Chris_in_Louisiana

Running a little late on this, but finally dropped mine in the mail as of this morning. Shipped priority, so you should see them no later than next Tuesday. Chris

I've taken to this method in recent years. Lots of "gone wrongs" were filling up make shift rubbermaid fly boxes in my closet as a result of working on my tying skills. I sat down one evening and recouped probably 50 nymph hooks and as many tungsten bead heads one evening this fall. Well worth the effort as it cleared space and restocked supplies I'd otherwise be spending more on in the coming months.

Great. I'll make sure mine get out Tuesday morning. Chris

Kim, Just noticed my name never made the list on the front page. Not sure if this will screw up our fly counts as folks have started to send. Chris

I received a number of similar ornaments (fly in clear bulb) from my grandfathers as a child, but also received one (still have) that was a hollow glass fish ornament just large enough to fit a small bucktail pattern (believe it originally had a mickey finn) inside. I've thought of doing something similar for my nephews, but have yet to attempt it.

I was more than a little shocked when I landed it. Did some googling last night, and there are folks who tie a "Wet Bread" fly pattern to target them. Guess my shrimp pattern fit the bill.

Hey guys, Just wanted to add a quick follow up to this post as I had an interesting catch on this fly yesterday morning. I've been using this fly predominantly as the second fly in tandem rigs (generally trailing a larger pattern) and have done quite well with reds while doing so. Yesterday morning, however, my first hit was a surprisingly light tap. And I initially assumed I had hooked a small White Trout as I saw a flash of silver below. To my surprise, the fish on the end of my line was a Striped Mullet (a first for me).

Finished up a set of size 18 Starling and Olive soft hackle flies on Tuesday. Then proceeded to go chase Redfish all day yesterday and forgot to get them in the mail. I'll do my best to get them out on Saturday morning. Chris

Made my way back down to the coast yesterday morning. Sunny and low 50s after a few nights with lows near freezing. Extremely low water due to tide and north wind. Not as easy as my last run, but still managed a few fish on a beautiful day. (Lost my only Bull though) https://fatfingeredflytyer.com/grand-isle-la-01-13-2021/

Redfish is one that needs to be on everyone's bucket list. The vast majority of mine are slot fish due to fishing out of a kayak, but I always marvel at the guys who chase the true bulls from boats. While I love the "cajun sleigh ride" experience of hooking into a big one in the kayak, at some point I still need to spend some time with a guide targeting true giants. Chris

Finally received some supplies I was waiting on. I'll be working the next few days, but hope to have my contribution tied up and in the mail early next week. Chris

2020 shifted my perspective a bit regarding fly fishing goals. Previously my goals had always revolved around specific trips with specifc targets, but I had to switch things up this past year as I found myself stuck close to home. The result was significantly more time dedicated to exploring local waters and targeting new species. I ended up finishing the year with 19 Species on the fly rod (all but two caught locally), a number of which were lifers. This year, I plan to stick with the theme and am hoping to achieve the following: 1. 25+ total species caught on a fly rod. 2. Catch at least one new species per month. 3. Catch the following lifers on a fly rod: Pickerel (either species), Grass Carp, & Bowfin. Of the three, I think the first is the most attainable. A little more time in the salt can hopefully help bridge the gap between my 2020 total and my goal. The second may prove a challenge if I don't travel much. I tend to catch all the easy species early in the year, so I'll be struggling with some less common species during the heat of summer more than likely. The third are species I had on my short list that just never happened. Chris

@niveker Excellent photo of some great flies. Thanks for putting that together for everyone. Chris

J Stockard (jsflyfishing.com) is my go to for tying materials online. If you're looking for synthetic materials (flash, faux fur/fiber materials, etc), The Fly Tyers Dungeon is always worth a try. They offer some interesting options at fairly cheap prices.

Do you have your tying tools/vise already? If so, I'd check into any local, region or even long distance clubs that offer tying sessions. A number that I'm involved with are doing monthly or twice monthly Zoom tying sessions at the moment. It might be worth signing up for one or more clubs and making a point of joining in on some of these zoom sessions. While not a local club for me, here's a link to a group in another part of Louisiana that I recently joined. Took part in my first Zoom tying session with them last month and have to say it was an enjoyable experience. http://kisatchiefly.blogspot.com/2021/01/january-virtual-tying-tuesday-sessions.html If there are any local clubs in your area, I'd recommend reaching out to them first and foremost. If they offer zoom tying sessions, it might be a nice way to get acquainted with the local group. Chris