Futzer

Hey SaltyD, C&F makes a midge sized tube bobbin, just in case you needed more tools. I am back from Milwaukee, and will finish tying everything this weekend. Send Addy, Please.

Cheers, Jeff aka Futzer.

Hi Terje and Ridleyffo, Yes that method is commonly called a furled extended body. I do them both ways, one side tied in or twisting, furling and tying in. I do it off the fly when I am adding tails to the body for an extended mayfly.

Hope that helps.

Cheers, Futzer.

I like the rotisserie motor, I got locally at a second hand store for under $10, might have been under $5. I have used it for 20 years. It adapts with a little tape to turn rods while drying the epoxy, and I kept the long rotisserie rod, so I can add 4 or 5 foam wheels and dry a large # of flies at once. Though I usually keep the epoxy mixing to fly turning ratio at less than 40. I have done a hundred or so Copper Johns in one mix. Thinned the epoxy slightly. I also bought two cheap brass bookends and just drilled the turning holes into them. Ugly, but in a good way.

Cheers, Futzer.

One set of 18-32 trico spinners finished for the champion. Half of the olive midge dries with grey CDC wing done. Gang green midges yet to tie. I will miss any tying time this week, but will finish all by labor day. And if I get the chance I will do a set of my RS2 emerger variant for the South Platte.

Cheers, Jeff aka Futzer.

Hi Victor, What everyone has said, especially Bruce. Whitting dry fly hackle is great stuff, but for dry flies not buggers. That said the stems are very fine, which should keep the spinning easily controlled. Are you winding the hackle on like cranking a spinning reel, if so that is creating the twisting. Use a two handed wind, so you keep the hackle perpendicular to the hook shaft.

Maybe that will help. Cheers, Futzer.

Hello Jan, great bug, very well proportioned. If I may add a tip or two. Stoneflies are my favorite bug, when trout are on them, the largest fish are out too. They are terrible swimmers; in fact they can't swim at all. They tumble around like a kitten that fell off the table; legs are spread out and flipping all over the place. Also stones are not heavy in the water; so once they are caught in the current, they fumble a long time and really barely sink back down. Lastly their abdomen is quite flat for crawling under rocks in fast currents. That said. I would tie some with long flexible black rubber legs, even just an X of legs, as long as 1.5 times the fly length and let that flip all around. Next use little weight and no lead in the fly, if you can keep it fumbling in the bottom foot of water, that is a key zone. lastly for the wing case and abd. I would use black or mottle black raffia or Swiss straw, or thin leather and tie it in back facing at the start of the abd. dubbing, then dub in the abd. hair, then fold the wing case over and tie it off in the head. Last give it a good pinch to flatten it. And pick out the hair to the sides. Antennas are optional, for me they are not a big enough trigger of movement and they get wrapped up in your tippet.

My favorite target to fish this is a tandem of lead stone and tiny brassie, or crystal flash midge about 12 inches back. I find a fast ripple of at least 18 inches depth that runs into a pool, I position in the ripple and cast into the faster part of the current. up stream enough so the stone has sunk near the bottom, but not right on the bottom either. Use a short line nymphing technique. As the flies drift into the slower pool keep it low, and lift the bugs up slowly. You will not have as many hits on the swing as a caddis, but you will get hits in the fast water and right as the slower pool starts. The swing does make for a I dare you, one last chance hit.

That is my opinion, but your bug is very well tied.

Cheers, Jeff.

Think I have spoken to Dave...isn't her the gentleman tying the Elk River "40"...actually snips the shank on a 28 and uses a pieces of tippet to tie it on?

Hey BigDaddy Hub, Well you take a 32, clip about 0.6 mm off the front, eye and all, then snell the hook shank with Umpqua fluorocarbon 6X, add a tiny drop of Loon knot sense, cure it, then rub the knot with glow in the dark pen. Use the front end of the knot to make about a 6 inch tippet to a loop or a cinch knot to the hook of a larger dry fly. It is a take off on a string thing and is more effective than most people think. Or you can tie a tiny tippet head like using gut on a straight eyed salmon hook to get the "40". For most of my micro fishing 32 is small enough.

Cheers, Jeff.

For tiny fly rigging, I use a 0 to 3 weight, mostly a 2, 9 foot rod. I gives me a lot of flex finese...

 

 

I have a 3 weight St. Croix that hasn't been out of it's tube more than twice. All this talk of 28's and

32's have me wanting to try 'em that small. I'll have to find someone who carries hooks that

tiny. I thought 20's were small.

 

 

Mike

Hi Mike, Feather-craft.com carries 25 packs of the TMC518, and BobMarriot.com carries 100 packs. The 518 comes in sizes 28, 30, and 32. I will shoot you a couple gang greens when I send my Itsy Bitsy swap flies to Dezod.

Cheers, Jeff.

Ok, My apologies Andrew and CoachBob, my post came off much more cantankerous than I meant it to. We are talking about my home turf, and places I have fished many, many days, hundreds even. We are talking about a couple of the most technical waters there are. Andrew I should have just said I was skeptical of a 20 yr old from Indiana fishing every weekend at 11 mile, vs. calling you a poser. I know a great many of the shop owners, shop rats, and guides in the state and I do get a bit wound up when someone who has not spent a great deal of time on Colorado rivers is an expert. That is my only point.

Cheers, Jeff.

Flies recieved, futzer approved. Very nice work all. Professional quality ties for sure. Cheers, Jeff.

