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Fly Tying

tidewaterfly

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Everything posted by tidewaterfly

  1. I still use Danville's flat nylon thread for a lot of tying, but buy it on 1 ounce spools. Also use other nylon threads that I buy in bulk, and primarily for tying large jigs, as it's a lerger size than I would want to use on flies. I'll have to look into the Guterman threads as I've seen it mentioned before.
  2. Norm, I think that you knew the answer before you posted. What surprises me is many products sold for fly tying or fishing, can be found from other sources and are just marked up with higher prices because they're being sold for tying or fly fishing and very few question it. Even here in these forums, folks have posted in response to questions, to go to a fly shop and buy, when the people asking the question has found a similar or the same item for a lot less from other sources, and are often told it's not the same. In some cases it may not be, but there's various products that are exactly the same. I think some dupe themselves at times or may simply be too stubborn to admit they paid too much. 🙄 How many folks think that "leech yarn" for example, is actually produced specifically for fly tying? Same with these UV Resins. It's more probable they're rebranded, produced for other uses and adopted for tying. Threads are another good example. While some may be produced for tying, all are not. The older folks here who used Nymo & Monocord, those were sewing threads, adopted for tying. Head cements are another that are more than likely, purchased from a large manufacturer, such as those who produce finger nail polish, and repackaged & rebranded. It's possible the formulation is different, more specific to use for tying. That would be no different than going to a hook manufacturer and having hooks made to your specifications, if you're willing to buy a minimum quantity. There's nothing wrong with this, as some products may not otherwise be readily available to tyers, but the differences in prices can be hard to swallow. This adapting products is also not exclusive to fly fishing. I've had folks argue with me about powder coat paints, that a certain company produces them specifically for painting lures and to me that's improbable. The manufacturing process is rather involved and I can't see it to be profitable enough to only manufacture for fishing lure use. I don't buy that brand, I buy my powders in bulk, and what I use certainly doesn't look or perform any different than what that other brand sells, and at a big price difference. Just like with hook manufacturing, there are many more brands than there are actual manufacturers.
  3. Yes sir, except most remove the front hook bend & point on Intruders. The basic idea is still the same.
  4. Yes sir, same basic idea just different applications and hook sizes.
  5. Shanks are now available made of stainless wire, so rusting shouldn't be an issue. I use black nickel finished jig hooks, and they hold up fairly well in saltwater, but not as well as a stainless or tinned hook. I know of some folks in the UK & other European countries, who are using flies like this in saltwater for Sea Run Trout and what they call Saltwater Bass.
  6. Bob, it's a Steelhead/Salmon style fly. They generally attach a looped wire, or braid to either a cut off front section of salmon fly hook, or to a Waddington shank which is also used for Steelhead or Salmon flies. The wire or braid loop allows to attach various hooks, but mostly it's an octopus style hook that will be used. They're intended to allow for better hook ups with short striking fish. Here's what a Waddington shank looks like. Nothing but a wire form where at least one end looks & acts similar to the up eye Salmon fly hooks. https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/umpqua-waddington-shank?ds_e=MICROSOFT&ds_c=Shop|CAB|TopPerformers|StandardFishing&msclkid=36f00650a3ec14abb28767160e8b112e&gclid=36f00650a3ec14abb28767160e8b112e&gclsrc=3p.ds Sometimes large Intruders are tied on two of these shanks and the resulting fly is articulated. This fly is not the best example of an Intruder, but it does show the basic idea of the chassis that fatbillybob was asking about. As you can see the fly is tied on the shank, and that wire is solidly attached to the shank and the hook is positioned back on the wire. https://www.bigyflyco.com/SolitudeSignatureIntruder-detail.htm As I had mentioned, I don't care for having the hooks positioned like this, but the style of the fly, with the various materials used makes a good fly with plenty of movement. Watch this video and it will give you a better idea of what it's all about.
  7. Haven't tied them for saltwater use, but could see it working. I tie them for bass, but I tie them more like a bass jig than Intruders for trout, Steelhead or Salmon. I don't use the trailing hook, instead use a hook up front, as I found that bass tend to take that trailing hook too deep. If I was to tie them for saltwater, such as for Redfish, I think I would tie them the same as I do for bass. I thought that I had a photo of one I had tied, but apparently I don't. This fly was purchased to copy it, and to use as a bass fly. I used a 60 degree jig hook instead of the shank & trailing hook. A shank and straight eye hook could be used too, which places the hook point further back, but for my use the single jig hook works fine. IMO, this style of fly can be adapted to use for various fish, so see no reason it couldn't be for saltwater species.
  8. I had not been on here in awhile, too many other things going on. It seems to be about normal, but I think most fishing forums I frequented over the years, slowed this time of year as folks get into the various other sports and hunting seasons.
  9. I pour jigs and other things from 1/100 oz up to 20 ounces. Shot, as was said, is worth a lot more right now as shot, than it ever will be for melting it down. You would be better off selling it and getting some ingots of lead for pouring jigs with it. I've also used a lot of wheel weight lead and never had much problems with it, but I learned that some molds you have to get really hot to get a good pour each time. Most who have problems think that hot is 300-400 degree's and that might work for some molds, not for all. I use an electric hot plate to heat up molds and keep them hot when pouring, and hardness of the lead isn't much of an issue.
