Hazathor 0 Report post Posted June 19, 2017 In full production mode. Now begins the hard part! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vicrider 0 Report post Posted June 26, 2017 Well, for better or worse mine hit the mail today. I have about a dozen various versions along the way, a couple I actually like better than this version, but I didn't have enough of the right feathers to do them and getting them tied right was a mess. These I believe will catch a fish. Particularly LM bass but I was once up in a stream below a falls in Canada where the hatch was on and if I'd have had a fly rod and these flies I think I'd have had a ball. As it was we caught some nice smallies and walleyes on brown twister tails which imitated the rising adults before morphing out the wings and drying on the rocks. This is not the proudest moment in my tying career with these flies but do give them a shot for bass, big browns, or others that come up to dragonflies on the water. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GP flyfisherman 0 Report post Posted June 26, 2017 mailed mine. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Idaho RC 0 Report post Posted June 27, 2017 I am embarrassed to say that mine will go out in tomorrow's mail. I think they are horrible. The extended part actually went pretty well. Not so much with the Snowshoe Rabbit wing and dubbing. They aren't really pretty but I am sure they will fish. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vicrider 0 Report post Posted June 28, 2017 Ah yes Idaho RC, that makes two of us in that category. My attachment to tie on a "needle" and slide off went good but then it sort of fell apart when it came to finishing the fly. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DManley 0 Report post Posted June 28, 2017 I am still puttering along here. I just came back to the vise a few weeks ago after being away for a few years. New bifocals fooled me into thinking I could tie again. I thought this swap looked like great fun, so I jumped in without thinking it through. I am actually lucky to have a fairly simple pattern to tie. I have just tied a whole pile of dry flies for a few friends who are going on a trip. The basics are coming back pretty well. I took a stab at the swap pattern and tied a bunch up on larger hooks. My size 12 ones seemed a good bit too bulky for the hook size. They will fish well, but they aren't swap quality. I have switched chairs and vise mounts three times. I have bought every lamp that the local Salvation Army store had! I am finally getting my setup working well. I am supplementing my bifocals with an Optivisor. I feel like things are finally really coming back together. The last batch of dries I tied look a lot better than the earlier ones. I just tied some of the nymphs on a size 10 hook and felt pretty confident that I can take it down to a 12 and have them be okay. They won't be exhibition quality, but they won't look like I just dumped the materials into a blender, covered the hooks with super glue and dipped either. (That's what the first ones looked like.) All in all, it's great to be back at the vise and have something to shoot for. I am launching into production mode here. I will tie two or three a day for the next two weeks and pick the best to send. I'll get them out by mid July, unless that is going to hold things up. The particular pattern I am tying seems to work best when tied from start to finish in one shot. It's a pretty simple pattern and it ties very smoothly. One thing for sure... I will have a lot of Red Fox Squirrels to fish in a year or two when I finally get to hit the water again. Being totally homebound (Taking care of a family member who needs 24/7 care and supervision) is tough, but getting back into tying has helped me a lot. I have actually been excited the last Month or so. Thanks to all of you for setting this up and participating. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Woodenlegs 0 Report post Posted June 28, 2017 Hey I got a vacation from work got my flies done. Putting in the mail today. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vicrider 0 Report post Posted June 28, 2017 DManley, I don't mean to come on too harsh but will "keep it real". I have run many swaps on here as has BB and though a tyer or two always has good reasons to be late it does mess up the swap when everyone else has worked hard and I've had people overnight express flies (never do this) just to make the deadline. As far as I'm concerned a deadline is a commitment and it should be honored or darn close to it, not a few weeks late. I would just as soon have what the Swapmeister has to return on time and always look forward to those flies coming in shortly after the deadline. Knowing there can be many real problems and family issues and health which prevent getting the flies done it is best to go ahead and apologize and try to be prompt on the next swap you enter. This is really between you and BB but getting them out by mid July, time to sort and return the flies would mean deliver near August. I would thank you for the effort and send what I had and mix up the one extra fly in there between those who met the deadline. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
breambuster 0 Report post Posted June 28, 2017 Just a reminder, guys, that the updated deadline is July 31 (Post #64). So far I haven't received any sets of flies, but there are several in the mail. If everyone could get their flies to me before July 31, that would, of course, be great and I could get them back to everyone. I know everyone is concerned about the quality of their flies not being what they usually are, but the purpose of the swap was to get everyone out of their comfort zone. Many of the recent posts indicate that we have succeeded, at least, in that. Keep working at it and get them to me when you can. BB Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
breambuster 0 Report post Posted June 28, 2017 Well, leave it to GP Flyfisherman to prove me wrong on all counts. First, shortly after I said that no flies have arrived yet, his arrived. We have our first set in. And to prove me wrong a second time, after I said that people were worried about the quality of their flies, he sends in a great set of flies! It's the BWO Upright CDC wing. His challenge was to learn to work with CDC and, boy, has he ever learned. Thanks, GP, great ties. BB Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fishingbobnelson 0 Report post Posted June 28, 2017 Great, now I have to start over.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vicrider 0 Report post Posted June 28, 2017 DManley, I will profusely and sincerely apologize. BB did not post the date change on the first page but hid it where I didn't see it. Had I seen it I would not have done a rush to judgement on you and also would have refined my flies a little more if possible. I stand by what I said about deadlines but apologize on this one for not seeing date change. Nick, your humble apologist... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Idaho RC 0 Report post Posted June 28, 2017 Just a reminder, guys, that the updated deadline is July 31 (Post #64). So far I haven't received any sets of flies, but there are several in the mail. If everyone could get their flies to me before July 31, that would, of course, be great and I could get them back to everyone. I know everyone is concerned about the quality of their flies not being what they usually are, but the purpose of the swap was to get everyone out of their comfort zone. Many of the recent posts indicate that we have succeeded, at least, in that. Keep working at it and get them to me when you can. BB I thought I remembered that deadline was the middle or end of July. I had been sweating doing these and I logged in on Sunday and the cover page said June 30th. I had trouble with these and it's the first time I have ever been late or even anywhere near a deadline. If the cover page would have been updated to say July 31st I would have held of shipping them and tied extras. Actually I sent 15 not very good flies and thought that I had extras until I saw the count was 15 and I didn't think I had anymore time. Oh well, it's just a fly swap for fun. Right? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
breambuster 0 Report post Posted June 28, 2017 Yeah, guys, I failed to change it on the first page. I will do that now. But Idaho, I've never seen a bad fly out of you. I know that what you sent will be just fine. Going to page 1. Later BB Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
breambuster 0 Report post Posted June 28, 2017 Presto! Chango! It's done. BB Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
