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Fly Tying

Monk57

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Everything posted by Monk57

  1. Sadly, there is no cure for this affliction. It's not fatal, but it will be with you the rest of your life and, perhaps, thereafter.
  2. Cabela' Big Horn complete outfit on sale for $100. I think it's a good way to start out. I know some folks hit or miss experiences with Cabela's lower end rods. I have a couple of the Three Forks models. I am completely happy with them. An 8 foot 4 weight is very versatile. Don't expect any 4 weight to throw large flies or large streamers.
  3. Everything said is important. One other thing you absolutely never want to do is position the hook in the vice in a manner that you think will protect you from those accidental jabs only to see the hook shooting out of your vice and across the room. Now the only way to find it is to have the wife or kid step on it and impale themselves. I am still looking for that size 20 dry fly hook.
  4. Bead holder - frustrated with trying to hold a small bead between my fingers and too cheap to purchase a tool, I came up with this simple solution. All you need is a pencil, double-sided tape and a hole punch. Punch out a piece of tape and put it on the flat end of a pencil or short dowel. The tape stays tacky for months.
  5. Frame it in a shadow box and display it with a plaque "Job Well Done Little Fella".
  6. I am trying to tie a frog pattern and wondering how I can keep it from rolling over onto its back whenever I cast it. Also, wind resistance seems to be a major problem and I cannot cast it very far due to it. I am trying to cast this fairly large pattern with a 5wt rod and line. Perhaps I am tying it too big and need to adjust the size. Is there a trick to keep them upright? Thanks for any advice members can offer. See picture. Its simply two pieces of foam and rubber legs. This photo was taken after I chopped off part of the legs in effort to make him more aerodynamic. I added weight to the bend of the hook.
  7. Hey SilverCreek, isn't that bamboo thing one of the early model Tenkara rods that rich folks pay several hundred dollars today?
  8. Welcome. Personally, I am looking forward to one day retiring so I can spend more time tying and fishing. Even if I never retire, my goal is to spend more time doing something I enjoy. Your doctor is a wise man. Couldn't have picked a better hobby for you. The forum can be lots of help. Also, YouTube has lots and lots of tying videos. I find watching videos or someone else tie is a great want to learn how to tie. One of my favorite tyers on YouTube is Davie McPail whose philosophy is "make it your own" which I take to mean: Don't worry if your fly doesn't look exactly like someone else's. It will still catch fish. There is a great deal of satisfaction catching a fish on a fly you tied yourself. It gets even better when your friends catch fish on your flies. Another suggestion is to join a local fly fishing club. Members love to teach others the arts of casting and tying. One other thing, don't think you need to spend a great deal of money on tools, materials and gear. Forum members may be able to guide you where to get the most bang for your buck, especially when starting out.
  9. Here are the materials for "Spike". Hook: Mustad 3366 Size 2 Body: Spun and clipped natural deer hair Hackle: one or two natural red or black rooster palmered Legs: 4 or six white rubber Primarily a smallmouth bass fly but can be used for salmon, steelhead, pike and probably any toothy critter.
  10. The late author/fly fisherman/tier, Ian Colin James, refers to a fly in his book "Fumbling With a Flyrod" that he calls "Spike". He even gives you a list of materials in the appendix of the book. He does not provide a picture and I cannnot find one searching the internet. Its primarily spun deer hair and hackle and likely looks similar to a cicada pattern Does anyone have a picture of this bug? I would like to tie it.
  11. You could tie a half-hitch to hold everything in place, then hand whip-finish.
  12. In a effort to minimize expense and prevent purchasing materials I don't need, is there a wire size that you folks generally use for most of your midge and nymph patterns? I don't have the luxury of a local shop where I can look before I buy and its hard to tell from the sizes advertised by the various manufacturers which sizes may be too big or small for a particular pattern. I'm looking for a size I can use for a wide variety of patterns.
  13. How do I keep the hair from spinning when using it for wings on sulphurs and other flies that use deer hair for wings that you want to ride on top of the hook? Seems I frequently break my thread when tightening down sufficiently to stop the hair from spinning.
  14. Don't think Jann's Netcraft carries blanks and kits all the way down to one and two weight.
  15. Yes. I had to drill a hole and tap it for the thumb screw.
  16. I bought a bolt, lock washer and special nut from the local hardware store. I drilled out the top have of the nut large enough for the pedestal to slide into it. The bottom have I left threaded in order for the bolt to hold it. The bolt comes up through the bottom of the base. See photo. My base is steel, but there is no reason it won't work with a concrete base. Simply use a long enough bolt. Total cost around $3.
  17. I am relatively new to this as well. Be forewarned - and I'm certain many tiers will agree - you don't get into this to save money. (Unless you only plan to tie many flies of only a few patterns.) You will quickly find you don't have the material you need for a particular pattern. You don't have the size hook you need. You don't the right size and color thread. You need that special tool or gadget to make tying better. You need glues and epoxies and UV lights. After awhile it all adds up and you wonder how many flies you could have bought with all the money you spent on materials and tools. I do it because it gives me a great sense of accomplishment when I catch a fish on a fly I tied myself. Better yet - when your friends catch fish on a fly you tied. My vise is a very budget oriented rotary vise that was given to me. In my opinion, all a vise does is hold a hook. It can do it for $40 or $400. You decide where you want to invest your money. I choose to buy materials that I can use to tie a greater variety of patterns.
  18. They obvious got the decimal point in the wrong place.
  19. Some cheap plastic stackable draws will go a long way to getting your organized. I am relatively new myself. Used to carry everything in a big box. These little drawers make a big difference. Yes, the cost starts to add up. You could have purchased a great number (perhaps a lifetime) of flies for what you have invested in materials, but where's the fund in buying stuff that you can make yourself? To help control the cost, I have come to realize you don't need to buy every new material called for in some of these fly recipes. You can often substitute with stuff you probably already have in the drawer. Fish don't care as long as it looks like food.
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