Sorry Coach bob, the Blue quill is far secondary to the Cutthroat anglers. www.fishcolorado.com. I am sure you will agree.

Cheers, Futzer.

Tell Chris, and Andrew, I said so. And if Trapper is there, tell him too. I guarantee a better trip, more accurate info etc. If you want a guided float, ask for Clinton.

And Andrew from Indiana, Anglers covey, really, I think you are a posser.

I won't even bring up Marc Petitjean!. Titan anyone with several hundred Pink Floyd recordings is a tad OCD. Welcome to my world. Cheers, Futzer.

Stop sweating it Vette. Your flies arrived a day before the deadline. Your are now known as Super Vette Man!!

 

And how does jeff put it. slam slam bam slurp or some such thing. But I had the great opportunity to fish his meat whisltles on my kayak fishing trip through the Delaware Water Gap. Depsite high and muddy water I was able to land double digit smallies a walleye and a black bass. the thing is that I didnt use the whisltes until sunday which was about four hours shorter than saturday's float.

 

At the head of this island i found a hump that the smallies were just waiting below for the bait to arrive. I landed 6 in just a half hour here including my first ever two banger smallie hookup. I was a bit over-rodded as I was throwing an 8wt as it is much easier from a sitting position in the kayak, but still had that little sense of fear in my heart when I hooked up with the double with the bend in my rod and original hit (only felt like one). I didnt know which way to move the rod and it seemed to be pulling from every direction. I was really in some trouble when they started shooting downstream towards some log jams. put on the brakes and started reeling in the backing. By keeping the rod horizontal to the water and keep changing from side to side wore them down enough to get them to the yak. I thought they were bigger from the fight but shows you how much power smallies at 12 and 13" can be.

 

Sorry no pics but really not my bag to carry a camera

Very Nice!!!! Cheers, Jeff.

In Asia and parts of Europe carp are a delicacy, That said, clean water, a must. Most of our carp habitat is fairly muddy. I would entertain deep frying, at least the couple times I have eaten carp, I enjoyed it that way, with a spicy sauce, as it is mild flavored. Filet out the side, and make slashes laterally for even cooking and use a beer batter or a light tempura batter. Younger fish are better. First couple tries, have a back up plan like pizza. And follow Titanflies advice, I will have to try it too.

Cheers, Futzer.

Nice work Chance, I would cup the head a bit to move big water. Nearly all my pike and tigers have come on crawdad patterns, like the meatwhistle.

Cheers, Jeff.

fished 28's on the Elk river in WVa. Had a lot of hhok ups, but landed few fish....couldn't out of smallmouth mode and kept trying to set the hook insted of just lifting and letting the fish do the work....love taking fish on 20's on the tailwaters here...certainly is a different style of fishing than dragging a sz 6 bugger to a smallie or a size 1/0 to a bucketmouth!

Hey BigDaddyHub, Welcome to the dark side. Just a couple suggestions. For tiny fly rigging, I use a 0 to 3 weight, mostly a 2, 9 foot rod. I gives me a lot of flex finese. Also, I have added shock gum to the leader between my butt section and leader. Its stretchy quality helps while you get used to the lighter touch. That said, I lose some fish too with smaller flies, with good knots you rarely leave the fly in a fish.

http://www.rioproducts.com/product.php?recKey=62 I add it with loop connections and triple surgeons knots.

Cheers, Futzer.

The Blue and the Platte, think tiny! Cheers, Futzer. Fish them both early, early early for best results.

PM arrived, and all I can say is acquire some tiny thread, say 14/0 and practice, practice, practice. Cheers, Jeff.

Try some 8/0, I think you will like it, the 6/0 danville is fine and I am sure after you have tied a few more you will be satisfied.

Cheers, Jeff.

The weave is very good Carl. What size and type of tying thread are you using. It looks like UTC 140 denier from the photo, try a smaller diameter like UTC 70 denier or Uni 8/0. That will gain you more wraps for the same space, and help cover the head whiskers up.

Cheers, Futzer.

What Joe said, and/or tie Matuka's with a rib of wire or nylon to hold the wing to the hook.

Cheers, Futzer.

Were can you/i go to reserve a regular copy?

Will this have the same stuff as the original? I have been wanting a copy for a couple of years but refuse to spend $200 on a used book.

Hi Dr. Vette, I reserved one with Steve at Flytyingspecialties.com and they always have Japanese nymph legs, I deal with them often.

[email protected] and tell him that Jeff Anthony recommended your reservation. Not that it means that much, but he did email his patrons with the reservation offer, just last week. That is if you want to go this route.

And very good tandem swap flies. The beetle is well tied. One trick I add is the back two legs I do in rubber, so they move. Thanks & Cheers Jeff.

I reserved one of the leather special editions, and now just need to sell a kidney on Ebay to afford it.

Cheers, Futzer.

Rite bobbin is a good choice, I like the tension adjustment. I really like what Alan did with Money, that mix is wild.

Cheers, Jeff.

If someone tells me they are a "Purist", my first guard goes up with a "Know It ALL" alarm. However, as Terje has posted so many great patterns and photos, then the Dry Fly Purist moniker, has earned my acceptance and respect. I do feel strongly that Tying has a rich and interesting history, and as a tyer if you do not attempt to recreate older styles, methods and materials, well you have lost an opportunity in my book. On the other hand, if you are stuck in your ways and never attempt to try any new things, you’re losing out as well. I believe our craft has unlimited capabilities on creativity. Making yourself happy and satisfied with your own work is very important too.

Cheers, Jeff aka Futzer.