I enjoy going to fly fishing shows, this one is a disappointment. It was after all a Friday which may have kept the attendance low since people may have been at work, waiting to attend on Saturday or Sunday. With the New England Patriots playing on Sunday, attendance may also take a hit. I know where i'll be on Sunday!

I paid my entrance fee of $15 dollars and walked around for about an hour darting from booth to booth looking to scare up a deal or two but found many prices to be the same as your local fly shop. I was looking for certain materials and did not find them. I did spy the Hardy booth as I am interested in the new Ultralite series of reels and came away quite impressed. These may be going in my arsenal of fly reels and will replace some older reels I haven't used in years. Yes, there where plenty of hackles to be found! Unfortunately Collins Hackle Farm was a no show. I ended up buying a book by Mike Valla on wet flies, a pair of large looped forceps and some extra dispensing tops for my Bug Bond UV resin bottle. Not really a productive day buying materials.

One highlight of the show was watching Don Bastian tie a Gray Ghost streamer. A pure joy to watch! Here is a photo of some streamers tied By Don Bastian and Sharon Wright. (sorry, phone cameras suck) Standing next to Don Bastian was Sharon Wright. This lady can tie Rangely style streamers!

I also did not see a huge presence of salt water fly tyers like there have been in previous years. Maybe nothing to worry about or just a shift back to fresh water tying.

I also saw Dave & Emily Whitlock and they had a throng of folks around them. They were also selling book, dvd's, art work and some flies. $250 bucks for 6 red fox squirrel nymphs and variations is a little steep for my wallet but I'm sure collectors will pay that much and maybe even more.

Its unfortunate but this show is getting smaller and smaller each year. The show didn't even fill the room from one end to the other with vendors. Even Norm Norlander (Nor-vise) and Cote's Fly Shop (staples of fly fishing shows) did not attend. What were once large display booths from the major rod manufacturers has dwindled down to a small sign and a fair assortment of rods. I even saw 4 different manufacturers sharing booth space. Sign of the economical times?

So after all is said and done, I would have to rate the show as just being "OK" but leaning on the side of disappointing rather than wow! This is one show I'll be passing up in the future. I actually got about 10 miles into the journey and turned around and headed home. Should have stuck with my guy feeling.

I wish the Shriners would bring back their fly fishing show!

Catch Magazine - Issue 21

2012-01-20T07:09:00.000-05:00

Get it now while it is still free

Catch Magazine

Ten & Two E-Zine

2012-01-19T18:20:00.000-05:00

Ten & Two

Fly Fish America Online

2012-01-16T20:22:00.000-05:00

Fly Fish Amaerica

Playing Again With Poppers

2012-01-16T14:20:00.001-05:00

A Tight Loop E-zine January 2012

2012-01-15T14:15:00.000-05:00

A Tight Loop January 2012e

A Streamer A Day

2012-01-15T07:16:00.001-05:00

If you like tying streamers, check this site out.

Streamers 365

Patagonia Journal - Winter 2012

2012-01-07T04:46:00.000-05:00

Patagonia Journal - Winter 2012

Happy New Year

2011-12-31T12:40:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year to all the visitors and followers who stopped by this blog in 2011!

Poppers

2011-12-30T18:42:00.001-05:00

Thanks for looking

Upcoming Events in the Northeast Area

2011-12-29T08:55:00.004-05:00

Marlborough, MA

January 20 - 22, 2012

Show Hours: Fri 10 - 6; Sat 9 - 5:30; Sun 9 - 4:30

Royal Plaza
Hotel and Trade Center
181 Boston Post Road West
Marlborough, MA 01752

Somerset, NJ

January 27 - 29 2012

Show Hours: Fri 10 - 6; Sat 8:30 - 6:00; Sun 9 - 4:30

Admission (Marlborough & Somerset):

Adult: $15 for one day,

$25 for two-day pass,

$35 for three-day pass;

Children under 5 free, under 12: $2

Scouts under 16 in uniform: free

Active Military: $10

Cash only at the gate

GARDEN STATE EXHIBIT CENTER

50 Atrium Drive

Somerset, New Jersey 08873

http://www.flyfishingshow.com/

_______________________________________________

Fly Fest 2012

Saturday Feb. 11, 2012

Time: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Catskill Fly Fishing Center & Museum

Old Route 17, Livingston Manor, N.Y.

Cost: $ 5.00

http://www.cffcm.net/

Disco Midges

2011-12-26T08:07:00.003-05:00

Red & Black

Curved Hook

Red Tinsel

Black Peacock Herl

Purple

Curved Hook

Purple Tinsel

Purple Peacock Herl

Mixed

Curved Hook

Chartreuse Tinsel

Black & Chartreuse Peacock Herl

Silver & Gray

Curved Hook

Silver Tinsel

Gray Peacock Herl

Copper & Tan

Curved Hook

Copper Tinsel

Tan Peacock Herl

Copper & Brown

Curved Hook

Copper Tinsel

Brown Peacock Herl

Chartreuse

Curved Hook

Chartreuse Tinsel

Chartreuse Peacock Herl

I recently purchased some Peacock Eye feathers in various dyed colors and tied up some Disco Midges in different colors. Do not hesitate to tie the in different colors and mix and match the various colors.

