bowfin47

Does anyone know of a source to purchase bulk quantites of estaz (cactus chenille) ? Over the years, I've purchased dozens of cards and would like to buy it bulk or by the skein. I've seen bulk quanitites in several shops that were wrapping their own 3 yd. cards, so I know that it should be available somewhere...

Ever since Tom Schmuecker of Waspi invented lead eyes, I too have looked for these molds - without success.

Not only does yak hair make geat saltwater streamers, they have great action in the water.

Hello Seriesofseven, This is a great "national" site, but if ya' want to find "locals", check out your local Federation of Fly Fishers (FFF) club. This goes for wherever you are are located. A quick check of the FFF's "club locator" showes that there are at least 21 active FFF clubs in Oregon, http://www.fedflyfishers.org/clubs/2f8x-f6...ate_Province=OR I bet at least one of these clubs is located near you. I know that many of these clubs are full of excellent tyers! Actually, the Oregon Council of the Federation of Fly Fishers will hold its 19th annual NW Fly Tyers Expo March 9th & 10th, 2007. The 2007 Expo is unique as it now offers a two day format with fly tyers, classes and clinics along with local fly shops and manufacturers. There will be tyers demonstrating the smallest of trout flies to the fine art of classic salmon flies at this show - March 09 10:00 a.m. to March 10 5:30 p.m. at Linn County Expo Center, Albany, Oregon Contact: Rich Youngers [email protected] http://www.nwflytyersexpo.com If anyone wants to find tthe FFF Council for the area where you live, go to: http://www.fedflyfishers.org/8b23-f4c8.cgi Tightlines, Bowfin47 Proud FFF member of the Gulf Coast Council

That's a nice version of Charlie Cypert's minnow. Charlie's pattern has been around for quite a few years. A google search will give you a number of varions of this pattern. Bowfin47

Get Billy Munn's DVD.

I've made three orders.. quality merchandise (i.e. hunting and fishing items) at great prices with excellent service. I'll go back and order again.

I've been tying on an Abel Supreme for a couple of years . I like it . It's a good sable platform.

For many years, my FFF club in south Louisiana has had a fairly active group of fly rod builders. We built long rods for trout, warmwater, marsh, coastal, and blue water fishing, but since the TFO's have become available, almost to a man, our members have quit building rods and just buy TFO's. Great rods... great warranties... great prices.

Prior to shipping the box (and yes, I am sorry that I kept it so long), I decimated my stash of wood duck, teal, pintail and gadwal flank feathers by placing 19 bags of woodduck and 15 bags of pintail, gadwall, and greenwing teal flank feathers into the box. I asked that each person only take TWO bags of these feathers - ONE bag of woodduck and ONE bag just of pintail, gadwal OR g.w. teal flank feathers. I was just courious as to how that is going? Bowfin47

Randy Leonpacker's Jitterbee's, http://www.laflyfish.com/flies/jitterbee.php are great, but so are the late Micheal Verduin's Cap Spiders. Instructions for the Cap Spider can be found under "Fly of the Month" at the Piney Woods Fly Fishers website: http://home.sprynet.com/~waltermc/ However, one of the basic articles that every bream fisherman needs to read is Glen "Catch" Cormier's article on fishing the "Vertically Oriented Strike Indicator (VOSI)", http://www.laflyfish.com/flies/vosi.php Years of field tests by the Red Stick Fly Fishers in the bream-filled waters of south Louisian have proven the effectiveness of VOSI's. Utilization of VOSI's will greatly increase your number of bluegill strikes with almost any pattern, and VOSI's are critical if ya' want to consistently catch crappie.

After 20+ year of tying, I have a bunch of different bobbins, but I still tend to first reach for my Matarelli bobbins. Just last week, I had one of my Materilli bobbins start to cut thread (this bobbin is at least 20 years old), so I "honed" the tip of the tube with a small peice of emery cloth and the problem disappeared. This was only the second time that this has happened in all those years. The first time was when I was spinning a lot of deer hair with kevlar thread (something i no longer do.) Actually, this may be the same bobbin... Kyle

I use a lot of thinned E6000, and I hate the smell of tetrachloroethylene, so i use Xylene. Which is probably another product that will cause cancer in California. (Dam. Wouldn't ya' hate to live there? After all, it's so much safer here!) By the way Mark, it was good to see ya' at North Toledo Bend Rendezvous. Kyle

Go to the bulk line/reel loading center of a convention tackle store that specializes in bluewater tackle. Explain that you're a fly tyer (which by their definition makes you a "strange" indiviual), and ask to either: A. Go through their old line recycling barrel, B. Purchase 15-20 ft. of several of their larger line sizes from their bulk spools, or C. Ask if they have any bulk spools that don't have enough line to "load" a reel that they'll give/sell ya' My experience is that vertually every shop will gladly meet at least two of these three request. Even if they charge ya' for the short lengths of new line, or a bulk spool with 20-90 yds., it will only be a few pennys per ft. or a few bucks per spool and you will have enough eye material in several sizes to last you and 20 of your closest tying buddies for the next ten years! Kyle

I have several decent vises, but I tend to pull out the Abel more that any other.

