March monthly swap

[PJ2 0]

PJ2, looking at your nymphs. What size hook and bead is that. I just started working on some beadheads for a different swap and last night I put 15 - 1.5mm tungsten beads on size 24 hooks. Today when I make it back in there I need to magnet the floor area good and try to find some hooks and beads. One good thing about the tungsten beads is they will react to a strong magnet so they are sometimes recoverable, unlike brass.

Vic, Im so glad they arrived!!! what do you think? I tied a 14 hook,I think, Gamakatsu, with a 5/64 bead. I hope you like them. I am kinda a noob at tying beadheads, and yes i was on the floor, also, with a flashlight trying to find and pick up what dropped.lol.

[joseph russell 0]

Will get mine out Thursday when I get paid

[fishingbobnelson 0]

Mine are in the mail.

[vicrider 0]

PJ2, your flies are fine. I did confuse yours with those of Western Trout Hunter's beadheads.

 

WTH, what size bead and hook did you use? I just am getting started on a series of size 24 with 1.5mm beadhead. Looks about like what you used. Worst part of the whole tie for me is getting the damn bead on the hook. Makes your fingers feel like they're polish sausages. I use a thin pointed flat jawed needlenose on the bead and fit the hook by hand. Have tried other ways and even ordered a special bead scissors to "make beading simple". HA great thought on them but poor engineering.

 

I took my nymph a step farther than you though with a little flash tail, fluorescent chartreuse mylar wrap, silver wire rib and caddis dubbing collar. Definitely working in a small area but when I was in CO a couple of years ago I took drift boat guide trip and when he said I didn't have small enough nymphs in my box I pulled my box of 20 - 28 and that's the size we used to catch some bows, browns, and whitefish. Really can't believe we couldn't have gotten fish on bigger sizes but the tinies worked and he put them on the tippet so I was fine with it. For me putting on anything smaller than a 16 is a PITA so I seldom use smaller unless with a guide with good eyes and steady hands, something I have neither of anymore.

[Western Trout Hunter 0]

Vic,

I used a #20 TMC2487 2X short 2X wide. and a 2/32" brass bead. I place my hook in my vice backwards point up and thread the bead on by hand. It is challenging at first. All I can say is practice practice practice. Yes #20 to #28 midge patterns are all we fish from mid winter to early spring here. I have been more or less forced into tying extremely small flies here in CO as they are the most effective and as we all know clients tip better if their catching fish. The fly I tied is a Blue Poison Tung designed by Charlie Craven, It is a simple little guy, but has proven to be deadly on our tail waters.

 

I would be very interested in the fly that you described above. What are the chances that you might throw 1 in for a model in my midge collection?

 

 

Vic if you or anyone else in this swap is in Colorado I will be starting the guiding season Saturday March 19 please contact me I will take you out free of charge.

[sammothner 0]

Vic,

I used a #20 TMC2487 2X short 2X wide. and a 2/32" brass bead. I place my hook in my vice backwards point up and thread the bead on by hand. It is challenging at first. All I can say is practice practice practice. Yes #20 to #28 midge patterns are all we fish from mid winter to early spring here. I have been more or less forced into tying extremely small flies here in CO as they are the most effective and as we all know clients tip better if their catching fish. The fly I tied is a Blue Poison Tung designed by Charlie Craven, It is a simple little guy, but has proven to be deadly on our tail waters.

 

 

I would be very interested in the fly that you described above. What are the chances that you might throw 1 in for a model in my midge collection?

 

 

Vic if you or anyone else in this swap is in Colorado I will be starting the guiding season Saturday March 19 please contact me I will take you out free of charge.

That is very nice of you. I will be out there with my family end of may/beginning of June. We don't need a guide (I think one comes with the ranch) but some tips on where to go and what to use would be awesome. What do you think will be hatching? I've already started to tie for this trip. We are staying at high lonesome ranch if it helps. Thanks.

[Western Trout Hunter 0]

 

Vic,

I used a #20 TMC2487 2X short 2X wide. and a 2/32" brass bead. I place my hook in my vice backwards point up and thread the bead on by hand. It is challenging at first. All I can say is practice practice practice. Yes #20 to #28 midge patterns are all we fish from mid winter to early spring here. I have been more or less forced into tying extremely small flies here in CO as they are the most effective and as we all know clients tip better if their catching fish. The fly I tied is a Blue Poison Tung designed by Charlie Craven, It is a simple little guy, but has proven to be deadly on our tail waters.

 

 

I would be very interested in the fly that you described above. What are the chances that you might throw 1 in for a model in my midge collection?

 

 

Vic if you or anyone else in this swap is in Colorado I will be starting the guiding season Saturday March 19 please contact me I will take you out free of charge.

