CoachBob

Gamakatsu® All-Purpose O'Shaughnessy Hook - Model 130 Up to 10/0 at basspro.com

Lowepro Nature Treker. Carries 2 bodies, 5 lenses, flash and chargers plus filters etc. Due to lenses, my bag currently weights about 40 lbs so a backpack is the only real option.

Santa brought me a stripping basket. It is great. I've owned other types and never liked any of them. This is so clever it makes me wish I'd thought of it. To see what Santa brought, go to: http://flyfishbasket.com/ Near the bottom of the page is a link for a video. It shows the basket a lot better than I can explain, but I can say everything shown there works like they say. Just great.

This is the write up from feather-craft.com on a terrific book I own on soft hackles: Soft Hackled Fly and Tiny Soft Hackles by Sylvester Nemes THE SOFT HACKLED FLY and TINY SOFT HACKLES by Sylvester Nemes, the foremost authority on tying and fishing soft hackle flies. This is not just a "touched up" re-print of the original best-selling book, "The Soft Hackled Fly". Syl has gone through each pattern making changes and revisions where necessary, plus added 11 NEW CHAPTERS on tying and fishing tiny soft hackles. A MUST OWN BOOK FOR EVERY FLY TYER. Sylvester's soft-hackle flies, and the fly fishing techniques that he has refined on some of Montana's toughest trout waters over the past 40+ years, will make you a better trout fisher. Hardbound, 220-pages.

Go to the Fly Pattern Data Base Click Search Type "boudreaux" in the bottom most search window This fly is easy and works on bluegill all times of the year. This past weekend I took several fishing a double boudreaux rix.

This is an English fly shop. http://www.flyfishing-flies.com/ If you choose "spider soft hackle" or "soft hackle nymph" from the index of flies you can then click on a particular fly and get a reallygood picture of any number of patterns. The key to good soft hackles is TIE IN THE HACKLE BY THE TIP and DON'T MAKE TOO MANY WINDS OF THE HACKLE. A good soft hackle is sparsly dressed and simple to tie. Don't forget, you can make a bead head soft hackle that works well in faster moving waters.

Brianbrown75 Good for you. I did the exact same thing for a penny a bale many many years ago and didn't save a thing.

Except for hackles (for which there is no alternative) I use almost exclusively synthetics. Closed cell foam is easier to work with than hair (which I spent two decades spinning) and floats better. Rubber and silicone legs have no real comparable in natural materials. Synthetic hair (like super hair) is much more durable than bucktail -- although I still use bucktail in a lot of saltwater poppers because of the floatation of the bucktail. Woven flies use natural materials if you count cotton --which is used to make some embroidery floss. For most patterns I use flat waxed nylon not cotton thread.

Environmental negotiations. Have been given money by folks at conclaves to whom I offered a fly for free and who insisted on paying for it. Which is very interesting, if you think about it. I am willing to tie and give away and they feel guilty about taking it for free so they give me money to relieve their guilt. Of course, most of the tyers I know, if given a fly by a fellow tyer, are going to return the favor -- which is sort of but not exactly the same thing.

I don't mean to get anyone out of sorts, but competitive pricing BY ANYONE is of interest to all fly fishermen. I notice, for example, that JStockard has a pretty tasty clearance price on the large arbor Scientific Anglers System 2 Model 456 reel. I did a quick Internet check and found it for $30-$100 more at some sites. If they are being outpriced for certain items this should also be of interest to them to know what the competition is doing. Meanwhile, let me recommend http://livingrubber.com/ for non-round rubber legs. Their "barbed wire" skirting is really cool stuff and dirt cheap by comparison to other sites.

This is not meant to be negative, even though it sounds that way. The files look good, BUT, rubber legs and other non bouyant materials can cause a fly to ride wrong in the water. If you have not already tested the flies in the water, you might want to do so and ensure you are not creating a tail-heavy popper. Also, if you are not supergluing or epoxying the doll eyes to the body you may find they will be bitten off.

