gotoscuds

Could someone please point me to a good water boatman pattern - (NO backswimmers please - they AIN'T the same thing!). Thanks in advance.

Cabelas has a fairly inexpensive ($19.99) "Streamside" fly tying kit that has pretty much all the tools needed to get started. Comes in a wooden box that can be C clamped to a kitchen table or wherever. Cheap way to find out if you really want to get back into things in a big way and then upgrade to more expensive tools. As for materials, look around, there is lot of stuff you can use without spending a cent! ie. copper wire in broken appliance cords; tails, feathers etc. from roadkills ( carry a pair of pruning shears in your vehicle ), duck feathers from the local park's duck pond; left over tinsel in the Xmas tree ornament box, etc. etc. All you need to do is constantly stay on the lookout for something that might be useful. The other day I bought some eye glass cleaner that was attached to a bonus bottle with some clear tacky silicon that I'm going to try as body material on some scud patterns. If it works, I may just invest in a tube of clear, permanently flexible silicone sealant that you can get at any hardware store for a couple of bucks. Good Luck!

In the September 2005 edition of Salmon Trout Steelheader, Al Beatty describes how to tie a jointed "Newbury's Wiggle Damsel" using a wire connector called a "Flex Clip" as the jointed section in front of the regular hook (ie. this is not a 2 hook rig). I have spent the better part of the last 4 hours unsuccessfully searching the internet for a company that makes these clips. Are these things available or will I have to make my own? HELP!!!

In the September 2005 edition of Salmon Trout Steelheader, Al Beatty describes how to tie a jointed "Newbury's Wiggle Damsel" using a wire connector called a "Flex Clip" as the jointed section in front of the regular hook (ie. this is not a 2 hook rig). I have spent the better part of the last 4 hours unsuccessfully searching the internet for a company that makes these clips. Are these things available or will I have to make my own? HELP!!!