I am not a beginner, but haven't tied in many years

[rmbrad 0]

This is going to be a Multi-part question. I use to tie a lot of flys, but was never good at it. The flies caught fish, but never looked as good as those I was trying to immitate. I was never able to get the proportions right. I stopped fishing about 20 years ago, even thought I have built a number of fishing rods during this time. I have recently started fishing again, and started tying again. One of the things that I always wanted to do was tie some really good flies and have them framed in a "shadow box". I have been trying to tie a decent Bead Head Pheasant Tail Nymph. I have some pictures of one that isn't too bad ( for me). I would like to send some pictures of this fly, and get some input as to what I am doing wrong. I am also thinking the framed flies should have a theme. I would like to do one that is Western wet flies, and one that is Western dry flies. I already know that 2 of the flies in the wet fly box will be the Pheasent Tail Nymph, and the Gold Ribbed Hare's Ear. I am looking at some Classic flies that will be in the 12 to 18 size. Any suggestions you can provide for the other flies would be greatly appriciated.

 

I know that 3 of the flies in the Dry Fly box will be an Elk Hair Caddis, a Humpy, and a Musquito. These are patterns that I am familiar with. I always have trouble with wings. I started tying the Humpy with Polypro wings because it was easier. What other classic dry flies wuld you recommend for this shadow box?

 

I don't know what the rules are for posting pictures of flies on this web site. any help with this would be greatly appreciated.

[Fred H. 0]

rmbrad, I can't help you in regards to the flies you were asking about as I live in the deep south away from trout streams. How ever posting pictures here is no problem. All of us here share our photos and get imput from each other. There can't be a nude woman in the background or anything objectional in them. Send those to my e-mail address...LOL

Post all the pics you want , and welcome to the forum.

Fred

[fishinbub 0]

Adams, can't get much more classic than that. For dries, Adams, royal wulf or coachman, and maybe even a para adams.

 

Wets, lead wing coachman, royal coachman, and mickey fin streamer. I'm from the south east, but these are classic flies just about anywhere.

[utyer 0]

Western nymph collection could include, Copper John, Prince, StoneFly, Brassie, Sparkle caddis, damsel nymph, Dry flies for the west, could include Western Green Drake, Pale Morning Dun. H & L variant, Adams, Royal Wulff, Stimulater, Hopper.

 

Eastern dries could include a Green Drake, (these are MUCH different than the Western Green Drakes,) Sulphurs. Blue Quill, Hendricksons. March Browns (both dry and wet,) Light Cahill.

 

A good theme display would be a life cycle display of all the different stages of one insect. Nypmh, emerger, dun spinner, cripple. There are many different patterns for just the dun stage of just a Pale Morning Dun for instance.

 

Light cahill patterns are used across the country in different sizes for matching entirely different hatches, Try a display of just Cahills. They come in creams, yellows, pinks orange, and really light olives. By that I mean the basic color of the body is altered by just a little bit of these different colors. Western patterns would use a hair wing, while Eastern patterns would use wood duck or mallard wings.

 

Try a dry fly display of just one Fly, in all the different ways the wings could be tied. Hackle tips, hair wing, loop wing, cut wing rolled wings etc.

[rmbrad 0]

I have been having computer problems over the last couple of days. I lost several of the folders in my email program, and yesterday lost another 6 months of saved email. I did get a couple of good pictures of one of my flies, and was really excited about posting them. Now I can't log into my photobucket account, and one of the folders I lost had my username and password stored in it. I will get them posted as soon as I can get back into this account. Is there a total file size, and pixel limit on this site for pictures?

 

[fishaholic69 0]

I have been having computer problems over the last couple of days. I lost several of the folders in my email program, and yesterday lost another 6 months of saved email. I did get a couple of good pictures of one of my flies, and was really excited about posting them. Now I can't log into my photobucket account, and one of the folders I lost had my username and password stored in it. I will get them posted as soon as I can get back into this account. Is there a total file size, and pixel limit on this site for pictures?

just link the photobucket image when you get your password fixed or make a new name on it

[rmbrad 0]

I can't seem to get the pictures to show up on the message, so here is the direct links to them: http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e333/rmbrad/Flys/PTN3.jpg , and http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e333/rmbrad/Flys/PTN4.jpg .

 

I really didn't know how bad the head looked until I saw it in the picture. Did I mention that I wear Bi-focals, and still can't see the thread?

 

[Dnthmn 0]

Littel tip that I use for readying pics I will be posting. You know that "Kodak" software that comes on photo CD's from the photo lab. It is great for resizing files easily. Use the software to open the photo and then resave it by selecting "Save As" from the file menu. There will be a drop box that will give you various options to adjust the file size. One of them is "Best for Web". Select this one then rename and save the file. It will now be ready to go. Doing this I have never had a problem posting pics directly to any message boards.

 

Hope that helps.

[rmbrad 0]

My tying went to heck in a hand basket over the last couple of weeks. Holidays and all. I am now fairly well snowed in, and will get back to it. I don't know if I should do this as a follow up question, or start a new thread in one of the forums.

 

I saw a framed shadow box of flies. This was a fairly small (10" x 12") box. There was a painted ceramic rainbow trout in the center box (2"x3"), and 6 or 8 flies around the edge. The one that I saw was larger then "tie tack, or lapel pin" size. I know that I have seen these small painted ceramic fish figures in one of my catalogs. Now that I am interested in finding these things, I can't find the catalog, or listings on the internet.

 

Do any of you know where I might find these?