Uni-Stretch/Nylon-Stretch Alternative

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

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

Direction of your tips

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

If I am tying in hair for the wing, I want the tips to come out of the stacker pointing in the direction of bend

If I were to tie a hair wing for let's 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 hair 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 don't use a hair stacker this method still applies

Hope this isn't confusing

Thanks for looking

Reuben R Cross Bucktails

Beaverkill

Hook - Mustad 3665A or equivalent

Thread - Black

Ribbing - Flat silver tinsel

Body - White wool

Throat - White bucktail

Wing - Black bucktail

Catskill

Hook - Mustad 3665A or equivalent

Thread - Black

Ribbing - Flat silver tinsel

Body - Red wool

Throat - White bucktail

Wing - Brown bucktail (Outside brown hairs of a white bucktail)

Jack Schwinn

Hook - Mustad 3665A or equivalent

Thread - Black

Ribbing - Flat gold tinsel

Body - Orange wool

Throat - Yellow bucktail

Wing - Brown bucktail (Outside brown hairs of a yellow bucktail)

Ken Lockwood

Hook - Mustad 3665A or equivalent

Thread - Black

Ribbing - Flat silver tinsel

Body - Red wool

Throat - White bucktail

Wing - Black bucktail 

Ray Arden

Hook - Mustad 3665A or equivalent

Thread - Black

Ribbing - Flat silver tinsel

Body - Red wool

Throat - White bucktail

Sides - A few black bucktail hairs

Wing - Brown bucktail (Outside brown hairs of a white bucktail) 

Reference

All recipes per the description in the book

Head Cement in Your Hook Eyes

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

The RS2

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

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!

V-Rib Caddis Pupa

V-Rib Caddis Pupa

Hook - Curved style

Thread - Black or color to match the natural

Underbody - Tying thread same as above

Overbody - Medium V-Rib

Rib - Peacock herl slotted between turns of V-Rib

Thorax - Brown dubbing

Wing Case - Pheasant tail fibers

Antennae - 2 strands of pheasant tail fibers

Legs - Brown partridge or brahma hen

Storage Ideas

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

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.

Chromie

Chromie

Hook - Any curved or jig style hook

Thread - Black

Bead - Black brass or tungsten bead

Breathers - 4 strands of white uni-stretch

Ribbing - Red wire

Body - Flat silver tinsel

Thorax - Peacock herl

Can't find that lead tape....

....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!

How to Dye Feathers Sunburst with Davie McPhail

Tak's Crystal Midge

Tak's Crystal Midge

Hook - Tiemco TMC 2302 – size 10 to 22
Thread - Black
Abdomen - Clear v-rib or equivalent
Top Wing case - Mirage tinsel, large
Side Wing case - Red spanflex

Thorax - Tying thread
Gills - White uni stretch
Coating - UV Resin

Biot Alternative

When tying really small flies and you can’t find a biot small enough, just look to a tail feather and use a single strand to get that fuzzy ribbing effect. Add some crazy glue to the shank prior to wrapping for added durability.

In the photo above, I used a single I’m a turkey tail feather. Try using goose, swan, pheasant etc.

 

Thanks for looking

W

Electrical Cords

This is an old tips and tricks but may help the younger tyers.

Electrical cords make an excellent source of fine copper wire. Cut your cords about 4-6 inches long and leave a short amount of the insulation to keep it all together. Pull out a strand when its needed.

Reel Spool Tenders

Whenever I reel the line and leader onto an extra reel spool it somehow unwraps itself from the spool. I was in Walmart yesterday and found these velcro "one-wrap" straps for $2.99 for six straps. I simply wound the line and leader back on to the spool and inserted the tippet end into the slot in the strap and wrapped the strap around the spooled line. No more unspooling!

These one-wraps" are 15 inches long x 1/2 inch wide. Length can be shortened as required.

"One-Wrap" installed on reel spool.

Lazy Mans Bitch Creek Nymph

Bitch Creek Nymph

Hook - Mustad 9671, 9672 or equivalent

Thread - Black

Weight - Lead free wire

Tail & Antenna - Rubber legs

Ribbing - Mono, thread or wire

Abdomen - Black chenille and yellow chenille belly 
Thorax - Black chenille
Hackle - Black or brown hackle

The Bitch Creek Nymph is usually tied with a woven body, but I don't weave worth a damn, so I just tied a piece of yellow chenille on the underside of the hook and then pulled it forward to the midpoint of the hook. Use the ribbing to keep it in place. Brown hackle is also used but I like the black for this one. Use different color chenille for the under body.

Montana Nymph

Montana Nymph

Hook - Mustad 9671/9672, size 2-14

Thread - Black
Tail - Black hackle fibers/moose body hair
Body - Black chenille (underbody of lead wire optional)
Thorax - Yellow chenille
Wing case - Black chenille
Hackle - Black/brown hackle

Hook - Mustad 9671/9672, size 2-14

Thread - Black
Tail - Black hackle fibers/moose body hair
Body - Black chenille (underbody of lead wire optional)
Thorax - Fluorescent green chenille
Wing case - Black chenille
Hackle - Black/brown hackle

Hook - Mustad 9671/9672, size 2-14

Thread - Black
Tail - Black hackle fibers/moose body hair
Body - Black chenille (underbody of lead wire optional)
Thorax - Orange chenille
Wing case - Black chenille
Hackle - Black/brown hackle

The original was designed to imitate large dark stonefly nymphs of Northern American. 

It was first tied by Lew Oatman of New York.

Marrying Feathers

Dropper Rigs

Deer Hair Parachute Style Hackle

A different way of producing a parachute style hackle

How its done:

https://web.archive.org/web/20110909072944/http://www.flyforums.co.uk/fly-tying-step-step/26230-way-i-tie-them.html