redietz

Great telling of the story. Thanks for posting.

Starling, mallard coverts, English red grouse, moorhen, snipe, jackdaw, woodcock, various quail, and you can always use hen.

I just saw this thread minutes before I responded. Had I seen it early, I certainly would have answered him. And although there are threads in this forum in which I have personal interest, I don't respond to them stating my lack of interest.

I think I would have left as well, given the response he got. If what he had is the real deal, there are people who pay good money for it. In addition, the Pennsylvania Fly Fishing Museum is having trouble tracking down Leisenring memorabilia (collectors are unwilling to give it up. It didn't look like he was going to get a serious answer to his question here. For many, myself included, the history of the sport is one of the main appeals of fly fishing.

That was great! Thanks for posting.

I learned to tie from Helen Shaw's book back in the 60's. I agree with the OP. It gives you a much better foundation than videos. You can read a book sequentially, you know you haven't missed anything the author had to say. With videos, it's hit or miss and you could watch dozens of them without learning basic skills. Yes, some videos might mention "thread control" but you might not run into one for a long time, and have no idea that the concept even exists. Videos have their place, but they're a long way from replacing books.

The size of slate drakes (iso's) varies a lot. They may be as large as a size 12 early in the season, but later size 14 is a better match.

No. Definitely not.

I own an A.K. Best vise. The design is great, except the jaws are made of a metal too soft to really hold a hook very well, and the word got out. I think he probably lost a bundle in the venture.

That's exactly what I was thinking, and why I asked how big they were.

How big are they?

Two flies immediately spring to mind for using the tail: a Muddler Minnow and a Picket Pin.

The Cremation of Sam Mcgee was my absolute favorite poem when I was in middle school. I was reciting along when he used a different word I than I remembered. I had to look it up. He may have memorized it. but not quite correctly. (Better than I could have done. though.)

It may just be a little early in the year for them to moved into shallow water.

That's the right question, and the right answer if you're planning on stripping the fly. If you're planning on dead drifting it, perhaps a soft hackle might be better.