Happy Holidays

2011-12-24T10:58:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to All

KYPE E-zine

2011-12-23T18:18:00.001-05:00

Open publication - Free publishing

Tenkara USA Booklet

2011-12-23T18:12:00.001-05:00

Open publication - Free publishing

Stripping Peacock Herl from the Quill

2011-12-23T10:59:00.001-05:00

There are may ways to strip the herl from a peacock eye feather to get just the remaining quill but I thought the following method is a little different and worth some viewing. Some of you may already be doing this method but I just found out about it recently.

The tutorial is in the following link. It site is in German, so get those translators ready.

Stripping Peacock Herl

The other methods of stripping peacock herl includes bleaching the feather, using an eraser and the good old scraping with your thumb nail.

Hard to Find Tying Items

2011-12-19T09:00:00.000-05:00

In the process of cleaning out some tying materials, I came accross a couple of items that were purchased a long time ago and most likely no longer on the fly tying market unless they can be found on ebay.

Draper Fly Hook by Partridge

The Draper hook was used for stone fly bodies.

McMurray Ant and Emerger Bodies

Ant body prior to painting

Thanks for looking!

River Creature

2011-12-17T07:47:00.001-05:00

Yesterday while at the Bears Den Fly Shop in Taunton, Ma I spied some flies called River Creatures from the Flymen Fishing Company and purchased one fly as a sample. I also purchased some rubber legs and Fish Skulls to tie some up for myself. $2.90 a fly is a bit up there if you were to buy a dozen or so.

I'm figuring these flies will work on some big bluegills, crappies and the occasional small mouth and large mouth bass that I fish for in my area. These should work in your area also..

Recipe

Mustad 3366 or Equivalent

Thread

Rubber legs

Estaz

Fish Skulls

CA Glue

Reference

http://flymenfishingcompany.org/products/fish-skull-flies/fs-river-creature/

A Tight Loop December Special

2011-12-12T15:53:00.000-05:00

December Special 2011

Flex vs Flex

2011-12-12T05:38:00.004-05:00

Uni-flexx

Uni-Flexx is a fine elastic strand and comes spooled in thirteen colours. The strand may be divided into even smaller strands if desired. Uni-Flexx can be used for as a body wrap,legs or skirts. Many like to use Uni-Flexx as a floss replacement because of it's easy handling qualities. Suitable for bodies of small nymphs, larva and pupa. Uni-Flexx retains the original colour when wet unlike many other materials.

Flexi Floss

Flexi Floss/Floss Flex is a crinkly spandex material that is stretchable yet handles like floss. Great for ribbing, wiggly legs, antennae, segented wrapped midge bodies, and more. Flexi Floss/Floss Flex is easy to use and adds a little extra shine to your flies. Best of all it doesn't break down like rubber does, so your legs will last longer.

Spanflex

Spanflex is a very strong, extremely stretchable semi-translucent material with many varied used for the fly tier. Great for tails, feelers, ribbing,legs and bodies.

Life Flex

This spandex material is oval in shape and wiggles like crazy in the water when tied in as legs. Also can be wound like floss for bodies on dries or nymphs

Legs Alive

Easy to use with over 200 strands of 8" leg material...great colors and easy to dye yourself! Ties even small flies as body wrap, midge larva & "Buzzers"

One flex product may not be EXACTLY the same as the other, but i'll bet they can be used interchangeably.

Something New in Cameras

2011-12-11T07:19:00.000-05:00

Light Field Camera

Fishing Places

2011-12-11T05:24:00.000-05:00

Bighorn River, Montana

Pittsburg, New Hampshire

Salmon River, Connecticut

Hopeville Pond, Connecticut

Best Videos of Catch Magazine - Season 3

2011-12-11T04:26:00.002-05:00

The T-Motion Collection from Todd Moen Creative on Vimeo.

Basswood Popper

2011-12-10T08:21:00.000-05:00

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

I received permission to post these videos from the originator and I hope you like them as much as I do!

Vintage Tying Book

2011-12-05T07:35:00.001-05:00

I have always wanted this book and I finally found one in very good condition for under $10.

A great addition to my tying library.

Poppers

2011-12-04T14:08:00.005-05:00

For awhile now I have had an interest in making bass poppers. I had been collecting the necessary parts to make them, so I decided to document my efforts either good or bad in the following tutorial. As I went along on the build process, I quickly learned that certain steps should have been done prior to proceeding to the next step.

So lets start this tutorial.

Mustad CK52S Size 4 hook covered with thread to give the crazy glue a better surface to cling to and for a slightly tighter fit on the popper body slot.

