Smalliehunter's Smallmouth Fly Swap #2

[hexfli 0]

Sounds Good! I am excited for this swap.

[kschu 0]

QUOTE (mrjim @ Feb 7 2005, 03:08 PM)

Kschu - I talked to you on Sat.  (I'm an central IL ISA member)  Did you see the foam that stretches (Bill from PA) and was being made into helgramites?  If so, what did you think of those flies.  I got the foam and chenile and made a couple...we'll see how they work.

Was that the guy right inside the main entrance. He had three flies sitting down in a small tupperware dish of water. Those were really great. He was showing me the foam he was using. I saw them dry on his table and then wet in the dish. I was quite impressed.

 

I have to admit, I am still a novice to tying. I took my first real beginner's class in March '04. I've been trying lots of new stuff lately. I've been leading a monthly tying session for the ISA. But I basically spend the first several weeks of the month practicing some fly that I will demo on the 4th Monday of the month. This month I'm tying lots of Stimulators. We sort of worked our way up to this. We did Fox Squirel nymphs back in November, since a few of these guys had very little experiance with dubbing. Last month was Elk Hair Caddis with more dubbing, a palmered hackle and then the hair downwing. By slowly building up, I hope we can step up to the Stimulator with it's two kinds of dubbing, two different hackles, wing and tail (not in that order of course). I'm still crowding the eye of the hook, but I'm getting better. I'm working hard on proper proportions.

 

I was very impressed (and somewhat intimidated) by some of the awesome tiers that they had at that show. As I get more and more practice, my confidence builds slightly. I picked up a tool caddy (the Renzetti soft caddy) today which should help me organize my tying area better. What I really need is to get faster. That will come with time I'm sure.

 

Our table at the show was right by Norman's booth showing his Nor-vise. That guy can spin out a fly in no time (pun intended). He was just amazing. I watched him tie a streamer on a #2 hook and the next fly he did was on a size 22 hook. Same vise, same jaws. I had never seen a hook that small and I can't imagine tying on one. Norman made it look so easy. And that Bobbin he had was really cool.

 

Ken S

[Alex C. 0]

16 is cool with me

[atroutbum2 0]

Here is my version of the clousers crippled minnow im tying for the swap.

 

 

 

[lewy271 0]

NICE!

[Gary Madore 0]

Well, I haven't heard anybody say "no" yet, so I'll consider myself IN unless told otherwise.

 

Given that this is my 1st and that I have to tie 16 (+1 (grin)) of 'em, please don't expect anything elaborate from me.... I'll go with a minnow or bugger that's reckoned to be a good smallmouth fly.

 

Hey, maybe my (soon to be) world-famous "Rottweiler Arse Hair Woolly Buggered Bass Minnow" ? heh

 

If a "proposed fly" is required, please let me know and I'll decide. In the meantime, I've some practicing to do...

 

Thanks a ton for expanding the swap, SmallieHunter: I owe you one!

 

Cheers!

 

Gary

[GHow 0]

Even though it seems as if I just eat, sleep and work. It is winter and another foot of snow is coming my way....why not.

[Gary Madore 0]

Well, I wanted to practice tying a Wooly Bugger but didn't have any marabou. Or any chenille. Or anything else I needed. So I improvised....

 

Gary's "Pseudobugger Mk1"

 

Don't sweat fellas: I have a month to get it right!

 

Cheers!

 

Gary

[Alex C. 0]

Nice bugger Gary It's better than my first. Kind of funny you had to improvise materials, cause I did too, the rope off of gift bags works ok for chenille

[kschu 0]

QUOTE (Gary Madore @ Feb 8 2005, 08:04 PM)

Well, I wanted to practice tying a Wooly Bugger but didn't have any marabou. Or any chenille. Or anything else I needed. So I improvised.... Don't sweat fellas: I have a month to get it right!

Hey Gary,

 

I like your improvised bugger. I have to spend more time with the digital camera to get some nice close up shots like you did. I assume that since you must have been shooting in Macro mode, you did not use the flash.

 

One suggestion on your pattern. If your fly attracts the attention of any toothy fish, there is a good chance a sharp tooth could break of rip the stem of your hackle feather. In your picture, it looked like you have a rib that is wound the same way around the hook as the hackle feather. If you wind the rib in the opposite direction, it will cross over the stem of the hackle and hold down that feather. Then if some tooth does break through the stem, the feather will still be held in place by the wraps of ribbing.

 

Maybe my eyes are just tired and you already knew this trick for making buggers more durable. It is certainly a good looking fly. I look forward to swapping with you and the rest of our group.

 

More later,

Ken S.

[Gary Madore 0]

Ken,

 

Thanks for the tip. You're right: Both the hackle and the rib are wound from back to front.

 

For the next one I'll try the hackle from front to back....

 

Yes, I was in macro and I tried with and without flash. The ones with flash were TOTALLY washed out; you could barely see tinsel but the rest was a white blur. Using flash has worked OK on my darker flies, though.

 

Well, I'm going to keep working on a Bugger of some sort for the swap then. I promise to make it, um, "Bassy."

 

Cheers!

 

Gary

[atroutbum2 0]

The flies are done, i need the address.

 

Thanks

[GHow 0]

Remember younger members..."Patients is a virtue". You have to the 31st and you will be tested and posted......

[Alex C. 0]

I just got back from the fly shop with the materials for the flies I'm tying for this swap. They'll be clouser minnows, flo. green/ olive, with red eyes, on a mustad #6 2x heavy/ 4x long streamer hook. I'm gonna tie in a strip of .025 lead on the bottom of the shank so it stays "balanced" when retreived.

[Joe Hard 0]

I think there is going to be some cool flies. Im glad we got the extra time to decide on the pattern.