Jump to content
Fly Tying

CoachBob

core_group_3
  • Content Count

    420
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Community Reputation

0 Neutral

About CoachBob

  • Rank
    Advanced Member
  • Birthday 05/05/1947

Previous Fields

  • Favorite Species
    redfish
  • Security
    2008

Contact Methods

Profile Information

  • Location
    Broussard, Louisiana
  1. I've gotten several 6-7' rods oer the last couple of years in 2, 3 & 4 wts. [bass Pro White River, TFO, Orvis Superfine and Sage Response] All work for bass and bluegill and the Orvis and TFO are very soft. If you are not used to a soft rod, you will need to adjust your cast. Largest bass on the 2 wt. is near 3.5 lbs and it was a long and fun fight.
  2. For wolly buggers I often tie in fine wire at the tail, palmer the hackle clockwise, then cinch it down with overwraps of wire counterclockwise.
  3. I wrote an article on this very subject you can see at http://www.flyanglersonline.com/features/bobboese/bobboese20090824.php. Today I travel MUCH lighter. At most two fly boxes filled with three of each fly I might use. I do a lot of research before going on the water. A Tiefast combo tool on a zinger gives me nippers, file and tiefast tool. Forceps and extra tippe are about it. catch'em let'em go.
  4. Jewelry needle nose pliers from Michaels.
  5. I use the Eagle Claw plated hooks as well, but be warned they have an offset. If you want a straight hook you have to straighten it in your vise (but not hard to do). I get my at WalMart and use the 66, 67 and 85. They are also cheaper than the Mustad 34011 or 34007 (which are the equivalent stainless fly hooks). And don't hold your breath trying to find 34011s.
  6. Try a popper dropper with a Boudreaux as the dropper. Killer pattern.
  7. I use them all the time. The best prices are from www.bluequillangler.com. I have used several styles in many sizes and probably had less than five bad hooks out of a thousand. The hook gap is great for smaller ties.
  8. First, register with the www.michaels.com web site to get the 40% off coupon they e-mail you about once a month. There will also be one in the Sunday paper. 1.5mm foam is available from Dollar Tree at $1/12 sheets. 2mm and 3mm is available from Michaels for about $1 per sheet. But, lots more color choices, including sparkle foam (great for beetles). Bead chain for eyes comes in black, silver and gold for about $1.98/16 inches. Yarn for wolly worms and it is a good idea to get a multicolored yarn. Plastic beads in multi color packs. Don't expect brass. Sometimes there is craft fur at good prices. Sparkle glue if you have a pattern that calls for it. DO NOT get feathers from there. They are equivalent to Chinese feathers and twice as expensive. DO NOT get regular glue from there, it's less expensive at Walmart.
  9. My wife gave me one for Christmas. An extravagant present to be sure. Here's a review. 1. It is VERY light. I have several other rods in the same weight (8wt) by noted manufacturers and this is by far the lightest. It is even lighter than some of my 3wt rods, and about the same as the TFO 3wt. This means that you have to balance it with the right reel, which is often a matter of choice. I actually found an old Orvis Green Mountain felt the best to me. 2. It is VERY fast. This rod will be much to fast for some casters. Even the tip flex is on the stiff side. 3. If you can handle the stiffness, you can cast it a long way. I overlined it with 9wt WF (not a shooting head) and managed 70-80 feet using a kite-ish size 2 Gurgler without much effort. But, once again, because it is so fast, it is the caster, not the rod, doing all the work. 4. Part of the price is probably for the rod case, which is very stylish trout logoed fiberglass screw top. 5. I assume it comes with a lifetime warranty, and hope I never have to confirm this. The bottom line is that you should not but this rod online. Go to an Orvis dealer and ask them to cast it. If they won't let you try it out, don't buy it. There's not going to be much grey area, you'll like it or not. And, of course, there is the considerable price.
  10. 3-4 lbs works fine for me, even for bass and saltwater patterns. I do add a pair of bar magnets to the base.
  11. I usually work the teaching table at conclaves. #1 skill to learn is using the bobbin. Thread skills as mentioned above are not intuitive and most tyros will get the bobbin as much as a foot from the hook shank. How to lay down a thread base is the primary skill. How to make a figure 8 pattern around bead chain eyes is important, as is applying materials (see #3 below) #2 skill to learn is how to use a half-hitch tool (frequently found on the opposite end of a bodkin). This is a perfectly acceptable substitute for a whip finisher, especially if you do a double or triple wound half-hitch. #3 skill to learn is holding materials against the hook with your off hand while winding thread on the material with your bobbin hand. The pinch method is mandatory for so many materials it is a high priority. The easiest patterns are the easy foam patterns or you can look me up under "Features" at flyanglersonline.com and see several of my patterns listed in my articles as "Easy". If you can get a beginner to just apply foam to a hook and a pair of legs it will catch fish. That's what counts.
  12. Altoids box and sticky back foam. Works great and (if you consider the box a recycled item) practically nothing.
  13. I always use a pedestal because some fly tying shows don't have a table edge in the right shape or location. The comments on a full or "true" rotary versus a simple rotary are correct. Look for a true rotary whenever possible.
  14. #1 -- bobbins (currently I have 14 threaded) #2 -- Dr. Slick Isis (curved 4") scissors. Could send a picture of the dozen pair I don't use, but that's not what you asked. #3 -- bodkin with half hitch tool on the other end (used more than hands or whip finisher) #4 -- whip finisher (Matarelli style) for situations when half hitch tool won't work #5 -- magnets (to tired years back losing things so I now have a dozen bar magnets glued around my tying table. #6 -- hackle pliers (different types for different applications)
  15. http://www.harborfreight.com/6-piece-hollow-punch-set-67030.html http://www.harborfreight.com/9-piece-hollow-punch-set-3838.html Hollow punch sets from harbor freight. Inexpensive and effective.
×
×
  • Create New...