December Flies From the Vise

[Sandan 0]

17 hours ago, WWKimba said:

Have you tried glass in the back of the fly to imitate the bubble a pre-emerging caddis forms?

Kim

Yep. https://charliesflybox.com/blogs/step-by-step-tutorials/mother-s-day-caddis-garcia-s

[WWKimba 0]

👍👍

[niveker 0]

4 hours ago, cphubert said:

Flat Wing Mackerel Gurgler 

Very nice.  As I'm not real familiar tying this style, the purpose of the series of dubbed pillows is what?

[cphubert 0]

2 hours ago, niveker said:

dubbed pillows is what?

Flat wings are tied in layers so to speak a small dubbing ball, the sparse bucktail slightly splayed (it helps the hold the feathers to prevent hook wrapping) to support the next dubbing ball called a pillow (Ken Abrames) this supports the hackle feather to stop it from twisting and cushion the stem. It can be the fluff from the feather tied in a loop or dubbing. I use a pillow under each feather and double back the stem to secure them.

[Poopdeck 0]

On 12/6/2022 at 6:53 PM, Sandan said:

Sometimes I'll use a clear/silver lined glass bead or a root beer for PT nymphs. I like the green 

 This is my first foray into glass beads. I think I already like them better then brass beads. I hope the fish concur

On 12/6/2022 at 7:17 PM, niveker said:

Nice flies everybody. 

Nice legs @poopdeck, have never seen that before.  

I like using glass beads, they seem to work well as a thorax.  The only drawback is they will occasionally break, especially on bigger nymphs fished in fast water.  

I like the thorax idea. I shall tie some of those up in the near future. Edit - the future is here. It’s a start.

[flytire 0]

Blue Thunder

Steelhead

Ian James of Guelph, Ontario, Canada, originated this pattern

Hook - Single Salmon
Thread - Black
Ribbing - Oval silver tinsel
Body - Flat silver tinsel
Wing - White bucktail tied over the body, with an over wing of a small bunch of purple flashabou accent (krystal flash)

Fish Flies: The Encyclopedia of the Fly Tier's Art - Terry Hellekson

[flytire 0]

Chief

Steelhead

Originator unknown, but the fly popped up in northern California around 1950 and was popular for three or four seasons.

Hook - Single salmon

Thread - Black

Tail - Scarlet red hackle barbs

Ribbing - Oval gold tinsel

Body - Dubbed with brown-gray raccoon fur

Wing - Dyed black squirrel tail tied over the body and extending to the end of tail

Hackle - Natural black hen hackle tied on as a collar and tied back

Fish Flies: The Encyclopedia of the Fly Tier's Art - Terry Hellekson

[flytire 0]

Dean River Special 

Steelhead

Hook - Single Salmon

Thread - Black 

Tail - Dyed purple gray squirrel tail. 

Ribbing - Oval silver tinsel. 

Body - Dubbed with purple lamb's wool. 

Hackle - Black tied on as a collar and tied back. 

Wing - Black marabou tied over the body. 

Topping - Purple Flashabou Accent

Every good river has its "specials." British Columbia's Dean River is no exception: in fact, it has several and this is just one of them.

Fish Flies: The Encyclopedia of the Fly Tier's Art - Terry Hellekson 

[RickZieger 0]

Streamer from Materials on the desk. Critique welcome

[flytire 0]

Drain's 20

Steelhead

Wes Drain of Seattle, Washington, originated this pattern. He named the fly after taking a fish over twenty pounds on the Skagit River, setting a Washington state record at that time.

Hook - Alec Jackson Spey (Daiichi 2051), Size5 

Thread - Black

Tip/Tag - Silver tinsel and fluorescent yellow floss

Tail - Golden pheasant tippets under yellow hackle fibers

Ribbing - Silver oval tinsel

Body - Chinese Red Uni Wool (or Fl Red Floss)

Collar - Purple hen hackle

Underwing - Red-dyed Golden Pheasant Breast Feather*

Wing - Natural Grey Squirrel accented with sparse Holographic Silver Lite-Brite**

Cheeks(optional) - Jungle Cock

*I used red schlappen hackle fibers

**I omitted the lite brite, none on hand

https://www.angelfire.com/wa/salmonid/howell72.html

There are other recipes for this fly. This is the one I chose.

[flytire 0]

Dingbat 

Hook - Single Salmon

Thread: Black

Tip - Oval silver tinsel

Tail 0 Golden pheasant tippet barbs

Ribbing - Oval silver tinsel

Body - Fluorescent orange chenille

Hackle - Furnace tied on as a collar and tied back 

Wing - Fox squirrel tail tied over the body

Fish Flies: The Encyclopedia of the Fly Tier's Art - Terry Hellekson

[niveker 0]

7 hours ago, RickZieger said:

Critique welcome

My critique is you didn't list materials. 

I probably would have tied the tail shorter and thicker, but that's my personal preference.  I really like the green wing.

Bluegills will inhale that .  

[Squeezy 0]

Tying some jigs for the hard water. #14 Model 27 jig from Wholesale Fly Company with slotted 1/8” tungsten beads. Hope the perch and gills approve

[niveker 0]

6 hours ago, Squeezy said:

jigs for the hard water

They look good. You'll have to tell me how they do, I'll be sitting inside by the fire with my feet up.  

[flytire 0]

Silver Orange 

Steelhead

Fred A Reed of Nevada City, California, originated this pattern

Hook - Single Salmon 

Thread - Orange

Body - Embossed silver tinsel

Hackle - Orange hen hackle tied on as a collar and tied back

Wing - Yellow calf tail tied over the body

Fish Flies: The Encyclopedia of the Fly Tier's Art - Terry Hellekson