SearchingSolitude

As a beginner, I can not stress enough how important it is to follow a fly recipe. Two reasons...1 You will build a fly already 'proven' and 2 You will learn fundamental tying techniques (which will serve you well later) about how to apply the materials to the hook. If you do not have or can not afford fly tying books, your local Public Library no doubt will have a cadre of books you can borrow for up to two weeks at a time for free! When I began, I devoured every fly tying book I could find looking at recipes and pictures and trying them out on my bench. Later as your skills and experience develop (two years and beyond) you will have earned the right (in your own mind, not that there's some judging body) to fully design your own flies. In short...Stick with the Basics. -SearchingSolitude

First of all that's silly. Your temperature or that of the weather has nothing to do with you getting sick...especially pneumonia. In Colorado, where I believe we know a thing or two about cold water and flyfishing....almost everyone (except the out of staters) uses breathable waders. They are lighter and simply easier to move in and you won't need a "winter" pair of waders and a "summer" pair of waders....who the heck wants that? They also dry faster. Simply wear long underwear and fleece pants (with or without stirrups), wool or high tech fabric socks and you will be toasty warm throughout your lower body. Now your fingers.....that's another story! -Searching (in the Home of 34 Degree water )

I "found" Togens well over a year ago and I have tied literally 1000's of flies on them. I just made another purchase not quite three days ago. Here is my experience. The hooks do tend to be a bit shinier than other manufacturer's hooks...so what...to me no noticeable difference. The hook count is always accurate in the bag. Nice! They are razor sharp, easy to press down the barbs if you like. I have yet to have one break or straighten, ever. The only criticism I have and I hope they are reading is that you will definitely find an occassional hook with a deformed eye rendering that hook useless. I am talking maybe 1 in a 100. I personally can take this in stride as the price per hundred is around $7 where as Tiemco are around $5.40 per 25? Even White River Hooks from Bass Pro (a discounter I thought) are $3.99 per 25. After shipping I still make out like a bandit! Be sure to try out their Flash "bundles"...waaaaayyy more material per package and again WAY less money. With all the money I spend on fly tying and materials, I look for bargains where I can get them, you should too. -Searching!!

Better than using illegals! :dunno:

Better than using illegals! :dunno:

Jordon, if I could jump in here. First of all, not bad for a first attempt. The other guys already gave you good advice on the wings. But my 2 cents. It looks like you use pheasent tail for you tail. Not really sure it is hard to see. If so, there are better choices. I prefer to use Moose hair for my spinner tails, or light colored elk for pale colored flies. It will hold up better and also float better. For small flies use micro fibbets. All these materials are very reasonable to buy and will last a reallt long time. Also try some poly yarn for your wings. It will tie easier for you and be more uniform. It also floats very well. But keep tying, nice job. Just my 2 cents. MWL DITTO Pheasant tail fibers will absorb water, pulling the rear end under water. A spinner is a bit delicate as it is because there is no hackle keeping it afloat. Use a stiff fiber as mentioned ABOVE to keep the tail on the surface tension. BTW, great job splaying the fibers. --Searching

Dick's was the first Fly-Tying video I ever watched courtesy of my local public library. The Elk Hair Caddis and Wooly Bugger if I remember correctly.. I learned alot from him and his techniques. Another legend passes away. Where are the next generations legends? -Searching

Uhhh.....AK is Alaska....doubt it? Look at his town- Wasilla as in Alaska! Arkansas is AR.

How do you get the worms to hang on when you double haul? Super glue?

I love salmon...never actually tasted trout. Hickory smoked huh? Hmmmm? To your bigger point, how would the river or lake YOU fish fare if everyone took "some fish for eating"? If the answer is, shit there's plenty-- then whatever. BUT if the answer is there'd be none left by 2012 then maybe you think you are in one of those "higher clubs" day5 spoke about. You can take all ya' want but most everyone else better put them back!! Me on the other hand, I'm no better than most anyone else...just smarter. (sarc) --Searching!!

