San Juan River

White Ghost

White Ghost Marabou Wing

Hook: 6xl – 8xl streamer

Thread: Black

Tail: Yellow hackle fibers

Rib: Oval silver tinsel

Body: Flat silver tinsel

Throat: Yellow hackle fibers

Wing: White marabou

Barbara Cotton (Variant)

Barbara Cotton

Smelt Imitation

Hook - 6xl - 8xl streamer

Thread - Black

Tail - Hot pink rabbit fur

Tag - Red thread

Underbody - Pearl braid, wrapped

Body - Small silver mylar piping

Throat - Golden pheasant crest

Topping - 6 strands of peacock herl

Cheek - Large jungle cock eyes

Notes: Originated by Kenneth Welch of Concord, New Hampshire. This fly was named for Mrs Barbara Cotton of Laconia who, with her husband Mert, has operated the Opechee Trading Post for 50 years. The fly was the first-place entry in a fly-tying competition sponsored by the New Hampshire Flyfishers' Association in 1995.

Variation: Not having every recipe item on hand, I used pink calf tail, silver holographic piping and yellow hackle for the original recipe items.

Barbara Cotton, Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire Master Angler (lake-winnipesaukee-travel-guide.com)

Royal Coachman

Royal Coachman Marabou Wing

(Variant)

Hook - 6xl – 8xl streamer

Thread - Black

Tail - Golden pheasant tippets

Aft body - Peacock herl

Mid body - Red twisted wire

Fore body - Peacock herl

Throat - Brown hackle fibers

Wing - White Marabou

Montreal Whore

Montreal Whore

Hook - 4xl - 6xl streamer

Thread - Black

Ribbing - Flat/embossed silver tinsel

Body - Fluorescent orange yarn

Underwing - Red and blue bucktail, separate or mixed (depicted)

Wing - White marabou
Painted eyes (optional) - Black over white

Reference - Forgotten Flies - Schmookler and Sils

Roach River Robber

Roach River Robber

Originated by Dan Legere

HOOK: 6xl streamer

THREAD: Black

BODY: Red Uni-stretch, yarn, floss etc

THROAT: Natural brown deer back hairs (sparse)

WING: Gray Squirrel tail hair

Variant = 3 Strands of twisted red ultra wire for the body

Moosehead Belle

Moosehead Belle

Hook: 6xl - 8xl streamer

Thread: 6/0 red

Tail: Yellow hackle fibers

Body: Red Floss

Rib: Medium flat silver tinsel

Throat: Yellow hackle fibers

Under wing: Mallard dyed Ginger

Wing:White marabou

Smelly Buck Tails

Every now and then you may end up with a smelly buck tail that wasn't processed correctly leaving on some flesh that is turning rotten and starting to smell.

A good tip to remember is if it stinks in the fly shop it stays in the fly shop.

If its necessary to buy from an online retailer, most of them them allow for comments on the ordering page. Just specify that if the buck tails stink do not send them in your order.

Balsa's Not Dead

Fly Tying Hook Brands

Being retired and having virtually nothing to do, I decided to find as many "fly tying" hook brands.

After an exhaustive 2-3 hour search on the internet trying to find as many hook brands as I could find, I managed to create the following list (most likely incomplete). I tried to find as many "freshwater" brand of hooks. Of course some brands contain "saltwater" hooks, one brand contained only 1 "freshwater" hook, some brands I have never heard of but most of them I have. Some are "fly shop" brands and some are personal brands. Some are offshoots of popular major brands. I did not list brands that only made treble hook for salmon etc.

