nrthcsteel

Oh Yeah. NICE FLIES termite!!!!!!!!!

Hey David. good talking to you last night. Sweet link man. Was just gonna sit down and work on some of those salmon tubes we talked about. Think I will definatley try out this technique! Kevin

Hey Frank. I am now! Forgot about that part. THanks for the reminder. You've been turning out some great speys lately Frank. Thanks for the reply/reminder/ inspiration! Kevin

Heres another. Wish the wing was a little longer but didnt feel like sorting through my b mallard looking for long slips. The body is a little shaggy but it will definatley work for fishing! Kevin

Been wanting to tie some blind eye hooks up for fishing. I used 30 lb dacron backing for the eye and tied it in well back on the hook. Shewey describes using this method. Hopefully it will hold. Great flies by all lately as ususal. Its tied on an AJ 1.5 blind eye hook. Hope you enjoy. Kevin

The fly I voted for was one I also voted for in the first round. It was also a fly that was in the same category as one of mine. This fly immediatly caught my eye the first time I saw it. It is a great looking fly and DEFINATLY one I would fish. I think looks and fishability are minor. Some people will look at a fly and think well I would never fish that while others would say I would like to fish that! Fly tying is a functional art. Any fly I see whether it is intended to be fished or looked at is seen before it is in the water. The looks are the first thing you notice. And the choices of whether or not to fish it come after. I respect each and every fly that was entered this year. Each person sat down with the intent of tying a great looking fly and for that I respect each and every one and there all winners in my opinion! Thanks again to Will for all his time and effort and thanks to everyone for taking the time to create some beautiful flies. GOOD JOB everyone. Kevin

Hey all. Once again great flies by all. Heading to the SF eel this weekend. Have been reading up on classic patterns for this river by tiers like Lloyd Sylvius and Jim Pray so have tied a bunch of these patterns Nite Owls Thors polar shrimps and am going to spend a day fishing the classics. Couldnt resist tying this one though, Have had the idea of using four eyes for a while and finally sat down and tied it up. Call it the nite boss as its part Nite owl and part boss. It might work?? Hope you enjoy. Kevin

Just checked out all your classics. They all look great! You gotta love those classic hairwings. Great flies!!!!! Are these some you are tying up from your old post where you asked for lists of steelie flies. If so cant wait to see the speys. Kevin

Heres a new one I tried that actually worked! Kevin

Once again great flies. Cant wait to see what you created for me!

That is one great tie!

Hey David. Beauties as always. One of these days we will quit playing phone tag. Been busy lately, christmas shopping work and oh yeah the rivers have been perfect around here to so have been spending a little time on that anyway Im out the door right now to the river will try and call you after christmas. great looking flies man! HO HO HO and merry fishing Kevin

Davy this is one of my favorite patterns. Its one I always go to when in doubt, one of those confidence flies. I tie these in many different color patterns and I have to say this yellow version of yours is SWEET!! Really like the hackle tips tail and the color in the Jc Eye really works well. Great fly!!!!!!!

Cool fly Micke! Like the orange over white combo, hmmm let me go check my fly box, may be a combination I dont have? nice fly! Kevin

Thanks for the replies guys. The underwing on the spey style is some type of peacock pheasant? I believe, not to sure on the exact type though! Recieved the feathers in a random bunch of feathers and alot of them werent labeled. The orange feathers were from the same group not sure what those are either, really like the orange color on em. Kevin

Thats a great batch! Not to shabby for taking a couple of months of! Great flies!

Hey again . Again great flies by all lately. These two I tied out of inspiration from other tiers. One is inspired by Davidstrout, that guys got some style. While know where near his flies its an attempt! Sorry about that head!!!!! What a beast@! I cut the thread trimming the butts and it just got UGLY after that@! Well maybe the fish will like it! The second i tied after watching one of Alec Jacksons fly tying videos. These videos are great! I learned a ton of stuff and have been busy putting his techniques to use. Any beginner should watch these videos they will get you going in the right direction! And even the experienced will probably pick up a thing or two. I know it has changed my way of tying. Prepping materials, wrapping hackle, bodies you name it. And if you suffer from the dreaded big head, (on your flies I mean dont know if this video will help if its your head thats big although watching Jackson tie is quite humbling) this video will help there to. I did a little better on this head didnt I? If you havent seen it check it out, I think I picked it up for 16.00 Its the one where he ties the marabou and sauk grub? Anyway thanks for the inspiration David(sent you an email). Hope you enjoy. Kevin

