Kirk Dietrich

Ah, re-reading your original post, I see I misread. Funny about how spoons are so synonomous with redfish when I think the Johnson's Silver minnow was first used for bass and typically with a pork rind trailer. I haven't really used the spoons in freshwater except small mono framed epoxy ones for panfish. Kirk

ditz, I don't like doing the size 4, its been a few years since doing them that small. They're just a pain. Agn, I figured that. One of the guides I tie for just ordered five dozen, I'll be busy for months now!!! On top of other orders and trying to finish this book I've been working on for 18 months. If I have any rejects, I'll put a couple on the side for you. Kirk

I've heard, I think Tidewater had to wear a black hook over his head when Peter took him.

Mudskimmer, you need to get with PeterJay. Piker, that is cool to know. That flutter on the pause is one of the things this spoon does really well that most of the heavier epoxy spoons do not. Thanks, Kirk

Sorry bout that Fisherboy, when I said our, I meant down here in South Louisiana. My wife taught 6th graders that were 17 years old reading on a 1st grade level. Kirk

Thanks Fisherboy, been doing that for years even though Lefty says our redfish are dumb. I'm convinced otherwise and believe they even read better than some of our 8th grade public school students; they have to cause they sure do eat the heck out of this fly (I know corny...). Kirk

Kudu, thanks. Man, I would love to come up/over to Kentucky even just for the drink, maybe one day. Agn, I thought you're already in Florida, guess I missed the suspense date...:-) Kirk

Dave, I wish! Mudskimmer, go to size is the #1 or 1/0. In the winter, when the reds down here are chasing tiny minnows, I've actually had a #4 get strikes when the #1 didn't. I've made them 3/0 long shank for bull reds and pike. Usually I change colors before size. If I'm using bright yellow or gold and they don't take or spook, I'll go to the black or brown, if they don't eat that, then I'll go to the smaller one. That being said, I rarely use a spoon these days unless I have to have some meat for dinner; have caught plenty of redfish for a lifetime, I prefer fishing a topwater fly most of the time until I get a few refusals and then I'll go to a streamer and then bottom bouncer. It's nice to have a fishery where you can actually try different flies and not change until getting several refusals, some redfish fisheries, you may only get a several shots all day - don't know how they decide what fly to use. Kirk

Made these for Kudu, I normally take a few months to complete an order but when he offered me his boat if I could make them for his trip to Florida next week, I figured he was serious and said to keep the boat, I'll still do it. I set a record and started and mailed them out in five days! Look for them on the 26th Kudu. Kirk

Not sure about coldwater trout but in warm and saltwater, I've found that fewer colors is a good way to keep fly population down in my box. Having a few sizes can be beneficial but you don't have to get crazy with it like in coldwater. Kirk

Selling to shops and guides is how I got started. Then after some years, I began getting retail orders from those guides' clients unless the guide was associated with a shop then I would be obligated to have them order the flies from me through the shop. Doing that also helps you develop some good flies; the guides I dealt with were very discriminatory and had me tweak flies and even create new ones to work a specific way. Many guides know what they want a fish to see and where the fly needs to be, you use your tying skills to develop with them the perfect fly for their needs and your sales will go up. Kirk

If you paint the foam, you will want to put a clear protective coating. Even with markers, which will fade after a short period of fishing them. If you don't color, no need to seal although they will eventually absorb some water but as for durability, they ain't coming apart. Kirk

Peter, I would be concerned that the oil on my fingers would mingle with the epoxy that is being squished around the inside of the tubing and effect the adhesion is it mixes in with the epoxy. It might work though, thanks for the idea. Kirk

That is why I can't be a commercial tier! I like dicking around to much! Peter, I just got an order of spoons and decided to try the Nitrite gloves. Lets just say, I'd never make a surgeon, don't know how those guys work with gloves on! They wound up being a pretty sticky mess. I then tried the parchment paper that has worked for me in the past and that worked better but I still just find it more comfortable to make a better spoon with my bare fingers. A couple analogies come to mind but I wouldn't want to make Dave blush. Kirk

I'm leaving the glove thing alone... For the spoon, man Dave, you got a deal; I think those are going for $15 a pop now. They aren't very good in shallow water for the reasons of weight you stated. However on deeper flats, I've heard they work very well. On the mylar trimmed ones you made, if you use some UV resin as a first layer to fill in the gaps, you can then apply a coat of 30 minute cure epoxy and put in a mechanized turner to level out and cure. Those two resins will not yellow although yellowing 5 min epoxy with gold trim and tan wing goes together just fine in my book. Kirk

Peter, I have some of those, maybe I'll try them out. As long as they don't stick to the curing epoxy. Will let you know if I remember.

Crotalus, you took the words right out of my mouth! The number of fish you catch should have nothing to do with whether or not you had a good experience or not or if the guide worked hard to put you on fish. A good example is when I guided (don't guide any longer) a young lady and her father. She had only flyfished once or twice but enjoyed the outdoors. I taught her to cast early in the day before we started looking for any redfish, showed and identified all sorts of fish species in the shallow water and unfamiliar plant life in the marsh as well as birds, she was having a great day. When we saw fish, they either spooked from her dad jumping up in the boat seat to see them or she was unable to make the presentation. She didn't catch a fish but they had a great day and thanked me profusely and tipped me nicely. I was working for a guide service and got paid half of the charter fee so a tip was always well appreciated. If you don't feel the guide is giving a good experience, don't tip but if you have a good time regardless of the number of fish, then tip him/her. Kirk

Ditz/Ray, I know a guy that uses a sandwich baggie over body to prevent the oozing epoxy to get on his fingers as he shapes it. I've tried that but didn't care for it; I did try a little piece of parchment paper folded over the body and that worked better for me. Kirk

The 6'6" 3wt would be more in line with what I'm interested in too. Thanks for the enlightenment on the technology. Kirk

Oh, so you gigged those redfish with a fork! I'll have to put you down for a few spoons.

Ditz, not to answer for Panama but I've gone down to size #6 on spoons and had them work pretty well on panfish. For that small size, I like using a mono frame and UV Resin topcoated with 30 min cure epoxy. Kirk

Steve, my first rod was a fiberglass one but it had a thick butt section and was fairly heavy. From the pictures I've seen of the new model fiberglass rods, they seem to have a smaller butt section than the older ones. Can you shed some light on that? Have improvements been made in fiberglass rod technology? I have a 4wt glass/graphite rod I tied up years ago. I'd be more interested in a 2 or 3 wt for that price. Kirk

Those sure will work guys have been using halographic tape to make spoons for quite some time now and as Peter pointed out they tend to be less durable but as High Plains pointed out, they are relatively quick to tie so that can makeup for the lack of durability. As for the fake nails, leave it to Dave to make a fly that looks like a cross between a tube of lipstick, a bullet and a condom, with two balls! Peter, did I ever send you any spoons? Kirk

That first one looks good for really clear water, I like it! I didn't know you were a New Orleans Saints fan Ben. That Saint's crab fly is really good looking with the rabbit over the top. How long you going for? Kirk

If the fish are there, you should have the right bait, those look great. Ben, you won't have a problem with beadchain with a wing like you have. Jam, sent me some little shrimp with a spun wool body trimmed to shape but he didn't have a wing to help turn it over, which is why I suggested the lead on top of hook. However, even on winged flies like your shrimp, I'll use lead on the top if I want a heavier fly but don't want to use bigger eyes that tend to pick up aquatics we have down here. Reminder Kirk: get those spoons in the mail to Ben.