salmonid

Folks; I have been awol for a bit. I somehow blew off the June bluegill surface fly deadline, realized it too late at the very last minute. I sent an explanation to our host, asking if I could include the June BG bugs with my July bass bug offerings rather than delay the June swap. Not hearing anything back, (I haven't been checking in regularly, following any problems with this swap) I just assumed this was acceptable, if not desireable. Checking back recently in preparation of sending out both June and July offerings, I realize our host never received my message. Not sure what has happened with the new format but I am apparently having some "challenges" communicating. So; long story short, I sent 2 doz. foam bluegill bugs late for my June submission (penance/a peace offering) along with a dozen deer hair bugs out by priority mail for my July Bass Bug offering last Friday. Our host should receive both batches this Monday (Aug. 1). I will do better from here on with my keeping track of things. This is my first tardiness with any swaps and I have no excuse. Somehow June just came and went in the blink of an eye and I lost track of the schedule. My BAD. Forgive me, please. salmonid x-posted in June Bluegill swap section.

Folks; I have been awol for a bit. I somehow blew off the June bluegill surface fly deadline, realized it too late at the very last minute. I sent an explanation to our host, asking if I could include the June BG bugs with my July bass bug offerings rather than delay the June swap. Not hearing anything back, (I haven't been checking in regularly, following any problems with this swap) I just assumed this was acceptable, if not desireable. Checking back recently in preparation of sending out both June and July offerings, I realize our host never received my message. Not sure what has happened with the new format but I am apparently having some "challenges" communicating. So; long story short, I sent 2 doz. foam bluegill bugs late for my June submission (penance/a peace offering) along with a dozen deer hair bugs out by priority mail for my July Bass Bug offering last Friday. Our host should receive both batches this Monday (Aug. 1). I will do better from here on with my keeping track of things. This is my first tardiness with any swaps and I have no excuse. Somehow June just came and went in the blink of an eye and I lost track of the schedule. My BAD. Forgive me??

My old home waters were tiny Spring creeks with long, flat glides and cress beds where surface-feeding browns drifted underneath and carefully inspected the tiniest of midges or other "minutiae" in the drift. The fish, flies and techniques where Vince Marinaro's writings served as my instruction. But then there were those cut banks, fallen old cottonwood logs and occasional deep, bend pools where the predatory old hookjaws holed up until nightfall, when they would come out of hiding and snack on the trout that had been taking drys during the day. I used to hook one on occasion, fishing blind to his lair with a black, brown or olive wooley buggar, seldom wrestling him successfully out of his home but usually getting a glimpse of his buttery flanks before he bull-dozed his way back into the cover. I guess this is my long-winded way of saying, "Be looking for a conehead wooley bugger" in one of the above mentioned colors. And be sure to cut off your 6x or 7x and tie on some 3x before you swim these back into the dark water. And take note of the stout wire hook; it has been selected for good reason. I've always thought of this pattern as a nymph; a helgramite perhaps, but the books all unanimously call it a streamer and it is fished thusly, so I guess it qualifies for this month's fly.

The pair of Marinaro books are just MUST HAVE reads as far as I'm concerned. Ring of the Rise taught me to STUDY the trout and Modern Dry Fly Code made a dedicated, life-long midge dry fly fisherman of me. MUST HAVE's, I tell you!! OH, and having honed my technique on the 1st Bergman swap, and having purchased more Jay wings from across the pond, I am ready for another!

You betcha. Mine went out priority today old PNW pattern, Blue Charm tied with digger squirrel wings

Mine went out today by priority mail. I forgot Monday was a holiday as I had planned to get them out then. Thy should still make it on time. Sorry for the tardiness. Somehow I had that written down as due on the 31 of January and didn't realize my mistake until late last week so I had to scramble at the last minute. Unfortunately, I'm afraid it shows in the results. They will still fish. Coupla extras for the host. Thanks for doing this. I agree, it was a great idea!

I have been looking for one of these for a couple years. I don't know where you might find a third hand. The manufacturer has no remaining inventory and they have been out of production for many years. The first run of jaws were manufactured to too much hardness and are quite brittle. The second generation jaws are softer and there isn't the same breaking problem. But the reputation was already tarnished and AK's venture suffered. McKenzie bought the rights and built their version for awhile but it never took off, either. Problem is, I don't know how you distinguish the two jaws apart. (Unless you break the jaws). Good luck with it. I think they're well designed and a high quality vise but for the early bad jaws.

guess #2 is Horseshoes. Guess #1 was to buy time whilst I studied this issue from all angles before making my determination. And to make you laugh uproariously.

Marque de Sade (Jeez, guys. Google him).

Hi Devin; time for me to get an address for this. Thanks!

Aha! Flies arrived today. Sweet! You know, I've said it before and I'll say it again; I learn something from every fly you folks all contribute. So "Thanks" everyone for participating. I enjoy studying these (and catching some fish, too)! And thanks BDH for hosting. Glad to see you back and look forward to many more swaps with you. Heal up well, buddy. :headbang:

Sweet fly; Both your wet and the gorgeous Salmon Fly. Curious where the auction site is to find one of Mr. Guidry's flies? And REALLY curious what tip/s Don B gave on the wets. I would describe my own efforts similarly to yours but lacking in similar eloquence :wallbash: Still, I will have SOMETHING in the mail by priority by the due date. There aren't enough Jay's, I tell ya!

