niveker 0 Report post Posted February 1 22 minutes ago, cencalfly said: That's one of them old-timey flies I like to tie and use. I like the old timey one's too. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
niveker 0 Report post Posted February 1 Next up, a simple tie with huge room for variation in size and color: Gartside's Sparrow Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dflanagan 0 Report post Posted February 1 Nice job on the spruce fly. That wool roving looks really good. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
niveker 0 Report post Posted February 1 1 minute ago, dflanagan said: wool roving Thanks Mr. Flanagan. The fibers are longish and a little course, but if you tear off short pieces it ain't too bad to dub. Be happy to send you some in the colors I have, just pm me your address. I have more than I'll ever use. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dflanagan 0 Report post Posted February 1 1 hour ago, niveker said: Thanks Mr. Flanagan. The fibers are longish and a little course, but if you tear off short pieces it ain't too bad to dub. Be happy to send you some in the colors I have, just pm me your address. I have more than I'll ever use. Thanks for the offer but I’m sure we have some around here. My wife is the real crafter and has boxes of all kinds of stuff. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
johnnyquahog 0 Report post Posted February 2 I will pick up the Gartside sparrow since I am working on them for donations. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
johnnyquahog 0 Report post Posted February 2 This is a confidence fly for me. Better directions can be found on jackgartside dot com and he also ties it on YouTube. I’ve also been lucky enough to watch him tie it a couple of times. He was a true trout bum. These are part of a set of 16 going to casting for recovery. Hook - size 10, 12 or 8. These are size 10 tiemco 5263 but any 2x or 3x works. thread - I use 8/0 in black, olive, tan or orange tail - short marabou fluffy feathers from ring neck pheasant or turkey. I also use pine squirrel clumps. Keep tail short / hook gap to 1/3 length. body - dubbing; above are Whitlock blends. Spikey hares ear or squirrel, rabbit synthetic sparkley blends work well. collar - see picture; natural or dyed pheasant rump feather. Concave side folded back extended to end of tail and beyond. Only one turn according to jack. I usually do two complete turns to get good distribution of barbules. head - aftershaft feather(s) taken from base of rump feather. This delicate feather is tied in and stroked back against the collar. I’m good with five turns and six is better. Moist fingers help. Electric test grabbers may help but I prefer just fingers. whip finish - try to keep the whip finished head smaller than my ties above. above is an olive dyed rump feather along side the aftershaft feather. Snip the rump feather right above the fluff, wax thread and tie onto hook concave side down, take a turn or two and secure with a couple wraps of thread stroking/shaping feather rearward. This fly can be fished as a nymph or streamer. these were tied by Gartside who passed away way too early. All black or peacock herl body is called an “evening star”. I need to review this thread to see what pattern hasn’t been done. next challenge: any Carrie Stevens style trolling streamer for landlocked salmon or trout. From Mickey Finn to grey ghost and beyond. Thanks and tight wraps. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
niveker 0 Report post Posted February 2 21 minutes ago, johnnyquahog said: These are part of a set of 16 going to casting for recovery. Nicely done. 21 minutes ago, johnnyquahog said: these were tied by Gartside who passed away way too early. All black or peacock herl body is called an “evening star”. With added bonus pic, very nice. Thanks for posting those. I did not know about the 'Evening Star' As his ties show, such a versatile pattern, colors, body material, size - they all work . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
niveker 0 Report post Posted February 2 On 1/31/2023 at 9:33 PM, niveker said: Spruce Streamer Hook: Herter's 423 (#8, 3xl) Thread: 70D, black Tail: Peacock sword Rib: 1 strand DMC metallic thread, light gold Body: red roving wood/peacock hurl (40/60) Wing: India cape, ginger badger, splayed Hackle: India cape, silver badger Critique: The wing is way too long, should be roughly 1 1/2 x the hook shank, not 2x. I should have continued the rib through the peacock hurl for durability. And before taking the photo, I should have let the wing dry after licking my fingers and then caressing the fly. I do that alot, I've got issues. Stripped the front half of the fly, shortened the wings un-splayed this time, hackle is a tad shorter. Much better proportions this time. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
denduke 0 Report post Posted February 2 Gonna add a couple if you don’t mind. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
niveker 0 Report post Posted February 2 Nice Spruce flies. Those are some nice feathers from a yard bird. All my badgers area India capes and are on the slim side. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
