fishyfranky

You might also want to try schlappen and guinea fowl.

Ummm... kinda like going out on a lot of dates and not... never mind.

A good thought Henry! Here's my cutter, about $2 to make:

Its also good to make slits in foam pads to make a DIY C&F style fly box.

Hmmm too complicated

From the nymph master himself, Frank Sawyer: The Killer Bug

Tying Instructions

I think, that most nymphs are functionally equivalent to a bit of lint wrapped around a hook. The only problem is aquiring the confidence to fish with a bit of lint. The strange thing is, I've happily fished nymphs that have been chewed up by 10 fish and look like a soggy blob.

I'll just like to add that "impressionistic" does not imply "buggy". Chironomid patterns like epoxy buzzers are a good example.

Body for midge pupa.

I prefer boot foots myself. They don't provide the support of stocking foots and hiking boots but they allow better circulation to overcome sweaty feet. Sweaty feet are cold feet in the winter and stinky feet in the summer.

Doh! Last time I was at the fabric store I bought 12 sq ft of vellux (it's furry foam) and completely missed the ultra suede! Thanks for the tip.

There's some ultra deadly patterns you can make with chamois and I guess ultra-suede too. I got my lifetime supply in one shot at the auto store. It appears you can use this stuff to buff cars... imagine! I got real chamois but ultra-suede I believe is the fake stuff.

Oh btw, the stuff comes in a sheet and you have to cut the shape yourself but that's kinda in the spirit of fly tying I believe

Good looking fly! I've got 5+ plano compartment boxes of beads! They make the most effective flys I have ever used... and the big secret is that you don't really need that feather stuff

There may be legality in glue, beads, weighted flys etc, but no morality nor ethics.

Fly fishing only areas are a scarlet stain on fly fishers as a whole and I hang my head in shame by association. I spent over 20 years hemming and hawing on whether I should fly fish simply because of this snobbish elitism. It was only after the birth of my first child and numerous diaper changes that I was able to deal with this.

For fisheries management purposes, I have no issue with catch & release, single barbless hooks and no organic bait. This enables all tax and license paying citizens the right to fish with no bias nor discrimination.

Of course, a realistic fly should appear realistic to the fish yet one wonders just how selective they are given the numerous patterns that exist for any one insect.

Whether a fly is realistic or impressionistic, if it is good at catching fish then it can become bad if it is overexposed. I've yet to come across a pattern that can repeatedly catch the same group of fish over and over again.

A realistic pattern may do well initially if other anglers are using impressionistic patterns or a realistic that is not similar. But I'll hazard to guess that the primary reason for success is the novelty. Many times I've switched to a bigger, more impressionistic pattern and done well, better than the anglers who have switched to smaller, realistic immitations.

Oh btw, yes, buy the cheap hackles with lots of those "useless" fluffy barbs at the base. They make great tails for micro-buggers sized #12 and smaller. They are among my favourites!

Ya, a neat woolly bugger is an abomination. I like the webby hen saddles and even include some of those fluffy base barbs.

Ah yes, the thick and thin approach. Thin for the initial soak and then thick for a nice glassy finish. I've got a bottle of Sally's thinner to get the right consistencies. I've heard recommendations from the UK for Sally's Megashine version. I'm gonna try it but right now I've got the basic Hard as Nails.

I've been using sequins for this effect but those look very nice! Just curious in a smart-alecky way if those are legal on Atlantic Salmon rivers. Skip the riffle hitch! Or just get those flys down without using weight.

I use them too. Caron's Jewels is the name I think of the two colour strand chenille. Paton's Twister is also one of my faves. It has a strand of chenille and a strand of what looks like eyelashes. Both are useful.

BTW, if you twist two small diameter chenille of different colours together you get this nice mottled look. It matches the look of pheasant rump in flys like Carey's Special.

Try here for Daiichi's Canadian Llama

I just tied up some Montana Stone's on 1150's (curved sedge) and they look awsome. The curved hooks give a different look to nymphs that may be advantageous on pressured fish.

I also use a lot of Mustad 3399A (smaller eye than the 3399's) and I bend the point to make it slightly offset. It seems to help with hooking.

Geez, just bought 14 packs of 100 Daiichi's and they all say "HIGH CARBON FISHING HOOKS" on the box.

Try using Classic Mustads because the steel seems softer. I bend 79580 to make 45 degree jig hooks and 3399A's are improved with an offset to the point.

There's too many styles and techniques to become proficient in all. And I would imagine that few would be interested in trying given the fact that most people would like to have a life outside of fly tying

In an old time skilled trade, a "journeyman" is someone who is knowledgeable and proficient in a chosen area. A "master" is a journeyman who has created a master's piece, that is, a masterpiece. This must be something new and exceptional. A master can, and is expected to, take on apprentices to raise them to jouneyman status.

Likewise, the difference between a Master's degree and a Bachelor's is that you must add to the body of knowledge and not just know what's already known.

So given this, there are very few Master Fly Tyers.

I put Craven Menthol cigs, Tim Horton's coffee and chocolate dip donut scent on my knots before tightening. It works like a charm.

Crushing barbs with your vise can damage the jaws. So I use my old $20 special for this task. It has midge jaws so there is no problem getting into the gap of small hooks.

This may sound strange but I don't like the ultra sharp hooks because they are too effective by themselves and therefore diminish the role of skill in your success. Its not that I can't afford the expensive hooks, rather I choose to explicitly ensure that the hook point is sharp. If I do a bad job honing the point then its something I must improve on. I consider it part of making a fly.

Similarly, if I fail to get a good hook set and loose the fish then I had too much slack line, or I wasn't paying attention or something else. I sometimes cast out and then get a fish while lighting a cigarette. In those situations I don't deserve to catch that fish.

I like the classic Mustads because they don't break or bend and can be had at a low price. Everything else is up to me.

Oh btw, I use the Eagle Claw 630 jig hooks and wide gaps. Most need honing and are a bit softer than the Musttads.

Sharpies! I've got 8 colours from a pack. I rarely use tho.