Each of us knows of a place (or several) where deep discounts on materials and equipment can be found. I think it would benefit everyone on the site if we could post locations that have SERIOUSLY good prices, not just an okay or acceptable price. For example, round rubber legs are nowhere cheaper than jannsnetcraft.com. You can save up to 70% over other suppliers prices. Mustad hooks are nowhere cheaper than hookhack.com (because of a 20% on line ordering discount). Tapered leaders are never cheaper than DaiRiki leaders for 79 cents (when they are available) at sierratradingpost.com. Okay, that starts the thread with three REALLY discounted items. Whose got others?

Bass Pro shops white river reels are cheap and good. They are all fiberglass so they are VERY light. This is their best selling point because they don't mess up the balance of a rod. They have a decent drag and I own many in all their sizes. I have yet to have one fail on larger fish, but mostly in fresh water the reel is little more than a line holder. And if you do need to get a fish "on the reel" these can do the job. How cheap is cheap? Under $50.

For warmwater lakes look at the pattern for the Black Boudreaux on this site. So far this fall I have taken dozens of bass (largest 4 pounds) on this tiny fly. Fishing it as a dropper under a popper or behind a larger fly like a bunny leach has been very effective. VERY effective. And best of all, it is an easy tie.

I got a message saying they accidentally came across this info and it should have been under this heading. http://www.hammacher.com/publish/73033.asp There you will find a desktop or tabletop photo studio for under $!00. I got mine from Frontgate (they no longer carry it) for twice that much and it is terrific. This is the solution to taking good fly photos.

Go to http://www.hammacher.com/publish/73033.asp There you will find a desktop or tabletop photo studio for under $!00. I got mine from Frontgate for twice that much and it is terrific. This is the solution to taking good fly photos.

This is an interesting Forum and some of the entries led me to wonder how many non-fishermen there are among the tyers. Personally, I get to fish almost daily but tie during the evenings, to it's about 50-50.

A new addition to the fly pattern database has been submitted by CoachBob: Boudreaux

Closed cell foam

I got lost in the directions. Maybe additional photos of the top of the fly would help.

Some suggestions: Don't start with anything smaller than a size 8 hook. Trying to tie on small hooks is very frustrating for new tyers. You could try buying some Mustad 3261 hooks that are inexpensive and work well for a variety of fish. Go to the patterns site here or go to a search engine and put in a pattern name. Easiest patterns are usually the wooly bugger, wooly worm, foam beetle, san juan worm and clouser. The patterns will tell you what materials to buy. Fly tying materials are available from this sites sponsor - J. Stockard - or many other sites such as hookhack.com, jannsnetcraft.com, feather-craft.com or cabelas.com. Acquisition of tying materials and equipment is part of the fun so start slowly. Good scissors, bobbin with ceramic tip, hackle pliers and half hitch tool for sure.

This works a lot better for guys than girls but...it's not as gross as it seems. The trick to dubbing small amounts with short hair or man made materials is oil from your nose. Take your right hand forefinger and thumb and run them down your nose while you are holding the dubbing against the thread with your left hand. Now grasp the dubbing between your right hand thumb and forefinger and spin it between these digits. Work it (spread and pull) gently up and down the thread. If it's not staying close to the thread, wipe your nose again. The very first fly I was taught (almost 30 years ago) was an Adams and the instructor showed us this trick. I can always dub successfully this way and can't use a dubbing loop to save my life.

Finsport wallets are on a 50% sale at sierratradingpost.com. That's cool... But, before I buy some what can you use them for? Wets only? Nymphs? Dry flies (I'd think not)? How you you make the best use of them?

Probably the best strike indicator is a stimulator or sofa pillow. Trout will hit these. For warm water, a popper dropper rig is very productive and the popper is essentially a strike indicator.

Some hatch charts for PA: http://www.clubs.psu.edu/up/flyfishers/psuff_hatch.htm http://www.flyfisher.com/Fly_Fishing_Hatch...ll_Streams.html http://www.flyshack.com/HatchChart.aspx?RiverID=1653 http://www.riversflyfishing.com/tulpehocken_creek.php#hatch http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/p/j/pjm2...atchcharts.html