I took a Wapsi brand hard foam popper body and sanded the bottom to be flatter than the original rounded shape and sanded all of the mold lines off that remains from the molding process. I use a standard flat file for the operation. Sanding off the mold lines is probably not necessary but if you decide to do it you will have a smoother end product. Apply your favorite brand of crazy/super glue to the thread covered hook shank and position the popper body to your liking.

Tying Tip: Now is a good time to decide if you want rubber legs coming out of the popper body. Drilling the hole NOW will make things easier later on in the build process such as not damaging your paint job. Its your choice.

Time to paint the popper. I used acrylic paints from Michaels Craft Store and some cheap throw away brushes. Use your choice of colors.

Tying Note: In order to speed up the drying of the paint, I used a portable hair dryer on a low setting. Worked great.

Now its time to paint the eyes. For this popper it was a 3 step process. For step 1 I used a 1/4 diameter nylon screw for the first part of the eye and black paint. I also have a Wasatch Eye Painting Tool set that I used for the next 2 steps.

Step 2 of the eye painting process.

And finally the last step.

Tying Tip: If you want a black eye with a white pupil or a white eye with a black pupil, then just stop there. Use your imagination when painting eyes.

Top View

Painting the rest of the body is entirely up to use. This popper is rather simple (its only the 2nd one i made). You can go from mild to wild.

Bottom View

Side View

Remember that hole? Should have drilled it earlier but it came out all right.

Bottom View

Now its time to protect your paint job. After letting the paint completely dry, I used Diamond Hard UV Cured Resin. What you use is strictly up to you. 2 part epoxy is another choice and its cheaper.

Top view

Side View

I chose 1 strand of orange and 1 strand of chartreuse for the rubber legs and threaded them through the drilled hole in the popper body. The rubber legs are held in by a drop of the Diamond Hard on each side.

All finished.

I used some congo hair, northern lights tinsel, orange and black hackle.

The popper shown below was the 1st one I made.

As always, thanks for looking.

Forming Good Habits

2011-12-04T07:05:00.015-05:00

Remove all fly fishing manufactures decals from your vehicle. Your asking for trouble. Some thieves are not as dumb as you think and know exactly what to go after.

Carry that 4 piece rod in its rod tube when bushwhacking and your chance of losing or breaking a piece is greatly diminished.

Have a set of dry clothes. You wont be sorry.

Use a waterproof camera, not your expensive DSLR. You can bring both but only use the waterproof one near water. Today’s newer point & shoots take excellent photos

Don’t forget to pack your waders, boots rods, reels etc. Its disheartening to drive xxx miles and when you get to your destination they are NOT in the car.

Break down your outfit and put it INSIDE the car BEFORE changing out of your boots and waders or driving away to go home. You will be glad you did and so will we.

DO NOT put your rod & reel outfit on top of the car or lean it up against the nearest tree. You are asking for trouble. You will forget where you put it. When you realize its not where it should be and you return to the place where you put, it will be gone!

Pack out what you pack in

I'm diabetic and always carry something sweet just in case.

Respect someones else's ideas. We are all different people. Your way is not the only way.

Use a wading staff and a wading belt. Either one or both may save your life.

Always wear a Personal Floating Device (PFD) or some kind of inflatable device when on the water. OK, so you think you'll look silly or you are a big macho man who doesn't need one but it beats lying in a casket the rest of your life! Your family will be glad you did.

Put your cigar/cigarette butts in a zip lock baggie in your vest pocket instead of throwing them in the water. Same thing for you mono/leaders etc.

Carry a small garbage bag and do a little stream clean up. It won’t hurt you to pick up some discarded waste. Some of it just may be your own.

Have respect for other people. Yes they may be fishing your sacred spot but so what! Sometimes fishing a new spot reaps great rewards.

Practice good etiquette. If you don't like someone doing something to you, then don't do something to them.

If you are landing them one after another and someone asks you what fly you're using, offer 1-2 flies to them so they can have the same experience. Will it really kill you if you were nice to someone?

Help out a struggling newcomer to the sport of fly fishing. I'm sure somebody helped you out in your endeavor into fly fishing.

If you wear a neck lanyard, make sure it has a breakaway feature. Choking is not fun.

Keep an emergency kit in your vehicle. What you have in it is up to you.

Take a kid fishing.

Keep the adult beverages for the end of the day when its relaxation time.

A good knife just might get you out of a bad situation (I don't mean with people).

Latest Ezines

2011-12-02T04:30:00.002-05:00

Bloodknot Magazine - Off the Grid

This is Fly - Issue #32 - Dec-Jan 2012

The Fly Photo

Tying Tip #8 - Thread

2011-11-30T15:04:00.003-05:00

Add a small amount of varnish to the thread just before whip finishing. This saves you from getting varnish on the hackles when finishing the small dry fly.

Every single turn of the thread better have a damn good reason for being there.

2 tight turns of thread are better than 6 slack ones.

Break your thread! Get to know how much pressure you can apply to your tying thread by making it break.

Use the thinnest thread wherever possible.

