chugbug27

Hm. Still happening. Maybe it's the tippet ring, a sharp inner edge Here's what they look like on eBay. Close-up shows the inner edge, which I'm now thinking the tippet must move across as the knot is tightened: Same tippet ties perfectly on my smooth bodkin needle, no problem whatsoever

You know what?!... problem solved. Turns out it was user error. I was tying on tippet rings that are smaller than I'm used to, so much so that when I used my bodkin to tighten the knot (inserting it into the tippet ring), the tippet was getting caught and rubbing between the bodkin and the tippet ring -- causing the crimpage. Not the knot tightening, but the nut who was tightening it. Phew. Thought the world was changing on me. Turns out it's just me. Again.

I've been using Rio tippet forever just out of habit, and bought some Powerflex Plus recently that seems to be crumpling up on me when I tie a clinch knot. Lots of spit, and I've tried nudging the knot down as I pull. Nudging helps but still get that crumbled result where the knot moves over the tippet on its way to tightening. Is this me, the knot, or maybe I'm thinking now it's the "plus" tippet? Been tying up leaders with 0x, 1x, 2x... maybe it's just the larger diameters? Doesn't happen with Maxima, just with the tippet, and it's never been this pronounced and bothersome before... Anyone else run into this with Powerflex Plus, or have any insight? I'm stumped.

Awesome, welcome to the site! Gunnar Brammer has a great series of streamer related tying videos, soup to nuts.

I liked it so much I ordered some blue squirmy wormy

Oh man!

Beer

They are about the least clumsy of everything out there, huh? Maybe not the type of sinking you're thinking of, but... they do travel underwater to oviposit.... From Ralph and Lisa Cutter's Bugs of the Underworld... https://youtu.be/ebZRqQGABQ4?si=EOjLib1tg37rIMfa

That's a Dane for you, if he isn't thinking about killing his stepfather it's only because he's too busy cornering the market on Indian Crow

If you want to economize there are some online stores that do focus on economy. Chuck and Deb is one, but there are many others https://chuckanddeb.com/fly_tying_index.htm And there's always roadkill... Oh, and the relatives of dead fly tyers are often eager to get rid of their tying stuff, for reasons that may become obvious to you and your own family over time. 😉

👍👍👍 Just got back from a night out with Smoking Time Jazz Club at Maison and Dominic Grillo at the Cat. 😁

It's an oversimplification. For example: Strung saddle is crappy to tie dry fly hackle with, but better than superb quality genetic saddle hackle to tie wooly buggers with. Another example: Whiting sells "Bugger" hackle and an American Rooster hackle, both of which probably offer great quality hackle for making buggers. But cheap non-generic strung saddle hackle is really just fine for making wooly buggers, too, and will not lead to much frustration if any (imo). Beginner dollars are better spent elsewhere, buy the strung hackle fit your huggers, imo. Now, if you are starting to tie dry flies and are buying dry fly hackle, in that instance (imo) a beginner is better off spending a little more to get a better quality genetic rooster hackle. But it's still a question of, how many dry flies are you going to tie and in what sizes? A Keough neck may be fine, rather than a more densely and more finely hackled Whiting neck. And depending on what you are after Whiting may not be the best choice, either. Mainly I think what people mean when they say to use quality materials is not to use inferior quality deer hair (tips too long and thin, too curly), or peacock herl, (too sparse and haggard) or turkey tail feathers (damaged tips, crushed feathers, not well mottled), that sort of thing -- that materials of all sorts need to be inspected for quality and that tying with inferior quality hair or herl or tail feathers, etc can be terribly frustrating and result in an inferior fly. The problem for a beginner is knowing what qualities to look for. Fortunately, the Internet (and this forum) gives you lots of information in that regard. But really what a beginner can often benefit from is help -- either from a trusted, reputable shop, or from a tying club or mentor, a good book, that sort of thing. There are some awesome articles we can point you to, as well, on deer and elk hair, and tying thread, etc etc Ask away here. You'll get help on what to look for with particular materials, recommendations for reputable sources, etc. P.S. here's an article on using dryer lint for dubbing... https://globalflyfisher.com/tie-better/wash-n-dry-dubbing And lots of tyers here (not all) are very happy with these (and other) hooks costing under $10/100 https://www.wholesaleflycompany.com/hooks Welcome!

Phew

Thanks Same on mine, but for some reason the metal washer had the effect of giving extra space for the spool to pop up. The thinner, nylon washer is the one that works to help mine seat into the reel so it doesn't pop up. Doesn't make sense to me, but maybe it doesn't have to. You say yours has no play? You can't pull the spool out so it disengages. That's how I now have mine working. You like yours? I'm surprised how much I like this simple little nothing of a reel. Thanks

I cleaned and oiled an old Martin 61 I picked up this spring at an estate sale (nearly broke it trying to unwind its stuck spool), and I'm not sure whether I put it together wrong, missing a washer, or maybe this is how it works when functioning right. Thought it worth asking here ... When the clicker is engaged, I can still pull up on the spool (away from the back), and it will click out and disengage from the clicker, freely spinning. I can push it back in and re-engage the spool with clicker. Now, I'm not talking about engaging the clicker from the knob on the back side of the reel. That works fine to engage or disengage. I'm talking about the spool lifting off the back to disengage. Inside under the nut on the face of the spool to here are two felt washers and a metal washer. Replacing the metal washer with a thin nylon washer has cured that issue, seating the spool down where it engages the clicker without being able to pop up off it, but I know it's supposed to have that metal washer -- which on mine has the effect of making room for the spool to click outward, away from the clicker mechanism. This left me wondering, is the spool supposed to be capable of disengaging by pulling outward like that? To me it seems like a problem waiting to happen, but maybe that's the way they were made, to allow that easy release of the clicker while spinning the reel? Anyone here know? It's cheaply made, but a neat little lightweight reel, simple, with lots of line capacity. The faceplate on mine's a little mangled (I'll call it battle-scarred) on the front, but the pliers that caused that saved it from being thrown (by me) in the trash trying to get it to spin at all. Pics

Yup

I've sent him some, here and on flymph forum where he's the "nightwatchman"

Had that very thought earlier today...

Nice set of green drakes!

👍a video is worth it's weight in words

Anyone know if the Global Flyfisher site is down permanently or just temporarily?

Spuddlerific

👍👍 nice surprise

I can't pick just one! If I could give you my personal top two it would be Davie Mcphail and Charlie Craven, and top three I would add in Hans Weilenmann. After that it's an avalanche of great tyers and videos.

A gentleman through and through, bb. It's been a pleasure swapping flies with you and sharing time on the forum. I hope you'll keep popping your head in here now and again to keep us current on what you're up to. You say no fly fishing rivers, but you're tying jigs.... You fly fishing any off that boat? Lake Hartwell looks like a pretty good place to be.