Greybull River Rat

Thanks guys. I think the consistent advice that I have seen is to buy the waders first and then try on boots until I find a combination that minimizes bunching up the neoprene around my toes. Is there any foot comfort to be gained by going with the expensive (e.g. SIMMS) waders?

It is time for me to buy a new set of waders and shoes. Traditionally I have struggled to keep my feet comfortable for long periods of time while standing in the stream and walking between holes. The neoprene boots tend to bind my toes. What is the best combination of breathable waders and shoes to purchase for foot comfort?

Thanks. The link is a big help. It has a couple good ideas for me to try.

I still consider myself a beginner although I have been tying royal wulffs, variaous nymphs, etc....Tying the short white wings on top of a prince nymph with a size 14 hook and bead is giving me fits. I did learn to trim the hackle on top a bit before laying in the wings. But I am really struggling to get the wings to lay down, the right length, and the right angles. Any tricks tying them?

I am attempting my first groundhog (woodchuck) skin and tail with Borax. It still had the winter coat and should be a source for making many dry flies based on a previous string in this forum. After 2 days it appears to be doing great with the borax ($3.50 from Walmart). Is there anything that I need to look for that would suggest I need to apply more borax? Also will the borax stain if it gets on any surfaces? fyi. I washed the fleshed skin in Orvus and dried it for the most part before pinning it a piece of plywood and applying the borax. I figured it would not hurt to get the dirt and bugs out of the hair. Am I being too compulsive by washing the skin before preserving?

I am also a beginner and very compulsive. As a result I did far too much research and finally landed on the $29.95 kit that J Stockard offers. It has a slightly better vice and contains all of the basic tools. It is more cost competitive than kits offered by the competition. The only thing that I wish they would change is the whip finisher. It is the more complicated of the 2 styles of finishers to learn how to use. That said I learned from this forum that a whip finish is about as good as two 1/2 hitches. If you want a fancy wood box for your tools then you won't be happy. I am using the cardboard box the tools were sent in. The plan is to splurge and upgrade to an inexpensive small fishing box. One other good piece of advice that I saw earlier in this string is don't buy a bunch of materials. I researched the recipes for the core flys that I wanted to learn how to tie and bought the materials that I needed. The list included an easy to tie nymph. One other really good tip that I learned from the forum is you should consider buying a $3.50 box of 20 mule team borax and then start begging an pleading from your hunting friends to donat patches of hair and feathers. Good luck.

Wow! That was only a 1/2 way serious question. Given the number of woodchuck that I harvest I think their hair needs to be a primary ingredient. It is near 60 degrees tomorrow....Time to collect! Thanks everyone. I continue to be impressed by the quality of the people and responses to a beginner's questions.

I have been doing a lot of reading as a beginner in fly tying. One thing that I have realized is the fly tying community is very resourceful and, I suspect, never passes up a roadkill for a patch of hair or feathers. I have access to an over abundance of groundhogs and a passion for helping the local farmers kill them. Is the hair good for anything?

OK then.....I really appreciate all the input once again. My conclusion from it is to do what works for me in this case. Based on my first attempt I am thinking about holding the material with my dominant hand and wrapping with my non-dominant hand. There doesn't appear to be any "right" answer other than do what is comfortable. p.s. The first and very ugly fly will go into a time capsule never to be seen again by man or fish for a few years.

Another dumb question....Which hand do I use for winding thread vs. manipulating materials on the fly. I tied my first fly today! I had the bright idea that I would use my dominant hand to manipulate the materials on the hook and wind thread with my weak hand. Both hands were awkward and I broke the thread twice as a result of bumping the point on the hook. I am thinking about reversing hands before I develop muscle memory. p.s. The fly is really ugly and it would take a dumb and desparate fish to think about eating it. I think I will keep it and pull it out 10 years from now for comparison. Hopefully I get better with practice.

Thanks again for the input. I also wear glasses all the time. The last tip regarding clip on magnifiyers from Cabelas looks like the way to go because I can get double duty out of them tying and fishing. It may look a little weird wearing a hat in the house. Oh well. What's one more weird habit to add to a long list if it works.

Thanks everyone. I didn't expect all of the quality feed back. My plan is to tie a few #14 size hooks and buy reading glasses and bright light if I am struggling to see the detail. The last resort will be a magnifier and learning to get use to the problem with depth perception.

I now have my fly tying tools and materials and am about ready to start practicing after doing a lot of reading. There doesn't seem to be much discussion about using a magnifying glass and lamp to help with seeing the delicate work on the smaller flies. Why? Is it a good idea or does it simply get in bthe way?

Thanks for the help! I didn't realize that the topic was "pinned" when I made the original post. Reference adding some lead. How heavy is too heavy? My experience is very limited and the bead head nymphs that I have used have all been commercially made and tied as a trailer behind a Royal Wulff. At some point I think my dry fly would sink......May be a silly question.

Thanks! I am going to give the 7/64 tungsten a "shot".