1-2 wraps of thread is sufficient to hold materials.

Feather Craft Gift Ideas

2011-11-26T12:49:00.001-05:00

Feather Craft

T.D.C Nymph

2011-11-26T08:52:00.000-05:00

T.D.C. Nymph

Hook: your favorite hook and style

Thread: black

Ribbing: fine silver tinsel

Body: black wool yarn

Thorax: black chenille

Colar: white ostrich herl

Reference

Popular Fly Patterns by Terry Hellekson

Adjustable Balloon Strike Indicator

2011-11-26T07:52:00.000-05:00

Fly Box Inventory, Sorting & Cleaning

2011-11-25T10:36:00.001-05:00

These are the trout boxes.

Bass & panfish boxes will be taken care of over the Christmas Holiday work shutdown.

Since I have a 4 days off from designing submarines, I thought I would take out a few fly boxes and inspect them for rusted flies, flies coming apart from trout teeth etc and just do some basic resorting of the dry boxes.

Lady McConnell

2011-11-25T09:56:00.001-05:00

Lady McConnell

Originator: Brian Chan

Hook: 2xl dry fly hook

Thread: black

Shuck: grizzly hackle tip

Shellback: deer hair

Body: gray dubbing

Hackle: grizzly

A Brian Chan designed pattern for McConnell Lake in the Kamloops area of Canada.

Heathen

2011-11-25T09:08:00.001-05:00

Heathen

Originator: Phil Camera

Hook: your favorite curved hook

Thread: black

Under body: pearl krystal flash or tinsel

Over body: Larva Lace or equivalent

Rib: spiral black thread forward

Post: white foam cylinder

Thorax: Hares ear dubbing

Tying Tip

Vary the thread, tinsel and tubing colors to make variations of this fly. This fly can also be tied with v-rib, d-rib, body glass etc.

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T10:57:00.000-05:00

Chota Hippies

2011-11-24T09:55:00.001-05:00

Sometimes that's all you need!

Chota Hippies

http://chotaoutdoorgear.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=119

Blackburn Tellico Nymph

2011-11-20T07:20:00.008-05:00

BLACKBURN TELLICO NYMPH

Hook: 2X Nymph #6-12

Thread: Brown/Black

Tail: Brown hackle fibres 2/3 shank length

Wing Case: Turkey wing strip, full length top of body

Rib: 2-3 peacock herls spiraled full length (under wing case)

Body: Dirty golden yellow dubbing (hare's ear plus golden) Hackle: Brown hackle palmered on forward 1/3 of body(under wing case)

This pattern was originated by Richard Blackburn of Tennessee to imitate the Golden Stonefly Nymphs that are common in the fast rocky streams of the Smokies.

Reference Information
http://www.uky.edu/~agrdanny/flyfish/ljdecuir/tellico.htm

So after seeing how the fly tied above is really not going to be that durable against little trout teeth, I tied up the following fly and added a rib of fine mono thread to at least provide some durability to the back shell in the body area.

Frustrated with Package Shipping

2011-11-19T07:15:00.003-05:00

I recently ordered from 2 on-line fly tying suppliers and 1 personal order from a forum member and the supplier closest to home took the longest to arrive.

Popular on-line fly tying material supplier

Florence, MT to Norwich, CT

2525 Miles

2 Days

Sent by USPS

Personal Package

Indianapolis, IN to Norwich, CT

861 Miles

2 Days

Sent by USPS

Popular on-line supplier

Kent, CT to Norwich, CT

94 Miles

8 DAYS

Sent by UPS

Where in the hell did the truck go with this package? It should have been at the distribution center in Fitchville, CT by the end of the day and it should have been at my house the NEXT DAY!

Cheater Soft Hackle

2011-11-13T06:42:00.000-05:00

Can't find the right length feather for that soft hackle you're tying?

Try the following technique shown in this video.

Check out here for additional info.

http://paracaddis.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/cheater-soft-hackles/

Making Fly Reels

2011-11-12T05:36:00.003-05:00

Abel

Bauer

Ross

Humpback Warrior

2011-11-11T12:40:00.001-05:00

Here is a variation of Lance Egans "Rainbow Warrior"

The recipe is exactly the same as a "Rainbow Warrior" except the bead is a "fringe bead" in a pearl color.

http://www.utahoutdoors.com/pages/rainbow_warrior.htm

Charlie Craven Parachute Adams (Biot Body)

2011-11-11T12:34:00.000-05:00

Here is Charlie Craven tying a variation of a parachute Adams. In this video he explains quite a few techniques that will help a beginner and an experienced tyer.

Enjoy!

Tying Tip #7 - The Craft Shop

2011-11-05T05:22:00.003-04:00

Always have a look in your local big box craft shop, home center, department store or dollar store. You can find some interesting fly tying materials that you wont usually find in a fly shop. Feathers, foam, beads, wire, organza, ribbons, tinsels, paints, markers, storage boxes, threads, metallic threads, yarns etc.

