SpokaneDude

Hi... I want to tie the original Halladay Adams pattern using the same feathers, etc he used. That said, where can I find "2 strands from a golden pheasant neck feather"? These are my choices from my favorite supplier: Golden Pheasant Complete Head Golden Pheasant Crest Golden Pheasant Tippet Complete Golden Pheasant Tippets Loose Golden Pheasant Skin with Head Can someone point me to the correct item in the list above where I can find the neck feathers? I would really appreciate it... :-}

Thanks... :-}

I just want the fish to see the fly, not scare them away...

Hi Flytire.. mine look exactly like that... so, from your response, I can assume that it's ok to use Fl Pink... I was thinking that I needed to use Fl. Shell Pink so it sort of blends with the yarn, but then again, it wouldn't be a "hotspot" would it? Thank you for the response... I appreciate it... :-}

I am currently tying a Utah Killer Crane Fly (aka Utah Killer Bug). I didn't have any pink thread to wrap it with or create a hotspot, so I went to Sportsman's Warehouse and found some Danville's #210 (Fl. Pink?) and used it to wrap the body and create a hotspot... wow, the hotspot stands out like a sore thumb! It looks NOTHING like the flys on the videos. My question is: does it make a difference what the color is for the hotspot? Danville's Waxed Flymaster Plus 210, which is supposed to be Fl. Pink) is nothing like any pink I have ever seen. Is this going to work or should I go to a normal pink (Danville 508)?

Wow! I paid $80 USD a few weeks ago; now it's $100 USD on Amazon.com... FlyFishFood.com still has them for $80 USD!

Crackaig: if you don't mind my asking, what did you pay for each of them? SD

I got mine a few weeks ago; no problems, love it! Once you get used to the nuances, it's a dream... changing threads less than 10 seconds, etc. You just have to learn where to place your palm so it doesn't automatically tighten/loosen on you...

mikechell: that's hard to do... I'll have to Google the best way to accomplish that... wonder if anyone sells them already OFF the quill, divot intact?

flytire: bodies for "CrackleBack" flies

Thanks everybody... got enough to work on for a bit... I appreciate everyone's time and responses. SD

Gene L: good idea re: the steaming kettle, and cutting them off w/ razor blade... I'll try that tonight... Saltybum: only using yellow at the moment... could be the supplier also... :-{

flytire: to answer your question: NO, I can't fan and pull... I can fan, but when I pull, the quill breaks. So I just cut them off the quill and tried that... still not malable! I was wondering about putting them in boiling water, then try fan and pull... what do you think? whatfly: I'm thinking about chucking them, but I have about 10 packages, all different colors. How long is the shelf life if they are kept in the sealed plastic baggie?

I have several packages of dyed goose biots that I bought last year; they are stiff as boards! So, I found an article on the web that said to soak them between two pieces of paper towel, which I did. My problem is that once I soaked them, I am unable to "strip" them off the quill (the quill breaks where I'm trying to strip). What am I doing wrong?

I ordered on last week (paid $80 for it, free shipping from here), and received it today... at first, while setting it up, there was no way, by following the directions, that I could get it working correctly. However, I found this site, and almost made it work... after much farkeling around with it, I found the secret: when you remove the magnet case and insert it into the thread spool make sure the end of the bobbin stopper is at the very end of the spool -- if it is NOT at the very end (or close to it) so you can see it, adjust the case so it is closer to the opposite opening in the spool. That is the only way you are going to be able to make the magnetic force work the way it was designed. if an image is needed, please let me know and I'll upload one This might be common knowledge, but it wasn't for me, so I'm "playing it forward" so to speak. Hope it helps someone...

Exactly... that's what I meant to say...

mikechell thanks... I looked at the video on tying the orange asher and decided that it looks more like what I want... all I have to do is palmer the hackle with a larger separation... I'll put up an image when I get it finished (have to go out and buy some hooks tomorrow)... :-}

Mikechell here u go... finally figured out how to take macro photos w/ my iPhone... (click on image to enlarge, then click on SAVE to rotate it)... feel free to critique it...

Thanks everyone... I got several tied, doesn't exactly look like the image, but we'll see if it catches fish!

@rockworm good idea! I've tied two so far, first one was nice, the 2nd was a mess due to using a short hackle...

@Bugsy: so, which is done first: palmer the hackle and then wrap the body material (Life Flex) in between the hackle or the other way around?

I found this image of a Tenkara fly that I want to tie (this is my first attempt at tying a fly from a picture); I have only been tying for a short while now, and am not sure how to go about tying this particular fly... here's the image (click it to enlarge the view): Can someone give me some suggestions for the materials for the body and hackle? My thinking is: the yellow body is possibly Cream Life Flex and the hackle is possibly Grizzly "High and Dry" Hackle or something stiffer and probably a Daiichi 1120 or 1130 size #14 hook. I haven't figured out how to get the hackle wrapped... is it just over the Life Flex or in between turns? Also, I can't decide if this is a wet or dry fly... any ideas on that?

Has anybody had any experience with Piper's Silk from the UK? They claim fly fishermen use their silk for fly tying; just wondering if anybody on this forum has any experience using it...

Thanks guys... exactly what I was looking for...

I am looking into Tenkara fly rods, and came across this description (see image)... Q: what does 5:5 mean?