If you can't fish with a fly rod...its time to go home and call it a day. Sometimes the fish win! The stereo type out West and there is much truth to it.... a Bait or gear chucker is much more reckless with the resource. Let's face it when it come to Trout, a treble hook lure does not provide low mortality fishing. Bait is ingested deep and removing and releasing fish is also a iffy propositon. (I can't and won't speak to other species of fish.) And since I mentioned "releasing" let me also say that if your not releasing your catch, don't expect it to be there for the next generation. Now there are exceptions to this for example, invasive or non-native species can and often should be pulled from the river to allow the indiginous species an opportunity to thrive. Yeah, I know, Browns aren't native, Rainbows aren't native (sometimes)...I get it. IMHO, if your backpacking an outback creek or lake, keeping one fish for dinner is no detriment to the resource. Where I object (although who listens) is when I see a gear chucker whipping spoons with treble hooks to trout and upon reeling in, promptly run a stringer thru its gills and stake it out. Listen, go down to the corner to that big supermarket go to the back in the seafood section and catch and keep all you like...these trout are farm raised. Have fun but leave the fish in the river where they belong. In summary, bait and gear fisherman keep too many of their fish and if they are not, the very nature of their methods cause higher mortality to the resource. This is why fly fishing is superior to other methods. I can also make the case that catching a fish on a fly is akin to besting millions of years of evolution of the species...on its own primordial level. No technology or science (Power Bait, Jiggly worms with new built in scent!, shiny machined Chrome spoons, etc) but getting down and thinking and stalking and hunting your quarry. It is said, first you bait fish, then you chuck gear, but when you really evolve, you fly fish. Kinda like hunting.....rifles, muzzle loading, hand guns then when you've got that licked, bow and arrow! -Seaching Solitude!! I should of seen that coming at the last paragraph..... Why do you have to put millions of years and evolve into a topic like fly fishing vs other method of fishing? Why add your theories into these topics? Can't we just talk about the equipment and leave evolution of species out of everything else? Don't mean to start a conflict here, but when I read the word evolution and see everyone trying to say evolution and the world being millions of years old is a truth when in fact it cannot and has not been proven yet bugs me. We already got everyone shoveling it down our throats in our school systems and in our government, but even on fly fishing forums in topics about spin vs fly tackle. :wallbash: I'll get off my soap box now Fair enough! While evolution is only a theory among many... It is not fact and I did not mean to imply it as such. May I say trout are "created" well adapted to their environment? I do find it hard not to believe the earth is millions of years old. Carbon dating is NOT a theory. And any living object is made of carbon which "degrades" over time. Measuring Carbon-14 is not theory. Big J, we agree on whole lot more than we disagree. --Searching

If you can't fish with a fly rod...its time to go home and call it a day. Sometimes the fish win! The stereo type out West and there is much truth to it.... a Bait or gear chucker is much more reckless with the resource. Let's face it when it come to Trout, a treble hook lure does not provide low mortality fishing. Bait is ingested deep and removing and releasing fish is also a iffy propositon. (I can't and won't speak to other species of fish.) And since I mentioned "releasing" let me also say that if your not releasing your catch, don't expect it to be there for the next generation. Now there are exceptions to this for example, invasive or non-native species can and often should be pulled from the river to allow the indiginous species an opportunity to thrive. Yeah, I know, Browns aren't native, Rainbows aren't native (sometimes)...I get it. IMHO, if your backpacking an outback creek or lake, keeping one fish for dinner is no detriment to the resource. Where I object (although who listens) is when I see a gear chucker whipping spoons with treble hooks to trout and upon reeling in, promptly run a stringer thru its gills and stake it out. Listen, go down to the corner to that big supermarket go to the back in the seafood section and catch and keep all you like...these trout are farm raised. Have fun but leave the fish in the river where they belong. In summary, bait and gear fisherman keep too many of their fish and if they are not, the very nature of their methods cause higher mortality to the resource. This is why fly fishing is superior to other methods. I can also make the case that catching a fish on a fly is akin to besting millions of years of evolution of the species...on its own primordial level. No technology or science (Power Bait, Jiggly worms with new built in scent!, shiny machined Chrome spoons, etc) but getting down and thinking and stalking and hunting your quarry. It is said, first you bait fish, then you chuck gear, but when you really evolve, you fly fish. Kinda like hunting.....rifles, muzzle loading, hand guns then when you've got that licked, bow and arrow! -Seaching Solitude!!

Beautiful tie.....seems small or sparse for the gape on THAT hook, though. Respectfully, --Searching!!

What on earth is a "little BC" or a "P-Quad"??? I know I'm just another Yank brutalizing the King's English here but I have no idea what you're talking about. Clarification please. --Searching!!

I am going to a high alpine lake in Southwest Colorado in July. It is at 11,000 ft! What go to patterns would you tie up for this? I want 12 different patterns. I'm thinking attractors BUT there may be some specific species hatching. If you've had experience with High alpine lakes please chime in!!! --Searching!!