But by all means, support your local fly shop if you have one nearby.

Once again, thanks for looking.

Hipp's Popper

2011-10-31T16:39:00.000-04:00

Tying Instructions

http://www.warmwaterflytyer.com/corner.asp?page=4

Latest E-Zines

2011-10-31T16:16:00.006-04:00

The Contemporary Sportsman

Southern Culture on the Fly

Flyfishers Inc

Patagonia Journal

Catch Magazine

Understanding Feathers

2011-10-30T06:16:00.000-04:00

Here is an excellent web page by Mike Hogue that describes the types of feathers used in fly tying. Its been out there for awhile and may or may not have been updated, uut it will serve as a good reference for beginners and experienced tyers.

http://www.mwflytying.com/materials/feathers.html

2011 International Fly Tyers Symposium

2011-10-29T07:09:00.000-04:00

Arts of the Angler Show

2011-10-22T18:40:00.000-04:00

Tying Tip #6 - Cutting Wire

2011-10-22T06:11:00.003-04:00

Lets be real about this, we are not cutting a #2 gauge 100 amp service panel electrical wire with our fly tying scissors, we are cutting a soft copper wire that begins at approximately .003 thousandths of an inch to about .013 thousandths of an inch in diameter.

But this will most likely spark some controversy, I still cut ribbing wire with my more than capable Dr Slick tying scissors. The scissors below are over 10 years old and are showing their age. The fancy gold finish around the finger holes is wearing off. They have never been sharpened since the day I brought them home. But they still cut everything I need them to cut without any problems. I think they are tougher than most tyers want to believe. They can cut wire as long as you cut it in the right place. If you cut your wire close to the pivot point, the rest of the blade will remain sharp to cut the remainder of your fly tying materials.

You can grab that tag end of the wire and twirl it around like a helicopter rotor until it breaks of clean as a whistle! You can use finger and toe nail clippers. You can also dedicate a cheaper brand of scissors to do all of your wire cutting

Lead wire doesn't even need to be cut at all with scissors, just break it off with your thumbnail.

So what I'm really trying to say is yes you can cut wire with your scissors, just cut it in the right place!

Lets remember that this is just my opinion and yours will always be different!

As always, thanks for looking!

Mountain Biker Gets Taken Out

2011-10-16T06:17:00.000-04:00

I have seen this video all over the web and thought I'd share it here.

RIO - Making the Fly line

2011-10-15T16:13:00.001-04:00

Tying Tip #5 - Electrical Cords

2011-10-10T07:34:00.004-04:00

Save the old appliance cords and cut them to approximately 6-8 inches long. Strip away a few of inches of the insulation to expose the fine copper wire inside. Great for ribbing wire and wire bodied flies.

Blog of the Week

2011-10-07T20:01:00.002-04:00

Here is blog I would like to share and hopefully you like it enough to have it bookmarked.

A lot of great fly patterns.

It is in French and will need translation.

http://bailfly.over-blog.com/

Tungsten Thread

2011-10-06T12:51:00.003-04:00

Has anybody used tungsten thread from Spirit River?

Tying Tip #4 - Multiple Function Materials

2011-10-05T09:34:00.001-04:00

As you can see in the mylar piping material shown above, there is multiple uses for it. You can remove the core from the piping and use and use the piping for bait-fish bodies, you can use the antron/zlon type strands of the core for wings, wing posts, bodies, legs etc and you can even unbraid the piping and use each strand as mylar tinsel.

The mylar piping shown above is a chartreuse color and size large but I have found this type of piping with the antron/zlon type core material in other colors including silver, gold, pearl and even holographic.

As always, thanks for looking!

Latest Ezines

2011-10-04T19:15:00.003-04:00

http://www.thisisfly.com/

http://www.flymage.net/english.php

Glo Bugs - The Simple & Easy Way

2011-10-01T15:46:00.004-04:00

Craft PomPoms

Your favorite brand of glue

Your favorite curved hook

A fly box full of Glo Bugs

Just stab a craft pompom onto the curved hook, apply some super glue to the hook and push the pompom into the glue. Its as easy as that!

Tinsel Hair Extensions

2011-10-01T11:52:00.000-04:00

At least its a man made product that can be made by the mile! And Beyonce looks pretty damn good too!

Tying Tip #3 - Broken Thread

2011-10-01T06:29:00.003-04:00

You tied that perfect fly body and you just broke the thread?

Don't despair! It happens all the time.

Take your hackle pliers and attach it to the broken end of the thread. Reattach your tying thread and wrap over the broken end and you're ready to continue tying the rest of the fly.

Tying Tip #2 - Cap That Bottle

2011-09-30T09:38:00.003-04:00

Cap that head cement bottle after each use. You'll be glad you did!

Tying Tip #1 - Magnets

2011-09-25T06:25:00.001-04:00

Keep some sort of telescoping magnet tool around your tying area to pick up those stray hooks that land on the floor. Trust me, you will drop hooks or your vise will spit one out.