That is very nice of you. I will be out there with my family end of may/beginning of June. We don't need a guide (I think one comes with the ranch) but some tips on where to go and what to use would be awesome. What do you think will be hatching? I've already started to tie for this trip. We are staying at high lonesome ranch if it helps

So It will most certainly be run off from May into June. It's already getting warm here in the lower elevations. That being said, don't let high flows turn you off to the fishing. Fish the banks where there is break in the current. My go to this at this time is almost always a #16 stimi. in gold with an orange head. Try using a very small bead head dropper 18" from the dry. I prefer the Rainbow Warrior. I would also take notes from the guide. I'm giving you my advise as to what I use on my home water. Your guide will definitely know what is happening in his own water.

[breambuster 0]

Vicrider, I put both my February set and my March set in the mail today. For February I tied a Southern Appalachian Bead Head pattern called a "Red Bud." It's supposed to work best when the Red Bud trees are in bloom which they are in my location right now. They are probably just now putting out up in the mountains where all of our trout streams are with the exception of the "Tail Water Trout." Hope everyone likes it. This was my first time tying it and I followed the recipe, but I think next time I tie it, I'll forget the recipe and use a scud hook instead of a long nymph hook.

My March Dry Fly is a Hendrickson Catskill Style pattern except that I used UV dubbing for the body instead of "urine-stained fox fur." It took me a while to get a set of those tied up. It took me a while on each, individual fly but I hope they will, at least, be "fishable." When they arrive, Vic, tell me what you think of these 2 patterns. You are supposed to have them on Friday and that's no "April Fool's" joke.

Remind me what we are tying for April.

 

Take care

 

BB

[add147 0]

Mine will be going in the mail first thing in the morning vicrider. They should make it across the river by Saturday at the latest! Hope is all well up your buddy!!!

[vicrider 0]

...

My March Dry Fly is a Hendrickson Catskill Style pattern except that I used UV dubbing for the body instead of "urine-stained fox fur." It took me a while to get a set of those tied up. It took me a while on each, individual fly but I hope they will, at least, be "fishable." ...

 

BB

BB, if you're squeamish about using the proper materials just send me your fox fur and I'll treat is to match the old recipe for you then send it back. I'll even pay my own postage sending it back.

 

There is a fly called the "Tup's Indispensable" that calls for special urine stained wool of the ram. A guy on another board found a farmer willing to send him the wool just from around the area that product would come from. Well, he got, then decided to boil it to get the smell and other messes out of it while his wife was out of town for the day. He, of course, made an elaborate tale out of that wool and boiling it but what it came down to was wife and him spending a night in a motel with everything in their house wide open. A year later when air was heavy with humidity he swore he still got whiffs of it. They've since sold the house and moved clear across country so that is an episode well left behind him.

 

This link tells the whole story but I'll follow with the prime excerpt...

http://flyanglersonline.com/features/oldflies/part244.php

 

"Why did Skues call it Tup's Indispensable? Well the 'Indispensable' part comes from the fact that it should not be left out of your fly-box, as it is such a good fish taker. The 'Tup's' part of the name refers to a Ram, a male sheep that is used for breeding. In Britain in those days, farmers used a sponge or rag soaked in dye tied to the under side of the Ram. In the morning, they would inspect their flock to see which females had dye stained on their backs from being 'tupped' by the Ram. The original material for this fly was urine and dye stained wool taken from a ram's testicles mixed with lemon coloured fur from a spaniel and a little yellow mohair, replaced later with crimson seal's fur."

[mikechell 0]

 

 

... I'll treat is to match the old recipe for you then send it back. I'll even pay my own postage sending it back.

Vic ... making excuses to "go" in the backyard again?

"No, I'm not peeing on the dog, Honey! I am just making some proper materials for a particular fly!"

[fishingbobnelson 0]

I have my wet fly pattern for April when you are ready to post. Are you going to update page one?

[stabgnid 0]

I sent My Last Friday You should get anytime

Steve Shafer

[sammothner 0]

I'm so sorry I haven't sent them yet, I have been very busy planning an event for school. I'll send them tomorrow. Unfortunately I will have to drop out from the April swap :(. I should be able to for the rest of the year.

[vicrider 0]

Dingbat, yours got here yesterday and when I opened it it was full of little midge clusters. Ya' see, that's what a Griffin's Gnat is, a representation of those tiny size 28 nymphs that clump together to make a better meal for a hungry trout. I have been busy this week and I also whipped up a bunch of Griffith's gnats but in the Crackleback version with some of my new peacock cape hackle. I actually had two sets of dry flies tied up for this swap and both of them went to fill last minute cancellations of other swaps.

 

I'm going to make a new post on main post making an announcement about the swap that won't be popular with some but need to do it.