Slade's Secret

Slade's Secret

Hook - Mustad 3399, 3906 or equivalent

Thread - Black

Tag - Flat gold tinsel & gold floss

Tail - Bronze mallard

Butt - Peacock sword

Rib - Gold oval tinsel

Body - Rear half lime green wool, front half peacock herl

Wing - Brown bear

Throat - Teal flank, sparse

Reference - Charles DeFeo section of Forgotten Flies

In this pattern I made a couple of substitutions

1. I colored white floss with a gold marker to achieve the gold floss

2. I used peacock herl for the butt. I didn't feel the peacock sword herls I had were long enough.

3. I used moose body hair for the wing. I have no brown bear.

I hope you like it.

Marlo Dipietro Vises

See more vises here

How Does a Trout Catch a Fly?

http://www.flyfishingdevon.co.uk/how-does-a-trout-catch-a-fly02.shtml

Chevrolet Promotional Flies

DR. Hendrickson

Preserving And Storing Material

Feathers are composed of about 91% protein, 8% water, and 1% lipids.  The type of protein in feathers is called keratin, a sulphurous, fibrous protein.  Fur and hair have a similar composition so use this information for storing all natural materials.

Read the rest of the article here

http://www.flytyingworld.com/classroom/96/1182-Caring-for-your-Feathers-and-Natural-Materials--.html

Early Season Sampler

7 knots for tying a fly to tippet/leader

Leisenring Spun Dubbing Methods

Bill Shuck Flymph Tying Demonstration

Oval Tinsel Substitute

So you want to tie a streamer body of flat tinsel and ribbed with oval tinsel and you search and search for the oval tinsel and you come up empty. Do not fear! Here is a simple trick for making your own. It wont replace the real thing but it will serve as a substitute.

Tie in the flat tinsel and wrap the tinsel in touching 

turns to the bend of the hook. 

(I like to attach hackle pliers to the tinsel at this point)

Begin twisting the tinsel from the flat ribbon to a rope 

configuration. Pay attention to the twisting of the tinsel so that you get a 

silver rib on a silver body.

Wrap the tinsel into a tight rope.

Wrap the ribbing forward and tie off.

You now have a smoothly wrapped tinsel body with a rib of 

twisted tinsel that substituted for the real oval tinsel.

Continue to finish the fly.

Thanks for looking.

Imitation Jungle Cock

Here is an easy and inexpensive way to make a jungle cock substitute by Dick Talleur

Tt wont actually replace the real thing but for fishing flies who cares! 

Keep the real jungle cock for your museum quality flies

You don't really have to use the brass template to make the imitation.

All you need is a feather that has a white spot in the center of the stem as shown in the first photo and a pair of scissors. 

Just strip away any waste barbs and trim the guinea feather to the approximate shape shown in the third photo on the left.

Storing Long Freathers

I store all of my longer feathers upright in a cheap metal vise from Walmart. 

You can also keep the feathers in the original packaging if you prefer. 

The feathers in the photo below are on the north side of my house and do not receive much daylight that may fade them. Plus, the window blinds are usually closed.

Stripping Peacock Quills

Gravel Gertie

Hook: Streamer

Thread: Black

Tail: Orange yarn

Body: Black and white chenille

Throat: Pink yarn

Wing: White calf tail topped with red fox squirrel

Reference: Forgotten Flies

Fly Tying Proportions

More proportions here

Twisted Flashendipity

Twisted Flashendipity

Hook - Your favorite brand and style

Thread - Black or match the natural

Body - Your favorite color z-lon or equivalent and 1-2 strands of
krystal flash twisted into a rope and wrapped forward

Wing - White z-lon or equivalent

Head - Thread

This is a variation of the "Serendipity"

This is a very simple fly pattern and can be tied in any color you want. Be creative.

Nest Eggs

Curved or straight hook

Fringe Bead in your favorite color

Copper wire ribbing

Your favorite body material

Peacock Ice Dubbing

La Visa

La Visa

Hook - Wet/nymph style

Thread - Orange

Body - Copper wire and thread

Thorax - Peacock herl

Hackle - Hungarian partridge

Reference

http://www.jpdessaigne.com/Lesnoyees/Visa/visa.htm

Gummie Minnow

Here is a different/easier way to fabricate a gummie minnow using 3M clear double sided tape