You can also use business card sized magnetic sheet to stick on your tying bench or pedestal. Its a great place to hold hooks for the flies you are tying at the moment.

Even magnetic tape will work as pointed out in the comment below by Johnny Utah

Thanks for looking!

Denis Leary Fly Fishing

2011-09-24T15:43:00.000-04:00

Simple Dropper Loop

2011-09-19T16:19:00.000-04:00

Some folks aren't too comfortable tying a dropper directly to the bend of the hook. Adding one in before tying you fly might be the way to go. Just tie in a simple mono loop to the top of the hook as shown below and then complete the fly per the recipe.

As always, thanks for looking.

Olive Nymph

2011-09-19T11:07:00.003-04:00

i have been tying up these Olive Nymphs for a fly swap. Here is a simple step by step on how to tie them.

Install a bead and attach olive tying thread.

Tie on a few coq de leon feather barbs for the tail and return the tying thread to behind the bead.

Take a piece of brassie sized black ultra wire and a piece of midge size chartreuse tubing and inert the ends of both into the open end of the bead. By inserting both ends into the open end of the bead, this will ensure that the body will be smooth and not show any bumps which would have occurred if I tied these material in at the bend of the hook.

While stretching the tubing and holing the wire, wrap these materials back to the bend of the hook and maintain a smooth under body.

Grasp both materials and wrap a neat body forward to behind the bead. it will be required to stretch the tubing while wrapping forward. Trim the materials as shown.

At this point its time to decide if you want to coat the body with one of many brands of UV cured goos. The one above was covered with Diamond Hard Resin.

Now its time to dub a thorax with your favorite dubbing. On this one I used some brown olive Free Range wet fly dubbing from Kieth Barton at Singlebarbed.com.

Whip finish or half hitch the tying thread and clip it off. With a dubbing picker/brush, tease out some fibers in the thorax for a buggy look.

Recipe

Hook: your favorite style in your favorite sizes

Thread: color to match

Tail: Coq de Leon Feather fibers (grizzly will work just fine)

Body: brassie size wire and midge size stretch tubing (v-rib, d-rib, body glass etc will also work)

Thorax: your favorite dubbing (natural or synthetic)

Tying Note

The above method of tying is simply a guide and if you don't have the exact materials I used, please feel free to substitute any one of them to tie the nymph above. There are so many tying materials the could have been used, I just pick out some I Had on hand at the moment. Experiment. I dont want you tying how I tie. Try out different materials. Be creative.

Dubbing reference: http://www.singlebarbed.biz/NYMPH-DUBBING_c4.htm

As always, thanks for looking!

CDC Feathers: What You Need to Know

2011-09-15T17:59:00.001-04:00

Here is a great web page for identifying, understanding and tying with CDC feathers.

http://globalflyfisher.com/tiebetter/tying-with-cdc/

Here is another great web page on the CDC & Elk and a family of flies,

http://globalflyfisher.com/patterns/cdcelk/

Tandem Streamer Fly Tutorial

2011-09-05T08:37:00.002-04:00

Remember, this is ONE way of tying a tandem hook. There are other ways but this is a very good tutorial to get started with.

Waterproof Cameras

2011-09-03T15:08:00.010-04:00

Nikon Coolpix AW 100

http://www.nikonusa.com/Nikon-Products/Product/Compact-Digital-Cameras/26293/COOLPIX-AW100.html#tab-ProductDetail.ProductTabs.Overview

Pentax Optio WG-1

http://www.pentaximaging.com/digital-camera/Optio_WG-1_GPS_Green/

Panasonic DMC-TS3D

http://www2.panasonic.com/consumer-electronics/shop/Cameras-Camcorders/LUMIX-Digital-Cameras-Point-amp-Shoot-Models/model.DMC-TS3D

Sony DSC-TX10/N

http://tinyurl.com/3tlg35e

Ultra Wire Diameters

2011-09-03T07:27:00.002-04:00

I don't know if it is of great importance, but I like to know the sizes of things so I decided to measure Ultra Wire. I measured with a pair of digital calipers for the following sizes "XSMALL", "SMALL", "BRASSIE" & "MEDIUM". See the chart below.

The chart below has the weight of each wire gauge and from what I see, copper wire simply does NOT add significant weight to flies.

Latest E-Zines

2011-09-02T08:34:00.004-04:00

http://www.catchmagazine.net/

http://www.patagoniajournal.com/

http://bloodknot.net/fb2.4/

http://www.tenandtwomagazine.com/

http://issuu.com/theflyphoto/docs/summer_newsletter/1

http://atightloop.com/September2011.html

Hurricane Irene

2011-08-26T08:47:00.001-04:00

Looks like a fly tying Sunday for those of us who live in southeastern Connecticut and New England!

