johnnyquahog

December 1, 1969 was the first draft lottery for those born between 1944 and 1950. I remember stressfully listening to the radio.  I didn’t have to listen very long because my birthday came up as #12.  I was in community college at the time and promptly got my draft notice when I graduated even though I kept my deferment by transferring to a state college which was always the plan.  I paid my own way.  So in 72 and just getting a BS in education and a teaching certificate I went to see the navy recruiter to see what chance I had of getting into the reserves.  The recruiter had a billet for a builder in the Seabees.  Other than a song we sang in the eighth grade music class and a John Wayne movie, The Fighting Seabees, I knew nothing of the Seabees.  There was a small caveat and that was that since time in San Diego boot camp, Port Hueneme building school, and Gulfport Mississippi military training with the marines added up to more than 180 days that I would need to sign a waiver that I would accept not being classified as a veteran.  The story goes on but unrelated to the topic.

The approach I used to take was to shape and  trim up to the point where the whiskers were to be set, then tie the moose whiskers and then stack and trim the nose.  Bruce’s technique is much more efficient of course.

mouse rats

Beautiful.  Looks like you have a mouse factory going on.

Nice job on the DH Diver. Saltwater guys swear by that color combo for nighttime fishing.

Much improved! I’d say you hit a triple.

Way to go!  Hope you weren’t in one of those folding chairs for two days. I’ll bet you had hundreds of visitors and a thousand compliments.  Lots of hours of work in those cases and on that table.  Can’t read that poster over your head but very kool indeed.

Crease Fly - Tinker Mackerel 

hook #2/0 saltwater perfect bend wide gap

thread - big fly

tail - arctic fox over flash over buck tail

body - sticky back foam, transfer foil, markers, stick on eye, use CA gel glue (try not to glue fingers)

coating - clear gorilla glue brushed on and dried on turner

this is a Joe Blados pattern. There is a recent Masters on The Fly 2024 video on YouTube that I thought was a great watch. Maybe cause we are a year or two apart.

I thought I’d share this here.  A few days ago there was a question about bone handle tying tools.  I went to the Etsy site to look since this is where unique crafts are offered that you can’t find elsewhere except eBay but the pictures are much better on Etsy.  Struck out on the bone handle tools but this oversized cast aluminum vise base with an impressive HMH TVR vise really caught my eye.  I read the description and checked the seller to see that he had a couple of even larger pedestal bases for sale and some custom options.  Looking at the larger bases I thought that the profile plate on my vise would bang into the tool rack on the base so I messaged the seller.  Ten minutes later I get a response that it wasn’t a concern.  A couple more messages and he offered me a striper second for a decent discount.  I couldn’t refuse.  This is 11 pounds of aluminum and arrived 2 1/2 days later to pair up with my 25+ year old vise.

I have an antler bodkin somewhere that I acquired years ago.  I’m thinking it was from a guy on a web forum that made them and offered them to fellow tyers.  I just searched and you can find them on Etsy

Bruce. Love the mouse family.. Each one has their own personality.  I have one of Chris Helm's in my collection.   I was looking just yesterday to see if anyone posted any of his videos and disappointed to see just a few ~ 4 minute clips.   Good to see you (and a few others) carrying and refining the deer hair torch.

Thanks for sharing your stuff.

Lots of videos out there. Master Wire Supply on Amazon is popular for brush makers looking for inexpensive 50’ or 550’ spools of stainless wire.  I suggest you look on oasis benches.com and his video on  dubbing table to get ideas and pit falls to avoid if you are making your own.   The oasis bench can spin from both sides and keeps the  fibers (hair, flash, synthetics) under just enough tension to hold the material at right angle while you comb out with dog/pet brush.  I don’t see the reasoning or advantage for a 40” brush, especially with a wire core.  I’m probably missing your intent.  

4 hours ago, flytire said:

 

Bill's Dace

Simply elegant.  This is a beauty.  To me the “Wow factor” is the tapered body that puts it over the top.  Don’t know if the underbody is built of thread or all floss but thanks for sharing this one and all of your others.

the body is danvilles 4 strand floss

Put me down for a dollar on grizzly schlappen.  I guess I could dig out my copy of Veverka’s Innovative Saltwater Flies where capt. Lemay’s flies are featured.

Thanks all for the feedback and thanks for taking on the quack.

