garetjax

Reserved and pre-ordered my copy. Can't wait! =)

I don't understand why you are using Tyvek paper. Your best results will be with with turkey tails. After burning the wing cases, make sure you coat them with flexament so they don't fall apart. I personally don't use wing burners; I find that bending the wings in half and cutting the tips of the feathers diagonally work a lot better. =)

TroutBum, can you give me a quick review of your McKenzie light? Which one do you have? There are two kinds, either the 10 watt version or the round version, I think it's the 12 watt one. Does your McKenize have the optional magnifier with it? I don't plan to travel with my vise, so is this a good choice for me? Should I opt for a bigger/brighter light and magnifier? I generally would like to get your opinion on it. To everyone else, thank you very much for linking and reccomending different types of lights and magnifiers. A lot of the stuff you guys linked I hadn't even seen before, and I am glad that you did! A lot of it is very affordable and seem to be quality products! =) If anyone else wants to add their choices for what I am looking for, please do so! =D

I had a couple questions concerning these items. Magnifiers What should I be looking for in a typical, fly tying magnifier? Am I looking for a glass or plastic (polycarbonate) solution, and what power is considered too much, and what is considered not enough? I have seen magnifiers range from 1.5x all the way to 4x. Are there any brands or manufacturers that are make good quality magnifiers? Lighting For lighting, I should be looking for what kind of lighting solution? I have heard that florescent lighting is not that great, and halogen can be hot. Any reccomendations or advice in this regard? Also, I have seen some products out there that incorporate both a magnifier and a lighting solution. Are these any good? The ones I am referring to are the McKenzie, Giraffe and Daylight. All of them use plastic (polycarbonate) lenses for their magnifiers, the Giraffe uses a Tru-Color incandescent bulb, the McKenzie uses a Halogen in their Bright Light, and the Daylight uses a large florescent bult in their model. Any help or insight to solve my lighting and magnification needs would be appreciated. Thanks! =)

I swear to god, that reel seat makes me want to weep it is so pretty. The grain in it is splendid! =)

Would you guys mind posting pics or links to the Dr. Slicks scissors you all are referring to?

Are there any scissors that comfortably stay on your hands while you tie? I hate having to pick up and lay down my scissors every time I want to use them. I have rather large hands and fingers, so I need something that isnt too tiny for me to hold. Any suggestions? The only scissors I have found so far are the ones that Al Beatty uses in THIS video. The thread is HERE. It's "The Basics" tying video, first one in the list.

Thanks for the detailed instructions! When you say that you preen the feather between thumb and forefinger, you are talking about forming the wing case, correct? Like you would on a stonefly in a V-shape? Also, is Flexament the same as head cement, and have you ever used wingburners to shape your wingcases, and where do you go to get bulldog clips at? Can you provide a link?

Do you apply the Flexament to the slip once its cut from the feather, or do you apply the Flexament while the slip is still attached to it? Also, about how long does it take for flexament to dry?

We have a chat room?

My cat's belly fur does not have loose hair. I tried with a comb already and got nowhere. That's why I suggested a pair of scissors. =)

Check out this link for Eric's nymph flies: LINK 1. I had the same problem as you did with his links, so had to manipulate them a bit to get them to work. To see all of his flies, check out the following link: LINK 2.

Well, I have had marginal success with the hair/fuzz from my cat. I found that the soft belly fur is the best dubbing I have used, as it is very soft and pliable. However, my cat doesn't appreciate it very much. She has learned to run away when she sees me with the scissors now. I have to give her treats in order to nab some fuzz. =(

Same story here. I bought my PEAK vise from Bass Pro, took it home and discovered that the brass body housing had really bad gouges in the metal. Stupid me, I didn't bother looking inside the box before I took it home; it was sealed, what can I say? Anyway, I called Kurt Pflock up, told him my problem and he immediately issued an RMA and had a new vise at my house in less than 2 days. I didn't even have to send the first one to him. Once I was satisfied that the second vise that arrived was in great shape (it was, he apparently hand picked it to ensure that I got one that wasn't damaged) I sent the other one back without having to pay the shipping charges. PEAK has definitely earned my business. There are very few, if any, other fly tying vise companies out there that take care of their customers like PEAK does.

I am looking to buy a waste basket that attaches to my 3/8" bar stock on my PEAK PRV-G2 vise. Can anyone reccomend a good one that works well with this vise?