darkknight

I thought that I would plug Mr. & Mrs. Beatty's new book Rotary Tying Techniques: Understanding the Potential of Your Rotary Fly-Tying Vise. Mr. Beatty, How does it relate to other rotary vise such as the Nor-vise? Thanks, Terry

I would have to agree with several of the options that have already been stated but I have really enjoyed "The Benchside Introduction To Fly Tying" by Ted Leeson and Jim Schollmeyer the most out of all that I have read. I like the presentation of the split pages that give you a break down of each individual step by referencing each stage of the process. It also provides, most if not all of the popular fly patterns needed to catch fish. All in all it is first pick for a beginner. I hope this helps. Thanks, Terry

It look sort of like a March Brown pattern but I'm no expert like some of the guys around here. I like tying with quills. I believe it gives a more realistic representation of a mayflies body as opposed to dubbing. If you look at the body of the mayfly you will see the segementation has more of a waxy look to it that I believe the quill better represents. Turkey biots also give a better visual representation as well. If you continue tying with quills or Turkey Biots pick up "A.K. Best Fly Box" by A.K. Best. You will really enjoy learning from it. I hope it helps. Thanks, Terry

ubbrd, I just got my Nor-vise about a month ago and couldn't be more happier with it. I also lucked out and got the standard jaws, as well as, the fine point jaws that I think you are getting. I have tried all kinds of vises, some better than others. I use to treat tying as a chore to be done with some of the vises that I have used in the past but with the Nor-vise I find that I enjoy tying a whole lot more than I use to. Plus, Mr. Norlander is very easy to work with when you have questions. I hope you enjoy the Nor-vise as much as I do. Good Luck! Thanks, Terry

Steve, Great looking stuff. I wouldn't mind having one for my Nor-vise. What would it look like if you kept the vise head attached to the post? A wider platform I'm sure would have to be the case. I also have the fine point jaws that I'm always looking for a place to put that as well. How much would you be willing to part with them? Thanks, Terry

I am now a proud owner of the Nor-vise Fly Tying System. I can't imagine a better or more fully rotary vise out there than the Nor-vise. I have been very pleased with it. The Nor-Bobbin is the greatest thing since sliced bread. Thanks, Terry

Hey Dave, Traditional bow prices can be a funny thing to deal with. It's like bamboo fly rods in a lot of ways. It all depends on the builder and the brand. You may be more familiar with Fred Bear which put traditional archery bows in mass production. The Henry Ford of the bow world. BP made fine traditional bows that are well worth shooting but it seems that it's name recognition is not as well know as others. Of course, it may all depend on the condition of the bow: warped limbs, nicks and cracks etc. If one was collecter he may give you $100 or $25 depending on how many were made. It may depend on the weight and length as well. I'm afraid from what I see on ebay at the moment that you would would not get what you probably would to get for it (Click here: Ben Pearson Bronco Recurve I've been looking for a good bow for my nephew in about that weight range. If you ever consider selling it please let me know. See if the limbs are warped? If it has been hanging on the wall like that it should be in pretty good shape. Here are a few links that may help you find out more about it: Ben Pearson Stickbow.com join the Leatherwall forum and learn more. I hope this helps. PM me if you would consider selling it. You got a great place to tie flies. Thanks, Terry

Dave, Pretty radical fly tying setup. Good to see that you shoot a traditional bow as well. What bow is it if you don't mind me asking? Nice tying station. Thanks, Terry

Mr. Compton, Sounds like a great book. I appreciate the review. All ways looking for new books. Thanks, Terry

This is how much I like Ed Engles book. Well worth a read times 10. Tying Small Flies Thanks, Terry