Gartside pheasant hopper (Galloup’s variant) size 10

next challenge is the … give me a few minutes the one I picked was recently done.

next fly is the Quack

35 or so years ago l called up the Dette’s shop and ordered a couple dozen+ flies from Winnie.  She helped select them and included the Quack.  Mary passed away a couple weeks age at 93.  There is a good chance she tied the coffin flys I got. Perhaps she tied some of the others. RIP Mary

We used these when I was in Junior high in the early 60’s. 7th grade was print shop with Mr Piro. You can find them on EBay, yard sales, & flea mkts (didn’t look on Etsy or Craigslist).  Just search on Antique print type drawer or tray. I’m not recommending you actually buy one but if you are looking for a woodworking project it may give you some ideas.  Thanks for sparking the memory.

Bruce - beautiful work as always.  Reminds me of some of the Mike George or that guy from Italy (Fabrizio ??) sculptures.

question if you got a second.  The first picture shows the fly in the vise secured by the very end of the shank with the hair stacked all the way to the rear. The third picture is a great shot of the hook connected to the shank.  How did you attach the hook once the bug was complete?  I’m thinking the 4th photo is a belly weight?

thanks

I looked on eBay and saw more Evinrude Elto engines, parts, gasket kits, manuals, brochures, decals and stuff than I would have imagined.  Seems like there were lots of models.  There is one mint engine that fits in a suit case looking box that the seller is looking for twelve thousand.  This is more than a challenge.  Keep us posted on your work and thanks for sharing.

Bob Pop’s hollow fleye  freshly tied in my cold basement 

next fly up is a choice between a couple of older patterns.

a) Montana stone fly

b) Hornberg Muddler. We had the hornberg and the muddler but not the hybrid.

Don’t know how l never acquired a CFO but I’ve been fortunate enough to have owned a drawer full of favorites including - In 1982 l bought a new 3 3/8ths Hardy Perfect to commemorate the birth of my son. In 89 I picked up a Hardy featherweight for the birth of my daughter.  I learned that you could just pick up the phone and call a fly/tackle shop in the UK, skipping Hardy USA markup, subtract 15% VAT and save a bundle of money. (Got a few xtra spools for the perfect, another Hardy and a Wheatley box.) Have a few 1492, 1494s & 1495.5.  One has been tricked out by the late one-Pfoot guys.  The others have been modded with the one-Pfoot reel feet to better fit modern reel seats.  Oh, I also got a Hardy St George on a UK close out a few years ago that is still in the box. My prize is a bi-metal Kineya 301 loaded with a 4.5 wt synthetic silk line that matches a couple of bamboo rods that haven’t seen the water since moving away from trout rivers.

On the Saltwater side of the house my favorites are a cork disc drag Abel 3n, a danielsson (formerly Loop) medium/large arbor and a couple of Valentines (95 & 101 which look like pfluegers) and a Ross Canyon-4.

I totally agree with Stan Bogdan on trout reels.  Their main purpose is to simply hold the line to and from fishing locations.

Thanks for the review of the show.  I’m still trying to process why they would reintroduce the McKenzie vise into a tough market full of superior choices.  This is a show I used to look forward to, especially spending a couple hours on tyer’s row watching the legends and coming home with a small bag of loot.  My dizzy fish tee shirts must be twenty something years old and ready to disintegrate.  There was an entry somewhere a couple of years ago that broke down what it cost a good size materials vendor to attend one of these venues.  It gave me an appreciation of why they will never be the same and why most attendees come away disappointed.

 Stockard is the only paper catalog I still get.  Not like the days when you would get a bunch this time of year.  Funny,  I had counted the 24 pages of hooks as well and all the brands.   I’m an old curmudgeon so complaining about prices today compared to the old days feels natural but average Fulling Mill brand buck tails are selling for $25 minus a nickel.  Glad I’m all set.

Just another Muddler Monday

Mummichog Muddler

Hook is #4 saltwater streamer

thread - 100d nano silk

tail/wing - yellow dyed mallard flank

Rib - medium wire

body - scruffy dubbing loop

head & collar - yellow olive deer hair

Muddler

hook - (4 to 16) this is an 8

thread = nano silk

tail and wing - matched turkey center tail segments

body - gold braid

under wing - tan calf tail

head & collar - spun deer hair (even tips in hair stacker)

Very impressive and quite an accomplishment.  There must be an interesting backstory worthy of a hallmark movie.  Thanks for sharing.

Hook and Hackle sold seal dubbing for a short while in the 80’s.  I picked up a bunch of colors.  They still have the paper hook & hackle tag in them.  A small fly shop in NE Mass had a small drawer full of seal packets that he got from another shop that went out of business.  I bought some black and different shades of olive that I use for seal buggers and haven’t tied a bugger with chenille for the last twenty years.  With the modern threads, the little spinning gadgets and a little YouTube instruction I find it easy to make a dubbing loop for lots of materials including seal.  Wish I picked up this technique earlier.