So here is the list of the brands I found

A. Jensen
Akita
Alec Jackson
Allcock
Allen
Bergman
Blue Heron
Cabelas
Castor
Charles Jardine
C'ultiva
Daiichi
Dai-Riki
Demmon
Dohiku
Dragonflies Competition
Drennan
Eagle Claw
Elite
European Barbless Hook
Fly Tying Boutique
Fulling Mill
Gaelic Supreme
Gamakatsu
Green Caddis Outfitters
Grip
Hanak
Hayabusa
Hends
Heritage
Herters
Hook and Hackle
J:son
Jstockard
Kamasan
Ken Sawada
Knapek
Kobe
Kumho
Lazer sharp
Leeda
Lightning Strike
Maruto
Matzuo
Maxcatch
MFC
Mustad
Orvis
Osprey
Owner
Partridge
Saber
Sakuma
SFFT
Skalka
Spear-It
Sprite
Stealth
Stewart Forster
Sundridge
Syndicate Comp Hooks
Talon
Targus
The Fly Shop
Tiemco
Togen
Topfly
Trokar
Tunca
Turrall
Umpqua
Varivas
VMC
White River Fly Shop
Wizard

If anybody knows of other brands please post them in a comment and I'll add them to this list.

Articulated A. P. Nymph

Profile Plate

A profile plate helps to reduces glare, eyestrain and blocks out the busy background on the tying bench. The plate is also perfect for providing a plain background for photographing your flies.

But they can cost $$$ depending on the vise manufacturer

So here is my cheaper alternative

I bought a typists document holder for $5 + free shipping

Insert a 39 cent piece of your favorite color craft/scrapbooking paper in the holder

Then place it behind your vise to block out the mess and clutter on your bench and you'll see what youre tying much better

Please note: this is just one way of making a profile plate. There are many more clever and elaborate ways of making one

Thanks for looking

Norm

Alexandra

Alexandra

Winged Wet Fly

Tag - Dark red floss*

Tail - Peacock sword

Ribbing - Oval silver tinsel*

Body - Silver tinsel

Hackle - Deep wine, dark claret or black

Wing - Peacock sword - may have a dash of scarlet on each side

Trout - Ray Bergman

Forgotten Flies - Schmookler and Sils

*The recipe in Bergman's book lists the ribbing and tag as optional

The Alexandra exists in numerous variations. It is a fly of English origin that was supposedly banned in fishing competitions at one time because of its killing effectiveness.

Trout Fishing and the Color of Wet Dubbing

http://www.scribd.com/doc/142144696/Trout-Fishing-and-the-Color-of-Wet-Dubbing#scribd

Folding Feathers

Every now and then there is a need to to have that swept back look with hackles and other feathers

Here is one way out of many to achieve that look

This is a simple fly tying technique someone might want to learn

Yes it adds time to tying your fly but who cares!

http://globalflyfisher.com/tie-better/folding-feathers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5U8IZ6GLdns&t=149s

Alpine Emerger

Alpine Emerger

Hook - Standard wet style

Thread - Gray

Tail - Dyed blue dun barred mallard fibers tied sparse

Body - Dubbed blue dun synthetic

Legs - Same as tail fibers

Popular Fly Patterns by Terry Hellekson

With a lifetimes supply of teal feathers, 

I substituted these for what's called for in the original recipe

Body Glass Caddis

Body Glass Caddis

Hook - Straight or curved
Thread - Black
Ribbing - Copper wire
Body - Olive body glass or equivalent*
Thorax - Peacock herl
Legs - Optional

*Equivalent = V rib, d rib, liqui lace, larva lace, swannundaze (if you still have it) etc.

Careless Coachman

Careless Coachman

Hook - Mustad 3665A

Thread - Fluorescent red
Tail - Golden pheasant tippet
Butt - Peacock herl
Body - Red floss or uni stretch
Rib - Flat silver tinsel, wound closer than usual
Wing - Brown calf tail

How to adjust your bobbin holder

Stump Lake Damsel

Stump Lake Damsel

Hook: your favorite

Thread: olive

Eyes: see below

Tail: marabou

Body: swannundaze or d-rib etc

Wing case: olive magic foil, scud back etc

Thorax: SLF damsel olive dubbing

 Thread 2 fringe beads onto a short length of wire and twist until tight. I added a drop uv resin to help spread them apart. Tie them onto the hook and make some figure eight wraps between the beads.

Example of fringe beads. Note the offset hole.

If you're lazy and don't want to twist up any eyes just use peanut beads.

Thanks for looking & happy tying.