barrytheguide 0 Report post Posted October 24, 2016 I am hoping to buy some Swedish Dry Fly Hooks K3a to tie some Gary LaFontaine's caddis dries. I just found a few 12's, but I would love to find some in other sizes both larger and smaller. I can buy some outright or exchange some Salmon Hooks. These hooks are no longer made and I'm hoping. Someone has a few laying around they don't want. Barry Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Moshup 0 Report post Posted October 24, 2016 Barry can you post a pic of one of these hooks ? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Moshup 0 Report post Posted October 24, 2016 Never mind with the pic Barry . I have a small quantity of these in szs 12,14 and 16. I would like to hold on to them but I can send you 8 of each sz if that helps. I do not want anything for them. Send me a pm if u want them and where I can send them. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bugsy 0 Report post Posted October 24, 2016 Barry See if this option works for you: http://www.gamakatsu.com/fishing-hooks.php?pid=1138 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
planettrout 0 Report post Posted October 24, 2016 Works for me... PT/TB Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
barrytheguide 0 Report post Posted October 24, 2016 I agree the Gammy hooks are very similar. If I can't get the Partridge K3a's I'll try some Many thanks Barry Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Al Beatty 0 Report post Posted October 25, 2016 Hi Guys, We tied the Fluttering Caddis (and others) for Gary's company for a number of years using the R200 style tied up-side-down. It isn't perfect but works fine for fishing flies. Take care & ... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rockworm 0 Report post Posted October 25, 2016 Leonard Wright's Fluttering Caddis calls for a straight shank hook like Mustad 94833. My guess is Barry wants to tye some of LaFontaine's Dancing Caddis which require the shape of the kinked K3A hooks to work properly. I will have to try some of the Gamakatsu hooks to see how they compare. It would be good to have a replacement for the Swedish Fly hooks. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
barrytheguide 0 Report post Posted October 25, 2016 Indeed, it's the Dancing Caddis that I would like to imitate. One of the members here is kindly sending me a few to try. I have been tying a simplified version of his Emergent Pupa for a while but only recent got a copy of his book that has a lot of detail of materials to use and how to tie his patterns. I'm disappointed with my Antron though, I can't get it to trap bubbles as he describes regardless if I use floatant or not. I tested in a small glass of water. Has anyone had any success with this? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rockworm 0 Report post Posted October 25, 2016 I could be wrong, but I have always thought that the "envelope" of antron fibers on LaFontaine's Deep Sparkle and Emergent Pupa were not intended to actually trap air, but meant to give the appearance of the insect's about-to-be-shed husk being expanded outward out by gas. Antron was chosen because it gives the "sparkle" of air bubbles. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
barrytheguide 0 Report post Posted October 25, 2016 In Gary's book which I'm trying to follow word for word, picture by picture, it has a color photo showing bubbles attached to the Antron. He also says the bubbles and trailing shuck looks like a bubble trail from the natural. He concentrates on key factors which attracts fish to strike rather than realistic flies. I personally think this is the best work ever on the subject of caddis flies. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
planettrout 0 Report post Posted October 26, 2016 Indeed, it's the Dancing Caddis that I would like to imitate. One of the members here is kindly sending me a few to try. I have been tying a simplified version of his Emergent Pupa for a while but only recent got a copy of his book that has a lot of detail of materials to use and how to tie his patterns. I'm disappointed with my Antron though, I can't get it to trap bubbles as he describes regardless if I use floatant or not. I tested in a small glass of water. Has anyone had any success with this? Check out the 4th. response from this thread on LaFontaine Emergent Pupa from Troutnut...It is a direct quote from "Caddisflies": http://www.troutnut.com/topic/2153/LaFontaine-Emergent-Pupa If you want to use a material that will trap air bubbles, in the construction of the abdomen, for the Sparkle Pupa, try CDC...scroll down: https://planettrout.wordpress.com/2014/04/12/the-sparkle-pupa-a-contemporary-revision-completed/ PT/TB Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Moshup 0 Report post Posted October 27, 2016 Barry your hooks are in the mail. While sorting these hooks they do seem to run larger than expected. I sent u szs 12,14,16. If they were available again and I were to order them again I think I would stick to 14,16 and 18s. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
barrytheguide 0 Report post Posted October 28, 2016 Barry your hooks are in the mail. While sorting these hooks they do seem to run larger than expected. I sent u szs 12,14,16. If they were available again and I were to order them again I think I would stick to 14,16 and 18s. Very many thanks. I promise every single will be used in double quick time and end up in my Dry Fly box. Here on the Lower Sacramento River we always have caddis hatches, the largest being the Grammon, large in numbers that is. Some of the guides call it the Mother's Day caddis,but the heaviest hatches do not occcure around Mother's Day, But the Rainbow ( Steelhead) are notoriously difficult to take on a dry fly. Riffles being the best bet.Cheers Barry Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
barrytheguide 0 Report post Posted October 31, 2016 The so called Mothers Days caddis is actually Brachycentrus, it's hard to determine the species since the only way to tell is looking at the males penis under a microscope!!! But on the Lower Sacramento River here in Redding it's likely to be americanus. This one is a dark brown with a mottled wing, dark green body and the females have a bright greeen egg sac. It's common name is Grammon. That's the adult. I'm tying mostly Bary LaFontaine's Sparkle pupa and Sparkle Emerger which certainly work for me during hatches. I'm trying to follow suit with a dry, the Dancing Caddis. Here it's unusual to see fish rising to the dry, but I've certainly caught fish on a dry in the riffles. In the past with a Elk hair caddis, but I'd like to try Gary's pattern just to see if it's any better Cheers Barry Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