  10. I don't know how thick they can handle, don't have one. I did see where a fellow was using one to make bodies for his fly shop. How thick would anyone want to make them? I've generally only used 2 or 3 mm foam when making panfish flies, but have made bass flies using 6mm foam that I cut with scissors or a razor/utility blade.
  11. Thank you! I don't think my guide friend targets any Snook, but yes, they probably would. These would likely work well for Walleye too up north. 😉
  12. Although it may get into some cost, which never seems to stop fly tyers, a Cricut machine can be used to make foam bodies in any shape that you like. I've given it some thought to get one of the machines, but have not done so. A fellow in a Facebook fly tying group posted recently how he produces the bodies using one of those machines for his fly tying business. If you tie a lot of them, that would be the way to go, although it is a fairly large investment. 🙂
  13. Capt Bob, it's good to be busy, but not too busy! Anytime that I'm tying for folks in S. FL., I keep the many posts in mind that you've made of your flies & jigs! 🙂 As always you're tying and jigs look great!👍👍 Thank you for the comment! 😊
  14. Yep, but that's also the business I'm in. 🙂 Thanks for the compliment! 😊
  15. These are the baitfish that the jigs are meant to be imitating.
  16. Here's a few more that had not down loaded from my phone. All of these jigs are on heads that I had [poured and powder coated. I used 2/0 Mustad Ultra Point Aberdeen hooks in some, and 2/0 VMC Barbarian hooks in some. The jig with the weed guard has a 4/0 Mustad hook in it. Weights are all in the 1/8 to 1/4 ounce range.
  17. Hey all! It's been a while since I've been on here. Of course the virus has had it's affects on us, but no one I know well, close family, has passed from it. It's certainly affected my business. I have been busy, as we had some construction done so I now have a dedicated fly tying room. That seemed to take forever to get done, and there's still some details that aren't yet complete, like base boards. Too expensive for now, so will hopefully get done when prices on the wood is better. I'm also still trying to organize. I crammed about 40 years of supplies collecting into that room. Here's my most recent tying. Have been tying more jigs than flies, but most of the jigs could easily be tied as a fly too. These are heading to S FL to friend of mine who has started a guiding business and wants to target Peacock Bass on light tackle. The last two photos are my new tying setup. 😊
  18. I have an old Medallion, made before they put the medallions on the head, and with regular jaws. I can use hooks up to about 3/0, depending on the wire diameter. Some larger hooks will fit, but again it depends. If I was looking for a vise only for bigger hooks, I would look at the Big Game or Monster jaws, and stay with the regular jaws too for smaller hooks. I've only tied down to about a 22, and the jaws shape could be finer for that, like the Midge jaws. If the Big game or Monster are wider, I'm not sure how comfortable it would be tying in sizes smaller than an 8, but if Regal says it will, then I would not question that. I've also never had any problems with hooks shooting across the room. As was said, there's a groove inside the jaws, which is where the hook should be positioned, any size hook, and if done otherwise, it's not in the jaws properly. For anyone to blame the vise for the lack of proper use, to me is unfounded.
  19. I'm approaching 56 years of tying, and have tied commercially for over 20 years. Speed, is relative. It's mostly about organization and reducing wasted effort, not about going faster. I tie many flies in an assembly line fashion, and organize and prepare before I start to tie. That takes time, but then the actual tying can be done more efficiently, and quickly. I very much agree with Norm, that speed can lead to mistakes. The real trick is knowing & understanding the difference between speed and efficient. It's not about fast, it's about smooth, and reducing wasted time, which results in spending less time tying for the same numbers. Repetitious tying is not for everyone. Most tyers do it, but on a very limited basis. It's one thing to sit and tie a dozen flies, it's another to sit and tie 15 dozen of the same pattern & size. I also agree that "crappy" materials, is a matter of perspective too. I very much dislike when folks relate a material to poor quality, just because it doesn't meet their need for a specific type of tying. To them it may be poor, but may be great for another tyer and purpose. Hackle is one of the materials that get these types of comments often. Not all hackle is or ever will be "dry fly quality", but not every fly tied with hackle is a dry fly. It does a disservice to recommend dry fly hackle for all flies, when there is other hackle types readily available and use the "quality" as reason. I was just in this type of discussion, and the topic was very large streamers. At the present time, there are no great supplies of large, long, webby hackle. Strung 6"-7" saddle hackle is the best available, but even with a good source, not all are well suited for the purpose of tying large streamers. It was suggested in the discussion to look at what Whiting offers and again, it's not big enough. The saddles are long, and narrow. Some make great flatwing streamers, but the point again is not everyone ties the same types of flies, and one of the limiting factors is material that is suited for the purpose. That does not make it "poor" quality, just not suited for all purposes. Learn the difference and as Norm said, a good tyer can tie a nice fly with less than desirable materials. Bucktail is another that gets those remarks. Just because a bucktail doesn't have 6" hair, does not make it poor quality. I buy a lot of small and medium tails, and look for finer hair, because I tie more smaller flies that don't need long hair. For my purpose, the tails I get are perfect. It makes no sense, to buy a premium