JohnP

I received one of his Christmas boxes and, like everybody else, was stunned by the volume and quality of materials. I had previously ordered three of his bug boxes and, in the mail, one was damaged beyond repair and another had just a small crack in it. When I contacted him, he insisted on not only replacing the broken one but also the cracked one. He is sometimes not good about answering e-mails, probably because he is doing most of the work himself. I believe he plans to address some of those issues in the new year. I will definitely be ordering more materials from him. Keep in mind, he's not Cabela's, so a little patience can't hurt. It will be well worth the wait. John

I would second the idea of looking for a used Thompson Model A. I have been tying on one for more than 30 years, and it is still going strong.

Here's another vote for adding the pattern and instructions. Looks like a killer.

Hi Janos, I am new here myself, although I've been tying and fishing for long time. Seems like a good place.

Welcome Sabbatus. I am a newbie here myself, although I have been flyfishing and tying flies for about 35 years. I take it from your post you are in the military. Thank you for your service to our country.

Kodiaksalmon, that is one sweet set up. Sure beats my cardboard boxes. :wallbash:

I'm self-taught and for some reason I have always wound the thread counterclockwise. I knew it did not make any difference, but I felt better about it after seeing a video of Oliver Edwards tying, and he winds his thread the wrong way too.

That's awesome. Fantastic flies and great fish. Way to go, young lady, and Dad, you will cherish these memories forever.

I like the Dai-Riki and Daiichi hooks. I also use Tiemco, Mustad and Eagle Claw. I would have to say right now my favorite is the Daiichi, particularly their 1260 beadhead hook and the 1190 barbless dry fly hook. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Thanks for the welcome, Old Hat. I have been meaning to get over and try the Grand Ronde. I have been told it has great steelhead opportunities and smallmouth bass in the summer. I have lived in Lewiston for 3 and a half years. I agree that this site is very welcoming and informative, and I really appreciate the lack of politics, which has driven me away from some other flyfishing web sites.

Welcome Vincent. I'm a newbie here myself, and this appears to be a very helpful and friendly place.

Looks like a killer to me. Nice job on the tying and instructions. I can think of some spots on the Snake where this would slay 'em.

Thanks for the welcome. Jan, I live in Lewiston. There's some pretty good smallmouth fishing in the Snake, upstream and down from here.

Hello, I have been lurking and posting a bit here for a week or so, so I thought I would introduce myself. I have been tying since I was about 14 (I'm 48 now), basically self-taught. I tied a lot until my early 30s, then took a hiatus, and I am getting back into it more now. I really enjoy the site and the information-sharing that takes place here. I have already learned a lot and been inspired by the fine work on display. I mostly fish for trout, bass and panfish, with a few brief, as yet unsuccessful, attempts at steelhead. Thanks again for all the great information on the site.

Those are some impressive setups. I just keep all my stuff in shoeboxes, so I get to spend half my time just looking for the materials I need. Some day I'll get organized.

Those are incredible. I think I'll give up fly tying now :bugeyes:

Somewhere in my collection I have one of these tied by Polly. I got to watch him at the Caddis Fly Angling Shoppe in Eugene, Oregon, years ago. I bought a Casual Dress and a couple of other flies, and put them in a safe place.

Great looking flies. I started tying when I was about your age, and I would have given a lot to tie anything that looked half as good.

I used to have trouble with this pattern, but my local fly shop proprietor offered a couple of tips. For the wing, he suggested using yearling elk hair, which does not flare as much. I also had trouble trimming the wing butts and not getting them caught when i went to finish the head of the fly. He suggested leaving them long until after I had whip-finished the head, which makes it much easier to hold them up out of the way. A simple, obvious solution that I had never thought of. I also leave off the ribbing and have not had too much of a problem with durability. It is a great fly and a standby out West. Hope this helps, John