Big Hole Demon

2011-08-21T13:32:00.001-04:00

Light Version

Grizzly or Badger Hackle Tips (2, divided)

Flat Silver Tinsel, Oval Silver Tinsel Rib

Black Chenille or Peacock Herl

Grizzly or Badger Hackle Palmered Over Front Half of Body

DarkVersion

Furnace or Dark Brown Hackle Tips (2, divided)

Gold Tinsel, Oval Gold Tinsel Rib

Black or dark Brown Chenille

Furnace or Dark Brown Hackle Palmered Over Front Half of Body

Reference

Montana Trout Flies by George F Grant

Popper Sizing Chart

2011-08-19T07:26:00.000-04:00

Gray Ghost Step by Step

2011-08-15T11:23:00.001-04:00

Click on the link below for an excellent step by step on how to tie a Gray Ghost streamer.

http://vigsbigflys.com/id254.htm

Steaming Feathers

2011-08-15T07:45:00.001-04:00

Have you ever gotten feathers that look like the one above and was considering throwing it out? Then click on the link below for a simple and easy method of restoring it back to a useful condition.

http://donbastianwetflies.wordpress.com/2011/07/23/steaming-feathers-miracles-do-happen/

How to remove a hook from a human body

2011-08-13T11:28:00.002-04:00

Back in the late 80's while fishing the Bighorn River in Montana, I happened to get a hook imbedded in the palm of my hand and used this little trick to remove it. It works and it was painless!

International Fly Tackle Dealers Show

2011-08-08T08:37:00.002-04:00

http://www.theflyfishingexpo.com/

History of Fly Fishing

2011-08-07T12:53:00.000-04:00

Here is a website that describes some fly fishing history and has some videos by Dr Andrew Herd on tying some early fly patterns from the likes of Ogden, Skues, Halford, Aelian, Ronalds, Berner, Cotton etc.

http://www.medlarbooks.com/video/flyfishing_videos.html

"Crazy Glue" Leader to Fly Line Connection

2011-08-03T11:05:00.009-04:00

Here is one of many ways to connect your leader to your fly line.

"Crazy Glue" Connection

1. Take a small needle and insert the sharp end into a pin vise.

2. Insert the needle eye into the end of the fly line and bring out through the line.

3. Thread the tippet end of the leader into the needles eye.

4. Pull on the tippet end, pulling the entire leader through the fly line.

5. Leave about an inch or so of leader butt section sticking out of the fly line.

6. With some sandpaper, rough up the leader in front of the fly line.

7. Apply a drop of "crazy glue" on the roughed up leader.

8. Pull on the leader butt where it exits the fly line until the roughed up section of the leader butt is inside the fly line. The leader is now glued in place. DO NOT TUG on the leader at this point to check on the connection.

9. Trim the excess leader butt as close as possible to where it exits the fly line.

10. Now you can GENTLY tug on the leader & fly line. The end of the leader butt will disappear into the fly line for a perfectly smooth connection.

Whats Under Your Floss

2011-08-03T08:46:00.001-04:00

Here is an article that examines the difference in color change when a different color thread or tinsel is used for the under body when used with floss.

Click here: http://theriverscourse.blogspot.com/2011/06/whats-under-your-floss.html

Latest Ezines

2011-08-01T13:15:00.002-04:00

http://www.thisisfly.com/

http://www.thecontemporarysportsman.com/

http://www.anglingtrade.com/2011/06/01/june-2011-issue/

http://www.pagegangster.com//p/rvrEg/

Uni-Stretch/Nylon-Stretch Alternative

2011-07-16T12:02:00.007-04:00

I found this tip while surfing on the world wide web, so its not my idea and lay no claims to it!

Uni-Stretch/Nylon-Stretch comes spooled on the standard sized bobbins and costs about $1 for 30 yards.

The alternative I found during that surfing trip is a product called "Wooly Nylon" and costs about $3 for 1000 meter bobbins or $3 for 1093.61 yards (I'll let you do the math). "Woolly Nylon" is used in the garment industry for rolled hems and edges, ruffles, swimwear, aerobic wear, kids clothes, knits and lingerie.

This material works great for

Caddis Larva

Streamer Bodies

Soft Hackles

etc etc etc

This material can be used for an under body filler to build up fatter fly bodies.

You can use your favorite marker and on the thread itself or after the body has been wrapped. The caddis larva was coated with an apple green Sharpie marker, followed by a coat of bug bond and the sally hansens

Not everybody is going to use this material or even use Uni-Stretch/Nylon-Stretch but at least there alternatives to use.

One more alternative is a tread called "Bulky Nylon" which is approximately the same as "Wooly Nylon" but slightly thinner. "Bulky Nylon" can be purchased at Joann Fabrics stores. This product also is 1000 meters long and comes in a rainbow of colors.

Wolly Nylon was bought on amazon.com

Thanks for looking

Beginner Tying Video

2011-07-13T20:37:00.000-04:00

Leroy Hyatt talking about and explaining fly tying tools.

Learn about the tools involved in tying flies BEFORE you learn fl tying.

