Dr. Bluedun

All I can say is that my NYS auto license always draws a warden on some streams in PA. It usually never fails when fishing French Creek in PA, I hear someone coming down the bank and it's the same guy time after time. In PA you have to wear your license on your back.

Ask yourself why Cabela's is putting this item on sale----right---they haven't sold them. Frankly a 2'X4' piece of 3/4"-1" plywood, for the main base, a few pieces of moulding and trim, a 2'X4' piece of off-white, textured (non reflective) white formica, a pair of folding legs---will make a great tying table. Those cute little cubby-holes are useless, except to collect dust---now you have a desk that is big enough, white background to tye against, cleans up easily, is resistant to most adhesives, and cost around the same price---exception you built it. Just a suggestion only.

I tied a number of small Lil Brown, Lil Rainbow & Lil Brook trout streamers a couple of years back. My son just ran out and asked for some more. I cannot find the pattern in Fly Tyer, does anyone remember the article in American Angler. Probaly back around 2002 or 2003. Would appreciate info, if you can find it in your archives , and will refund your expenses for Xerox or an e-mailed scan. Thanks

Nice piece of wood---I have nice piece of burl I sawed off a tree while blackpowder hunting this past year. I am going to slab it----dry it some more and then---look to making something in thataorder.

I am looking for some books that are dedicated to Steelhead patterns. Any help in this area would be appreciated---my son is now into steelhead fishing and I would like to tye some flyes for him. There are many pattern shown on this site---but few it any have tying instructions.

I sharpen brass tubing by carefully chucking it into a drill press. Then with a suitable size file, while the press is running at low speed, I use the file to sharpen the inside of the tubing and bring it to a bevel. If you have an arkansas (white) stone you can then hone the the inner edge of the tubing. Make some sort of a wooden handle and glue the tubing (unsharpened side) into the handle. Another way is to use a Dremel and carefully sharpen the inside edge with a suitably shaped stone, or a carbide or diamond burr ( at slow speeds). :headbang:

I would look for the following item in your fly-shop or catalogue---"Slip On Leader Loops"---follow the simple instructions for your size of line---it slips on like a Chinese Finger Puzzle and is fastened with a piece of shrink tubing, whick you can heat with a hair dryer. Then you form a perfection loop on the back end of your leader and join the two loops as per instructions---you can now change leaders without a fuss. If your leaders use separate tippets then tie a perfection loop on the end of your leader and also on the tippets head---now you can change tippets without having to untie it all---by unlooping the materials. The Perfection Loop use will make life a lot easier---in order to learn this knot go to the Orvis web site and look for know tying instructions and watch the loop being made at your pace. :yahoo:

I would try to roughen the outer surface with an 80-120 grit sandpaper to give the surface some tooth for the paint to grab on. Try the 100-120 grit first if that doesn't work well then go to the 80. You have to remove the smooth outer finish in order for the paint to adhere. If you epoxy after then the finish should remain in place, regardless of what you use for colour. Doc

All right I am impressed with the picture---now how's about a segment on tying this bugger

I use the Dyna-King professional vice and cannot use an offset Rotary system vise. In fact I see so many tyers who use the various rotaries and they really do not or cannot use the feature that it was designed for. When I need to have a rotary feature I merely adjust the head of the Dyna-King to the horizontal position and it's as "true" rotary as I will need in an instant. I can say that I have never been happier with the Dyna-King and I still have my old Thompson (ca. 1951), my Orvis vise (ca. 1960) and I sold a Renzetti Traveler (ca. whenever) after two weeks, which I thought had a horrendous system for gripping the hook. I see that there is a clamp system now available for the Renzetti which should make the vise much more efficient.

I think that the Benchside Reference Book must be well worth the freight because it's price hasn't wavered much since it came out originally for $100. I know that with a large number of years tying under my belt, that book does not leave my side. If you ever get to the stage where you think you know it all, and then get all screwed up----look it up in the Gospel according to Leeson & Schollmeyer. In my opinion that's the best bucks you could ever spend on a book.

I like the fly---but the lack of a hook designation and tying instructions will leave the new tyers standing their with a big HUH! on their faces. May I respectfully submit that you add some of this info to your recipe. I think it's a great looking Bass fly and---I have tied a dozen already---now if the ice melts soon I can try them on the Bass.

That is a nice first attempt, I would like to see you dress the bucktail and flash by holding it in place---by pinching the material when you wind---also it does not look as if you have enough wraps on the material---this may cast loose or cause casting accuracy problems. The suggestion of adding a few turns of hackle just behing the popper is top notch additionally----it looks neater and will help the fly cast better. Keep up the work---practise, practise, practise.

Hey I have that Universal Rotary---bought it when I was 15 yrs old---still sits on my bench but I haven't used it in 55 years. If you want rotary look at Thompson Cobra (interesting) and I would recommend the old stanby Renzetti. That said I do not personally use a rotary as I am not comfortable with the hand position and I detest the screw and "0" ring technology used to hold a hook---the newer models with the cam clamping are much better IMHO.

I remember a Czech fly tyer, at a Somerset NJ show a couple of years back,who had a device for spinning wire and trapping dubbing---it was quite innovative---only problem it was simple to copy this device. I used a "Turbo Tool" and a home crafted wooden base to hold the wire, a couple of spins on the Turbo tool and I had twisted wire and/or dubbing. It now sits on the workbench gathering dust as just another relatively useless tool---however look for the Turbo Tool at Feathercraft and see what you can develop. BTW this guys idea was picked up (stolen) by some manufacturer and I have seen them at shows, but they cannot be sellers as their prices are extremely cheap.