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Fly Tying

BullRunBear

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About BullRunBear

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    Beginner

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  • Favorite Species
    panfish
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  • Location
    Northern Virginia
  1. Thanks. I tie simple patterns for fun and my own use. I hope to learn more patterns and the idea of using the long-time, traditional materials, like Pearsall's gossamer and floss is appealing. Fortunately, no one has to see the results while learning. :-)
  2. Apparently this topic has come up before. Should have done a general search to my question before posting. I'll just order some of the Pearsall's and see how it does. Dave Hughes mentions Pearsall's thread and floss in his "Wet Flies" book. That's a good recommendation.
  3. I recently came across mention of Pearsall's gossamer silk for tying traditional wet flies and flymphs. Wonder how it compares to Orvis (or similar) Nano silk thread for the same purpose. Any experience with the two or opinions on substitutes would be welcome. Thanks
  4. Guys, Thanks for the info. When his dad passed the tying gear was given away. These boxes of thread were long forgotten. I'll pass the word to him.
  5. Someone I know found some Herter's thread from the sixties, apparently his father bought it back then. He was wondering if it would still be good for tying or if it has weakened or deteriorated over the decades. He's not a fly tyer, so this is just curiosity on his part. Thanks for any help.
  6. Folks, Thanks so much for the suggestions. I've got a good list to work with now. Fortunately, our local library has several of them and I have time to haunt the used books stores looking for others. I'm still learning the basics of tying and will work on that this winter. But I also enjoy reading anecdotes and memories involving tying and fishing. It's peaceful and, perhaps, therapeutic. Jeff
  7. I'm putting together a list of books for winter reading. These would be for entertainment more than learning. I already have copies of Trout Magic and Trout Madness and several of the Gierach books. I was thinking of "Favorite Flies and Their Histories" by Mary Orvis Marbury (daughter of the Orvis founder) and "Every Day Was Special" by Bill Tapply. Anyone familiar with these books? I would like to get your opinions. Thanks.
  8. I've been out of tying even longer and never achieved your proficiency, so I am really starting from scratch. The two books I've found most helpful are Charlie Craven's Basic Fly Tying and the Orvis Fly-Tying Guide. They also discussed tools and materials that weren't around the last time I tied. Jeff
  9. Hellgrammite, My Xuron vise arrived yesterday. It is just as you described it and so easy to use. My wife is happy with the simplicity. As a test I tried clamping size 2 hooks and size 28. No problems and no fiddling. (The only difficulty was trying to handle the size 28 hooks with big, thick fingers.) This week I'll be tying, or attempting to tie, my first flies in several decades. I'll have a choice between the Xuron and an HMH Spartan vise. Talk about luxury!! Thanks to the folks for their encouragement about the Xuron. The good reviews were spot on. Jeff
  10. The Xuron comes in a standard for $128.00 and free shipping. There is also a deluxe version for about $165. I think they function the same way and the difference may be in the positioning knobs and finish. I ordered the standard. For some reason, the St. Simon's website isn't showing the vises but they had at least the standard version when I called them. No idea how many they have left in stock. You can call St. Simons at 912-638-5454. I spoke to a nice lady named Bonnie. Hope this helps. Jeff
  11. Thanks to all for the warm welcome and encouragement. My 'nom de guerre' is because my nickname since high school is The Bear (part resemblance and part attitude) and we live about 3 miles from Bull Run Battlefield. The last time I tied, I believe the instructions were printed on a mimeograph machine. Younger folks can ask their parents, or grandparents, about that. I did find a copy of a pattern we learned in that long-ago class. The instructor called it a 'gill bug'. Don't know if it was his design or a common one. It is a simple pattern with a chenille body and a flared/trimmed deer hair head. I think I also tried it with peacock herl for the body. It did work. Using the fly on ultra light spinning gear, I caught blue gill, crappie and, sometimes, bass. It will be one of the first patterns I attempt along with a wooly bugger. People who know I'm going to tie flies are waiting to see the results. I'm a big guy and my hands have been compared to a gorilla or a catchers mitt. They are amused, in a friendly way, to see if I can tie on a size 12 hook, not to mention a midge pattern. Have to admit there is ample opportunity for humor as I learn to tie. Should be fun. Jeff
  12. Bugsy, I did order through St Simons. As far as I know, they are the only source for new ones. Checking Ebay, Craigslist, etc., didn't show even one used. Jeff
  13. That's the vise. I must have used the wrong term. If the Xuron is a cam type, I should have said the HMH Spartan is a collet style? (Hope that is correct.) My wife didn't like the fiddly/minor adjustments needed for different size hooks with the Spartan, preferring a simpler closing method. From reading, it seemed the Xuron, and other types (Regal?) were more straightforward. Thanks for the clarification. Jeff
  14. My wife and I are going to start fly tying (helps to be retired). I tied a little bit briefly many decades ago but didn't have the time to stay with it. We are pretty much beginning from scratch. After some research, I got an HMH Spartan vise. I'm impressed by its build quality and versatility. My wife doesn't care for the cam type jaws or the rotary capability, so I just ordered a Xuron vise for her. It should arrive next week. She saw a picture and thought it looked like it would suit her tying needs. It is also more affordable than many other vises we looked at and will last a long time. We will probably be fishing for bass, panfish and other warm water fish so we won't need huge salt water flies. There are plenty of videos on how to use the HMH vises but very little about the Xuron. If anyone has some experience or suggestions about the Xuron vise, it would be appreciated. Thanks. Jeff
  15. Hi all, I took a fly tying class about 35 years ago, tied a few basic patterns and enjoyed it. Life, family and work rudely intruded and I never got back to tying. My wife and I are retired and it's time to try again. To my delight, my wife also wants to start fly tying. We're starting from scratch aside from some old memories and a few bits and pieces and we're looking forward to it. It would probably help to learn to fly fish. Jeff
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