Title: Tying Small Flies Price: $34.95 Format: hardcover Pages: 240 pages ISBN: 0-8117-0082-8 Photos: 300 color photos Publisher: Stackpole Books Now, everyone likes to be on their favorite trout water and see a large size 14 or 12 dry fly being slammed by a gorgeous brown trout. Who wouldn’t? But in most situations that is not the case when fishing more heavily fished rivers such as the San Juan River or the South Platte River. This is where this book shines. Mr. Engle’s approach to tying smaller flies to catch more fish solves this problem. “Tying Small Flies” breaks it down for you in describing the hooks, materials and tools that are used, as well as, describing the different types of flies that can be tied to imitate these smaller insects. This book is filled with step by step instructions in tying some of the most popular small flies, with the highest quality pictures depicting each step of the tying process. It may be difficult for you to imagine fishing or even tying flies is sizes 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30 and yes, even the ultimate in small, size 32. For those that were worried about the infamous size 32, Mr. Engle has set aside a chapter specifically to cover this topic. Mr. Engle’s philosophy is to tie simple flies that are durable and will catch fish. This is made even clearer with his section on tying midges. This book shows how important midge larvae are to any one who fishes the San Juan River. Ed shows some of the more effective patterns of San Juan River guide Gary Willmart. Although, Willmart ideal spooks in his words the “pretty boy” fly tiers, he shows how easy they are to tie using his simple techniques with emphasis on tying thread flies, which work. These and many other classic patterns are covered, as well as, fishing techniques used and the history behind the small flies. All in all, this is a great book for anyone who enjoys tying or learning more about the small flies that these imitations mimic. Overall Rating (1-5 with 1 being "horrible" and 5 being "outstanding"): 4 out of 5 Review brought to you by Terry Will March 20, 2007. Terry is a web developer for Neiman Marcus and NOT affiliated with any fly fishing company. When not spending time with his family you will find him usually hip deep fly fishing for Rainbows and Browns in the Lower Mountain Fork River tail waters just outside of Broken Bow, OK.

Title: Tying Small Flies Price: $34.95 Format: hardcover Pages: 240 pages ISBN: 0-8117-0082-8 Photos: 300 color photos Publisher: Stackpole Books Now, everyone likes to be on their favorite trout water and see a large size 14 or 12 dry fly being slammed by a gorgeous brown trout. Who wouldn’t? But in most situations that is not the case when fishing more heavily fished rivers such as the San Juan River or the South Platte River. This is where this book shines. Mr. Engle’s approach to tying smaller flies to catch more fish solves this problem. “Tying Small Flies” breaks it down for you in describing the hooks, materials and tools that are used, as well as, describing the different types of flies that can be tied to imitate these smaller insects. This book is filled with step by step instructions in tying some of the most popular small flies, with the highest quality pictures depicting each step of the tying process. It may be difficult for you to imagine fishing or even tying flies is sizes 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30 and yes, even the ultimate in small, size 32. For those that were worried about the infamous size 32, Mr. Engle has set aside a chapter specifically to cover this topic. Mr. Engle’s philosophy is to tie simple flies that are durable and will catch fish. This is made even clearer with his section on tying midges. This book shows how important midge larvae are to any one who fishes the San Juan River. Ed shows some of the more effective patterns of San Juan River guide Gary Willmart. Although, Willmart ideal spooks in his words the “pretty boy” fly tiers, he shows how easy they are to tie using his simple techniques with emphasis on tying thread flies, which work. These and many other classic patterns are covered, as well as, fishing techniques used and the history behind the small flies. All in all, this is a great book for anyone who enjoys tying or learning more about the small flies that these imitations mimic. Overall Rating (1-5 with 1 being "horrible" and 5 being "outstanding"): 4 out of 5 Review brought to you by Terry Will March 20, 2007. Terry is a web developer for Neiman Marcus and NOT affiliated with any fly fishing company. When not spending time with his family you will find him usually hip deep fly fishing for Rainbows and Browns in the Lower Mountain Fork River tail waters just outside of Broken Bow, OK.

