madkasel

Cool! Is that some sort of "official" replacement glass bead? Or just a glass bead?

Got mine the other day and it's just incredible. I got it the day of a Trout Unlimited board meeting... I took it with and passed it around... some already get it, but those who don't were marveling at it, both the content and the amazing photography. Quite a few people were heading home to check out hatchesmagazine.com and place their order!

Suh-weet!! Life has really gotten in the way of my tying and fishing this year. I need this mag to jumpstart me back onto track!!

Nice, will! You are one amazing guy. I'm really glad I participated last year and plan to do more in '08!

Nifty flies, everyone!! Some really great looking "bugs" with tremendous detail and care on the tie. And thanks for repackaging mine to fit the bigger flies and all, oh great swapmeister!

Well, then I'm not last!! Mine went out in yesterday's mail.

Sorry to be cutting it so close, gents, but I'm almost done with my Red, White and Klinkhammers. Pretty cool looking fly... imagine it'd be killer on bluegill.

I was lake fishing with my in-laws. Really windy and a crowded boat so no flyrodding. But just my brother in law and I went out one afternoon, so I grabbed my 6 wt. and tied on the Cleveland Browns colored clouser from the NFL swap. With that one fly I caught multiples of walleye, crappie, bluegill (big!) and bass. My brother in law was AMAZED. And I need to tie more clousers!!!

I have a dog now and this scares me a lot. I'm being very careful with all my flies and my tying area.

I like that a whole bunch! (and I'm sure the fish will, too)

Ours arrived and Jimmy is very, very excited to get these wet!! If I wasn't suffering from Strep, there's a place we'd have taken them today. The weather is supposed to be awful tomorrow, so he and I have plans to clear the dining room table so we can organize/fill our flyboxes!

Amazing flies, guys. I'm going to have to experiment with this weaving thing!!

Black caddis imitations are killer... and this looks like a real winner. Nicely done!

Pretty! I'd like to see it in action, but will stick with my Renzetti 4000 until it's dead. Which will hopefully be never.

Still puzzling over mine a tad. I'm thinking a Klinkhammer, though. I have some red grizzly hackle that would work cool. White body with blue spiral wraps. Multicolored tail. We'll see!!

Nice! And you'll learn a lot studying at the fly tying desk.

Also, the Chris Helm article in Hatches has close up shots of deer hair and discusses the various uses.

I store mine in file folder bins like these, using zip lock bags of course. At the hardware store I found a box of mothballs that has the mothballs in little bag things that have a cedar scent to them. It smells OK and they've kept bugs out so far.

Shipped from the main post office first thing this morning.

Nice. Worth anybody's time to tie up a half dozen with legs (spider) and a half dozen without (beetle). One of the top trout guys in this area swears by black beetles for trout. Catch fish when nothing else does.

Good bodkins have a half hitch tool built into the handle, and come in very handy. I normally finish with a whip, but make plenty of half hitches as I tie. For instance, when tying off hackle I do two wraps around and then a half hitch in front of it before clipping the hackle off. Saves a lot of heartache... never had a hackle come loose since I started doing that. And I started with standard bobbins, but ceramic bobbins make life much easier. All you need is one for starters!

Jimmy and I wrapped up the Jimmy's Twisters tonight. I'll get them tagged and out in tomorrow or Saturday's mail at the absolute latest.

I always throw in a couple extras of the same fly, but in different sizes or colors or both.

I'm a big fan of micro-buggers. Didn't know it was an actual term, but I tie most of mine in 10 to 14.

A month ago I would've answered high-end hackle (after buying numerous Whiting capes and saddles). A couple weeks ago, it might've been dubbing as I was having a ton of fun with that. For today I'll go with CDC.