Do I see anything I like? Yeah one or two or three ........ Great flies DT. Remember its a surprise but purple and black are good colors! Hey I sent you an email wondering if you recieved it. Anyway check your email and get ahold of me. Great flies once again!!!!!!!!! Kevin

Well for speys I think you have to include the orange heron first off. A couple more would be: 2: Walt Johnsons deep purple spey 3: Veverkas Copper Heron 4: Lady Caroline 5: Sol Duc Spey I use these in size 2 or larger on AJ hooks or Partridge CS10/1 As for hairwings: 1; Good old Green butt skunk 2: Polar shrimp 3: Purple peril 4: Fall Favorite 5: Any Dave McNeese pattern! Another one to consider would be the Silver Hilton. I like to tie this with a purple body also. Have fun tying these up. Kevin

Thanks for the reply David. Checked out your sight tonight, Looks great! Was drooling over the materials page, Some cool stuff. Will probably be contacting you soon, thinking of letting you cut loose on a surprise bunch of steelhead patterns, and of course I have to have one of those striper shrimps I believe you call it, dont know what it is about that pattern but I sure like it. Thanks again for the tips and the info and the pics, always like seeing your flies. Will talk to you soon. Kevin

Hey there. First off great flies lately in posts by all. Well I am throwing a little bit of everything in my winter box so I decided to try a few tubes. Just got my stuff today and this is my first attempt. I was tying some orange herons last night so I just kind of threw this together with stuff I had laying on the tying desk, a kinda cleaning up the desk fly! The hook is a little big I think but it was just laying around so I threw it on to take the pic. A couple of tube questions. On some tubes they seem to be tied in the round so to speak, like a popsicle marabou pattern while others I have noticed a long top wing or I should say a definte top and bottom. Does the long upper wing make the fly ride upright. Does the hook placement as in up or down have an effect on the way a fly swims? I have only tied on regular hooks so I am used to a top and bottom. I just dont want to tie these up and have em swimming upside down and sideways you know. Anyway any thoughts,critiques and info would be most appreciated. Davidstrout Im off to check out your sight, really like your style! Oh yeah what are those turbo heads suppose to do? Seems to be a little uproar about them. Take care. Kevin

Just my two cents. Ive been doing some bleach burning of schlappen lately and its been working pretty good. Like grasshopper said find the feathers with long barbs and skinny stems. Also I have been doing the bleach water mix followed by a dip in vinegar and then a fresh water rinse. I cant remember where I read this, possibly sheweys book or radendich, but I believe the vinegar neutralizes the bleach???? Anyway Im not really a chemist but just my two cents. Will post some pics soon of my attempts. Good luck. Kevin

Well as you know there are thousands of steelhead patterns. All the above suggestions are a sure bet. Personally I like to carry bright patterns Polar shrimp, thors, comets(many colors) and some darker patterns skunks purple perils. I also carry speys dees marabou patterns.......... I think you get the picture. I like to carry a variety and use flies according to the rivers and conditions I am fishing in. I think the single most important thing though is with whatever fly you use have confidence in it and fish it as well as you can, if there was one fly that steelhead couldnt refuse then we would all be fishing it! Tie a variety and have some fun, sometimes the best fly to use is a nice one that you tied and are happy with, your confidence is already up. Tie the classics, they work and make a few up you never know! Good luck.

On a recent trip to the Klamath my father and I hooked 5 and landed 3 steelhead in a little over a day of fishing . My dad coming out on top going 2 for 3. Each time I asked him what fly he was using he said "You Wont Believe It" Im sure this fly has been tied dozens of time as well as named dozens of times but between my dad and I its the You wont believe it The YWBI. Grizzley tail, peacock herl body wound in with copper wire and grizzley hackle. One for the K.I.S.S. Camp (Keep It Simple Stupid) Headed back next weekend Ive already got a good dozen wrapped up! The other two are a couple I tied up to add to the winter box. Hope you enjoy.

Yes my favorite an AJ 1.5. The barb is pinched as its strictly barbless for me.