I just made a count... I have 13 tying lights. All I currently use is my Ott... If you can get one for $29, that's CHEAP... mine cost a lot more! Go to an FFF Conclave (Southern Council Conclave was last weekend) and look at the lights that the invited tyers use and you'll see a bunch of Otts. Kyle

"Tying Hairbugs with Billy Munn" I've been attending and tying at FFF conclaves for over 20 years. At every conclave that Billy Munn has also attended, I have always spent time either sitting next to or across from the "best deerhair tyer" in the country. If you don't believe me, just look at interviews by Chris Helm, Tim England or other top hair guys and you'll see that that they all acknowledge their debt to Billy. You see, he's been tying and teaching hairwork for over 50 years! Last week at the Southen Council Conclave in Mt. Home, AR, Billy was there, and he had a DVD for sale. I immediately purchased a copy. It is a very well done, professional qualtiy production of Billy tying four hairbugs. As he goes through these bugs, he explains everything that he is doing. The photography and sound quality are top notch. It was the best $25.00 that I've ever spent in tying. Everyone who has every watched Billy Munn work with hair will be thrilled with this DVD. And those of you who have never had the opportuntiy to watch Mr. Munn, but who wanted to learn to tie hair or "move up" to the next level with your tying are in for a real treat. You will not be disappointed. Other than contacting Billy at his home (262 Cuba Rd, Bridgeport, TX 76426), I don't know where else they are available. I don't know what he charges for shipping. Kyle Moppert

I was hoping that after replacing several pounds of mouton wool scraps with woodduck and other feathers that the shipping cost would be reduced. I shipped the box to Bud via UPS at a cost of about $14.00(shipped on a Friday afternoon / received on Monday morning). Bud - those "large weird hooks" are Norwegian longline hooks. I use them on a few bluewater flies. If you'd like some more, I can drop off some more next time that I head down towards Galliano, or if you are heading over to the "Saltwater Fly Fishers Picnic" , http://www.neworleansflyfishing.blogspot.com on this Sat., October 14, at Woodland Plantation in Myrtle Grove, I'll be tying and could bring ya' some there. Kyle

The UPS man will place the box on Bud's front porch on Monday morning... A series of minor personal problems. However, no real excuses, other than to say: With great apologies… mea culpa.

Well, I made an "executive decision" and culled a bunch of the wool. I did leave the longer wool that can be utilized for "woolheads" but I'm going to toss the mouton and shearling (?) wool. I sorry to have the Box for so long (almost a week) but I had to "locate' some goodies. I wanted to make the Box better - and so, I've added a pile of stuff including a double handfull of wires & treads; a bunch of popers and popper bodies and a box of Herters popper hooks; various feathers and other assorted "stuff" which included small 19 bags of woodduck and 15 bags of pintail, gadwall, and greenwing teal flank feathers. I would ask that each person only take TWO bags of these feathers - ONE bag of woodduck and ONE bag just of pintail, gadwal OR g.w. teal flank feathers. I've got a p.m. to Bud, and I plan on calling him tomorrow. I realized that he only lives about 90 miles away. I hope to be able to personally hand off the Box. Kyle a.k.a Bowfin47

Hello all! I got the Box today, and I've had a chance to go thru it an pick out a few items... First, I tossed the grey goose back feathers that had been "well chewed on" - ( even though I didn't see anything alive in the bag, a large number of small beasties used to live in that bag!) - Please never pass along anything that have ever had bugs!!!!!! I took the primo dried fox squirrel hide - Our fox squirrels down here don't have nice fur... Thanks Swapped out 8 spools of thread (mainly pinks and yellows) for 12 - 14 others that y'all can probably use more... A small piece of antelope and some odd fur patches.. Some schlappen and red strung hackle... The big ugly rubber mask took too much space.. so my 6 yer old has it... A little more of this and that (Just how do ya' make eggs with that plactic funnel shaped tube?) I've replaced these with: 15 small bags of wood duck with at least one flank per bag.... a bag of stripped washed pintail flanks... a number of containers of 1/2 completed poppers - various sizes (I inherited them - good for kids)... several bags of small cork popper bodies... some older lower-end 1/2 necks)... a box of Herters popper hooks... a nice chunk of elk... seed beads... several bags of loose feathers... and other odds and ends... I'll get it out in a day or so, I'm going to try to locate a few more items from storage boxes (but if I add them, they will be "free of small guest!)... and I can't find my beaver coat - this thing multiplies like the"loaves and fishes".. I've been trying to "share it all" for more than 20 years! Basicly, I've tried to improve the Box and to that end I have a question: Since this box is about 40% full of dyed wool scraps... sheared, mouton and so forth, and as I don't know of any patterns to tie with this stuff, should I "cull" these wool pieces from the Box or do we just keep sending this junk around? No, I don't want it, but neither do you... At least I don't know why y'a would. Please give me some responses. Kyle M. a.k.a Bowfin47

COOL!!!!

The sparrows have flown all the way to south Louisiana and will be "tested" in the near future. Thanks all!

HELLO... Hello... hello... Is anybody out there? Have the Sparrows flown?

Be careful, I understand the there are a lot f Japanese fly tyers...