denduke 0 Report post Posted February 2 Yep. Watching some Wyandotte with anticipation. They are light in the center and dark outside. Never seen a fly with them. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mvendon 0 Report post Posted February 4 On 2/2/2023 at 10:34 AM, johnnyquahog said: This is a confidence fly for me. Better directions can be found on jackgartside dot com and he also ties it on YouTube. I’ve also been lucky enough to watch him tie it a couple of times. He was a true trout bum. These are part of a set of 16 going to casting for recovery. Hook - size 10, 12 or 8. These are size 10 tiemco 5263 but any 2x or 3x works. thread - I use 8/0 in black, olive, tan or orange tail - short marabou fluffy feathers from ring neck pheasant or turkey. I also use pine squirrel clumps. Keep tail short / hook gap to 1/3 length. body - dubbing; above are Whitlock blends. Spikey hares ear or squirrel, rabbit synthetic sparkley blends work well. collar - see picture; natural or dyed pheasant rump feather. Concave side folded back extended to end of tail and beyond. Only one turn according to jack. I usually do two complete turns to get good distribution of barbules. head - aftershaft feather(s) taken from base of rump feather. This delicate feather is tied in and stroked back against the collar. I’m good with five turns and six is better. Moist fingers help. Electric test grabbers may help but I prefer just fingers. whip finish - try to keep the whip finished head smaller than my ties above. above is an olive dyed rump feather along side the aftershaft feather. Snip the rump feather right above the fluff, wax thread and tie onto hook concave side down, take a turn or two and secure with a couple wraps of thread stroking/shaping feather rearward. This fly can be fished as a nymph or streamer. these were tied by Gartside who passed away way too early. All black or peacock herl body is called an “evening star”. I need to review this thread to see what pattern hasn’t been done. next challenge: any Carrie Stevens style trolling streamer for landlocked salmon or trout. From Mickey Finn to grey ghost and beyond. Thanks and tight wraps. I'll take the Carrie Stevens style streamer. Warning, I'm not nearly as fast as most here are at tying patterns. Regards, Mark Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mvendon 0 Report post Posted February 8 Ok, Here it is after starting it this past weekend and finishing it up a short time ago. The picture isn't the greatest, but I don't spend a lot of time behind the camera. Carrie Stevens Blue Devil Hook: Vintage 8X long streamer size 4 Body: Black floss with medium silver tinsel tag and ribbing going reversed like she tied it Belly: Five peacock herls with white bucktail below that Throat: Several small bunches of orange hackle followed by a couple small bunches of blue over that Wing: Pre-assembled orange with slightly shorter blue feather over this, ruffed grouse shoulder with a JC eye glued to those for each side and weighed down overnight. (tiny drops of glue on feather stems near the feather base) Had to use a left and right shoulder grouse feather and align them so some of the feather would cover the throat once tied in on either side. Wing was then tied in line with the hook at about 11:00 and 1:00 position, so tips would be even in the back and the front would match up pretty good too. Head: 4/0 Rice's silk thread with one coat of shhan Next Up : A classic red quill dry fly ( I don't think this has been a challenge pattern yet, but it's a real pain to "open each page in new window" to search. With 29 pages, it might be easier if we could have some kind of running list near the first page on what's already been tied for challenge patterns. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
niveker 0 Report post Posted February 9 1 hour ago, mvendon said: Carrie Stevens Blue Devil Wow, I glad I didn't jump on that and embarrass myself. I like how the grouse feather works. Nice job. 1 hour ago, mvendon said: running list near the first page on what's already been tied for challenge patterns. Past Fly Challenges. Rubber Legs Nymph Wooley Bugger Reverse Spider Soft Hackle John Storey Grizzly Hackle Yellow Charlie Boy Hopper. Mop Fly Royal Coachman Hairwing Streamer Copper John Elk Hair Caddis Rock Worm Haystack Madam X Two Bit Hooker Letort Hopper Czech Nymph Bomber Hemlock (quill winged wet) Whitlocks Red Fox Squirrel Nymph Don Martinez Black Nymph Stonefly Flat Wing Gurgler March Brown Dry Sparkle Pupa Royal Wulff Dry Humpy Muddler Minnow Professor Wet Blae and Black Brooks Sprout Cains River Streamer (Highlander) General Practitioner Woven Salmonfly Nymph Light Cahill (Catskill style) Thunder Creek Streamer Slumpbuster Sculpzilla Galloup’s Zoo Cougar Front End Loader Caddis Hula Damsel Nymph Yellow Perch Deceiver Hornberg Special Batman Nymph Clark's Stonefly Clouser Swimming Nymph Ballou Special Streamer Calcasieu Pig Boat Blue Gill Belly Scratcher Darbee Two Feather The Missing Link Snowshoe Rabbit's Foot Emerger Parachute Adams Royal Trude Joe's Hopper Spruce streamer, Light Gartside's Sparrow Carrie Stevens Style Streamer (Blue Devil) p. 29 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