Turns out I can't tie on a size 6 very well, either. But that's about the smallest size the Blue Jay scapular feathers trim down to without losing their pattern. This is definitely a display type pattern in today's era as opposed to a serious fishing pattern. Some don't consider the size 30s I tied for the last swap a serious fishing pattern though, either. :crying:

Addy please.

Hey BDH; Welcome back. Good to hear from you and learn you're back with the living. We were getting concerned about you. Gettin' stomped by some "bottom feeders" is a tough way to try to make a living. It can be pretty disruptive to the whole household and worse yet, upset Mama. And when, "Mama ain't happy............" well, I'm not even going to say it. But we're all glad you're back with the living and on board. We live in troubled times, for sure. I'd like to think if I got jammed up in a swap or some other non-life threatening committment and had problems that everyone would extend a helping hand. I look forward to seeing whatever bugs come this way. Like I've said before, I learn something from every body else's fly I get the opportunity to study. Good to hear from you.

The hooks used for the Bergman Collection; A brief discussion with Don Bastian reveals that the "Bergman Collection" of wet flies are tied on Mustad #3399 in size #6. If this surprises some, we need to recall the flies were tied for a notoriously naieve species (brook trout) and at a time when the fishing pressure was much lighter than in modern times. There are tying instruction notes accompanying some of these patterns that indicate entire feathers were sometimes used as opposed to feather slips, denoting the degree of lack of sophistication of the target species these flies were intended to catch. I thought some might be curious. I began to wonder when trying to tie the Blue Jay, and I tried using jay scapular feathers for the wings and discovered there was no way to use a feather tip on hooks as small as #12 or thereabouts. The distinctive feather pattern is lost when reducing the feather tip to the correct proportions for such small hooks. So I contacted Don. Enquiring minds wanted to know.

Wow. Just wow. I sure didn't see this coming when I first read this post asking for bugs. I was actually trying to put together 10 fly tying kits, complete with vises. I was going to suggest this guy go to a local fly club or scouting club and organize a free tying class and I would supply the kits for free, thinking some others might kick in materials. I can't believe how easily I swallowed this, "hook, line and sinker". Moderator, I strongly make a motion this guy be kicked off this board FOREVER.

I'd like to join this one if you'll have me. I think this is a really good swap idea.

WHOO HOOO, Deeky. Great swap!! This was a blast. (AND nerve wracking). :yahoo: Thanks for posting all the 'fore and after pix. GREAT collective bunch of creative tiers here. :hyst:

I sure understand everyone's angst here, what with no word for so long, just when it looked like the bugs were taking flight back to us. I look forward to these "gift" boxes from each of the swaps I've been involved with. I'm like a kid waiting to open a package under the Christmas tree, sometimes watching the mail for my bubble wrap return envelopes with their hidden treasures. Just the other night I placed all the flies I've gotten over the past year's swaps onto a sheet of rippled fly foam and sat back, admiring everyone's talent and ingenuity. I learn a little from each and every contribution ya'll made. I've thought of taking a photo of the assemblage and posting it here somewhere sort of as a memorial to the past year's swaps. Our swapmeister has had over 2000 posts in a little over a year and 1/2 on this forum. He also had sustained serious injuries, including a blood clot, which is life-threatening; (the same thing killed a friend of mine 6 mos. after he sustained his injury, long after we all assumed the danger had passed). I would be surprised if there is anything "fishy" going on with this swap. I fear more like catastrophic health issues which have put a guy with over 2000 posts out of commission for a few weeks; hopefully just temporarily. I think it's not very likely anybody who is normally as active on this forum as he has been has just voluntarily skipped out with a few bugs. I could be wrong of course. Still, I hope our SM turns up healthy and recovered or at least recovering. If there was a pattern of bad faith here, I would be the first to say, "Hang 'im from a barbed hook". But I don't see anything like that here. Let's give him the benefit of the doubt and hope for the best. The fact that nobody has heard anything for some time isn't at all encouraging, is it? As they say, "Stuff happens......". I sure would prefer a way late swap return from a "fellow of the feather" than for the management to advise us of another memorial somewhere......

Glad they arrived. 1 week?? I sent them by PRIORITY mail last Wednesday!! Glad I didn't send them by slow mail. Hmmmm. Maybe I need to overnight them when it gets down to a week or less. :headbang:

Folks, let's all try to be patient. We know our host suffered some health issues in the midst of this. Who knows what may be happening on his end. I just hope he's ok. Think of what he may be going through. Let's all send some positive thoughts to our swapmeister and hope he turns up alive and kickin'. Besides, while I did my best, as I'm sure you all did as well, it's just a few bugs. To be honest with you, mine didn't turn out that great anyway. Heck, he may be in the doghouse for all we know. You know how women can get around the Holidays. ( Gals, just kidding! Sheesh!!)

Catskill dries. Yup. I love 'em, too. Like Boyer, I have too much on my plate but these are too delicious to pass up. Count me in. And thanks for hosting this one. Pattern TBD

Yea, I'm sure you're right. I'm just wondering if I missed somewhere what the "correct" hook for these would be; old Alcock's or Mustad 3906s??? Anybody read anywhere what hooks the Bergman collection are tied on? How about sizes;10s-12s?

:help: What hook is everybody using?