Direction of your tips

2011-07-10T08:30:00.000-04:00

In order to minimize handling the material or misalignment of the material, always point the tips of the material in the direction they are going to be applied to the hook

example

I am tying in bucktail for the wing so i want the tips to come out of the stacker pointing in the direction of bend

If I were to tie a wing for lets say a royal wulff, I want the tips to come out of the stacker in the direction of the hook eye

I used the same bucktail for this example but you get the idea

Using the methods above eliminates the need to turn the hair around in your fingers and making a mess out of the hair or whatever material you used.

This method can also be used with wood duck, hackle fibers, calf tail etc

Even if you dont use a hair stacker this method still applies

Hope this isnt confusing

Thanks for looking

Reuben R Cross Bucktails

2011-07-09T14:38:00.003-04:00

Catskill

Scarlet body, silver rib, brown back, white belly

Beaverkill

White body, silver rib, black back, white belly

Jack Schwinn

Orange body, gold rib, brown back, white belly

Ken Lockwood

Scarlet body, gold rib, black back, white belly

Ray Arden

Scarlet body, gold rib, brown back, white belly, a few black hairs down the side

Reference Material

All recipes per the description in the book

Head Cement in Your Eyes

2011-07-09T10:59:00.003-04:00

Don't despair! Use this age old technique for clearing them out. Take an old discarded feather and simply draw the feather through the clogged up hook eye to remove any wet head cement.

Thanks for looking

New Issues of Ezines

2011-07-02T08:21:00.001-04:00

Read it here: http://www.catchmagazine.net/

Read it here: http://bloodknot.net/fb2.3/

Read it here: http://www.patagoniajournal.com/

Hungry Birds

2011-07-02T07:59:00.001-04:00

I put up a couple of bird feeders in my yard just to see what birds are in the area. Here's a few of them.

Downy Woodpecker

Pair of Downy Woodpeckers

Red Bellied Woodpecker & Friend

Hummingbird

Cardinal

Red Wing Blackbirds & Mourning Dove

Another Online Ezine

2011-06-26T07:10:00.000-04:00

http://atightloop.com/

The RS2

2011-06-20T06:47:00.001-04:00

I was tying a bunch of these for an upcoming fishing trip and decided to photograph a few for the blog. I dont tie them with traditional materials but I like to substitute the microfibett tails with moose body hairs and the fluffy wing with zlon. So here's the few that I tied up.

Grey

Black

Olive

Olive Bi-color

Baetis

Cream

Tan

Tan Bi-color

Brown

I like fishing these flies just under the surface using a 9 ft 6X leader and some tiny split shot 15-18 inches above the fly.

Using your imagination, there's more colors and color combinations that can be tied. Try using different materials such as pheasant and turkey tails.

Follow the following link for some history, colors and a tying step by step

http://web.me.com/ferencho/RS2/Welcome.html

Thanks for looking!

First came Thingamabobber...

2011-06-17T09:58:00.000-04:00

...then Unibobber and now comes Thingamabody!

Interesting idea! Not new, but interesting!

http://www.westwaterproducts.com/thingamabody.html

V-Rib Caddis Pupa

2011-06-15T10:08:00.000-04:00

Hook: your favorite sizes to match the natural

Thread: color to match the natural

Underbody: thread, color to match the natural

Overbody: medium V-Rib

Rib: peacock herl slotted between turns of V-Rib

Thorax: brown natural or synthetic fur

Wing Case: cock-pheasant tail fibres

Antennae: 2 strands of cock-pheasant swept backwards

Legs: brown partridge or brahma hen

RF Hair Wing Caddis

2011-06-08T09:42:00.002-04:00

Check out the really neat hackling process on this fly.

Sorry but the the video is in German, but the visual stands on its own.

More videos here: http://www.youtube.com/user/flytyer100

Flymage Magazine

2011-06-04T11:37:00.002-04:00

http://www.flymage.net/english.php

Storage Ideas

2011-06-04T09:35:00.000-04:00

Beads, hooks and a things small need some type of storage other than the zip lock bag they originally come in. Here is some ideas for storage.

I use the box above for storing small hooks. Each round container has a screw on lid to eliminate spilage of hooks going all over the place.

Storage tubes

The above box has 24 tic tac style boxes for storage

Pill boxes make great storage. Stick a label on each compartment for easy identification of the contents inside.

These boxes above can be found a Michaels craft stores. They make great fly boxes for small flies.

Another idea for these boxes/containers is to drill a hole in each one and fill them with your favorite dubbing.

Thanks for looking.

This Is Fly - Latest Issue

2011-06-03T08:29:00.000-04:00

http://www.thisisfly.com/

Chromie

2011-05-30T09:23:00.000-04:00

Antron, Zlon, Poly Yarn, Darlon etc Breathers

Black Bead

Red Wire

Silver Tinsel

Peacock Herl

Can't find that lead tape....

2011-05-29T06:15:00.000-04:00

....for weighting those fly bodies at your local fly shop?

Try your local golf shop.

Or you can even get some flashing from your local doll house supply shop!