Got bored the other night so I made this up in about 3 hours watching Big Fish. Made it for a friend going on a fly fishing trip to Colorado and since I'm not going to get the chance this year to go myself I thought that I would send a little piece of me so that I can say I was there in a round about way. Let me know what you think. Thanks, Terry

Product: Orvis Dropper Rig Fly Box Price: $24.50 Retail Outlet: http://www.orvis.com/store/product_choice....;subcat_id=6030 Manufacturers description: Don’t waste time tying dropper rigs on stream. This ingenious box stores multiple pre-tied dropper rigs until you need them. It’s also an easy way to save old leaders for reuse or proper disposal. Five removable inserts, each of which can hold multiple rigs. Foam inserts for the barb, notches on the side secure the tippet. 4" x 7¼" x 1¼". Imported. What is it used for? The Orvis Dropper Rig Fly Box is one way to save time actually fly fishing instead of tying numerous knots while standing hip deep in water. I prepare dropper rigs before stepping into the water. The Orvis Dropper Rig Fly Box allows me to setup pre-tied dropper rigs in the comfort of my home. How durable is it? The Orvis Dropper Rig Fly Box is made of semi-clear plastic similar to that of a Tupperware bowl. Unfortunately, it does not seal as well as a Tupperware bowl. It is not waterproof as I learned first hand but it should be able to withstand most of the punishment that a ordinary fly fisher can dish out. The five foam inserts do the job that was intended and should last an immeasurably amount of time. Size and weight appropriate? The size of the Orvis Dropper Rig Fly Box is 4" x 7¼" x 1¼". I found it to be a bit long when finding a place to put it in my vest or chest/fanny packs. The weight was never an issue but finding a pocket that you can easily locate the box may become frustrating. Take into consideration, that the reason you may purchase this fly box is to create dropper rigs that could be as long as 18+ inches folded up into a box 7¼ inches long. Then the size may be appropriate for your use. How was the ease of use, functions, features? I found the Orvis Dropper Rig Fly Box very easy to use. You can setup your dropper rigs in the comfort of your home the night before you go fishing. I was able to tie two and/or three different flies per dropper rig without any issues. You should be able to put up to two different dropper rigs on each foam insert and possibly more but I found it to be to cluttered with more than two. Once I have a situation on the river that I want to fish a dropper rig it was very simple to open up the box and identify the rig that I wanted, then detach from the foam insert and tie on the dropper rig. I save immeasurable amount of time setting up a three fly dropper rig the night before. For whom would I recommend it? I would recommend the Orvis Dropper Rig Fly Box to anyone who likes to save time while fishing. This fly box enables a fly fisher to prepare their dropper rigs ahead of time to allow for more fishing time. If you are the impatient type when you get out on the water this box may be for you. I would also recommend this box to anyone who enjoys fly fishing multiple flies: nymph and/or dry fly. If you know the area that you are fishing and have proven fly patterns specific to your area then this box may be your best bet. Also, if you have problems with your hands such as arthritis it may help you to tie your dropper rigs before you are on the water in order to enjoy your fishing trip. Why did I choose it? I chose it because I started to find that adding a nymph to my dry fly started to produce more takes. The only thing I did not like about creating dropper rigs was the time involved in tying them up. So, this box is the solution to saving me time and allowing me to enjoy fly fishing even more. Pros? Time Saver Multiple dropper rigs Durable Foam Inserts Cons? Not Waterproof Could have a better plastic material for box Length may cause storage problems Overall Rating (1-5 with 1 being "horrible" and 5 being "outstanding"): 4 out of 5 Review brought to you by Terry Will July 6, 2006. Terry is a web developer for Neiman Marcus and NOT affiliated with any fly fishing company. When not spending time with his family you will find him usually hip deep fly fishing for Rainbows and Browns in the Lower Mountain Fork River tail waters just outside of Broken Bow, OK.

Hey Roger, Thanks for the information on the book Aquatic Entomology. It is on my list of books to purchase, as well as, several others that you have suggested on your web site. Such as, An Angler’s Guide to Aquatic Insects And Their Imitations Hatches II Caddisflies Hatch Guide For Western Streams The Complete Book Of Western Hatches: An Anglers Entomology and Fly Pattern Field Guide I appreciate the information. Thanks, Terry