tail and pay $10 or more for it, and chop it down to tie a 3" long fly, because of someone else's perceived idea that long equates to "quality". To pass that type of ideology to a new tyer again does them a disservice. If your opinion and buying habits are to buy those big tails, great! Just don't tell a new tyer that smaller tails with shorter but finer hair equates to poor quality, IF, those smaller tails will serve a good purpose for that person. There's a big difference between "qualities" and "quality". This is often a difference between hobby tyers and commercial tyers. I can use what I get, even though I do prefer to pick materials when possible, I don't always have that luxury. I will seek suppliers who are going to send good materials, but they don't sort & inspect every tail or every feather, and I understand that. I also understand that I can use "lesser" materials, with the better materials, to accomplish what I need, a good end result. Again, the "trick" is knowing how to do that, and it's not by complaining about the materials. The last thing I'll add, is tie what you're not necessarily comfortable with, so you can improve. If you struggle with a technique, or use of a specific material, the only way to improve is to do it. At times, I have tied flies that were not even of the type that I may use to fish with. It was done mostly to try it, and to hopefully learn something. I think that the many flies that Norm posts is a great example to follow. Over the many years, his flies have been an inspiration, because they're varied in styles, patterns and types. I would guess that he doesn't fish them all, but many of his flies are display quality IMO, so there's value in tying them beyond fishing with them. Thank you Norm! . I've been able to find uses for a lot of flies that I've tied, but not all. Just because a fly is intended for a specific fish species, doesn't mean it can't be used for others. There is likely not much that has not already been done, but if you keep an open mind and look beyond labels, the world opens up even more, Look at the possible use of the fly, it's potential, not just it's intended purpose and label. I'll often adapt/adopt to my own uses, and to me that's what tying is about.
  20. I agree, and it doesn't necessarily mean a form, but "fuzzy" and buggy could be used interchangeably IMO, in how they're tied, and materials used, so they create the illusion of life with how the materials move. I also agree that it is likely something we all know when we see it, but may define the term a bit differently in how we see it and they're all accurate.
  21. I drag raced a '70 Chevy Nova in my younger days, and like Steeldrifter, have not been in a "sanctioned" race car. Mid 12's in a quarter mile was fast enough for me. I had an LT-1 Corvette 350/370 in it with 4:11 gears, and It would pull the front wheels off the ground. When you change gears from the factory set, it changes the speedometer accuracy, so I would guess it ran in the 120 mph speed range plus or minus.
  22. I live right next to the Santee Cooper lakes here in SC, and will sometimes dunk baits for the catfish to bring home for a meal. I haven't as yet hooked one on a fly here. Catfishing is a big thing here, as it is in other southern states, and many folks fish at night for them when the big ones are most active. The state records for Blue, Channel and Flathead all came from these two lakes or the rivers that flow from the lakes. The record Blue is 113.8 lbs, Channel is 58.0 lbs and Flathead is almost 85 lbs, so they get very large here. The biggest ones I've caught so far have only been 3 or 4 lbs, Blue and Channel cats. The record Bullhead here was taken in the Broad River, and was over 6 lbs. so, that's a big Bullhead! The potential to possibly hook a big one on a fly is good, but I'm not going to go looking to do it intentionally.
  23. Good for you! I've worked on all kinds of engines and other things, and always had enough basic knowledge to know if a repair shop was telling me the truth. That is a problem with some of them. I had tires and an alignment done one time on my truck, and when they called to tell me it was ready, I went and of course checked the work, before I paid the bill. The tires were obvious, but when I raised the hood and none of the dirt on the suspension had been disturbed I questioned the shop manager how they did an alignment without even disturbing the dirt on the shims or the rust on the bolts? Many folks wouldn't even have know the difference and unfortunately shops will take advantage of people. That fellow was a bit pissed, and I don't know if it was because they got caught, or that he had to go and question his "mechanic" about it. Needless to say, the truck went back into the shop and they completed the job while I waited. 😠
  24. Capt Bob, your tying and advice is always inspiring! I'm sure we've discussed bendbacks in the past here. Your comment about how the commercial hooks are bent, seems to me it's been mentioned. I agree wholeheartedly. I tied some last year for a fellow in TX, and didn't bend the hooks at all. I did however, weight them along the shank so they would ride properly with the combination of bucktail in the wing. He wanted some flies that he could fish over deeper oyster beds, for both trout & redfish, didn't want barbells as he said they hung up too much, so I suggested bendback's and with epoxy bodies. These are what I came up with for him.
  25. Not for them, but have caught many over the years fishing for other species. Most grabbed a fly while I was fishing for bass, and most were Channel cats. I recall hooking a few Bullheads too, but not Blue cats. Those I've hooked on lures a few times. They can put a bend in a light weight rod and really get your heart pumping. I hooked a big Channel cat one time in PA, fishing the Susquehanna River for SM bass. I would say it was over 5 lbs, and I was only a little disappointed it wasn't a bass. On a 6 wt, it was a good battle! 😊
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