JoeBillingsley

Microfibbets, maybe? Joe

Chris, You're just starting? You didn't start with anything easy, did you? You might want to start out with something you can actually see! They look pretty good to me, what I can see of them! Joe

Very nice! Gotta love the spiders. I know you didn't mention it in your description, but did you also palmer something through the abdomen, or did the guard hairs just happen to come out very evenly spaced? Joe

I can attest to the fact that THIS FLY WORKS! Joe

Maybe here? http://www.feather-craft.com/products.asp?...31&search=1

Absolutely it does. Flymphs and soft hackles have always just looked "buggy" to me, and now I'm going to tie some of my favorites - Hare's Ear, PT, Little Olive, etc. - on that style of hook, too. Thanks! Joe

Great looking fly. Why that style of hook? I don't see too many flymphs or soft hackles tied on it. It looks to be the same style as the Tiemco 200R. Joe

mtn, Great looking fly. Have you fished it yet? The foam wing may interfere with the hook set. I know Roy Christie recommends at most just a few wisps of poly yarn or a couple of feather fibers for the wing (or not putting any wing at all) on his USD EasyPeasy flies because of that. Joe

BB, To the best of my knowledge, a soft hackle collar is simply a wrap or wraps of a soft hackle feather around the hook up by the eye at the front of the fly. It can be folded, but not necessarily. Joe

Maybe Conranch Grizzly JV Hen? Joe

As I was tying one of his BWO Quill patterns, I thought of another question. I know he loves hackle tip wings on his dries, but after wrapping the same color hackle as the wings are, many times - even from the side view, much less from below - you can barely see the wings. How important does he believe the wings are on his dry fly patterns? How less effective would they be leaving the wings off completely? Thanks, Joe

I agree with Skunkaroo. The Benecchi 12/0 is terrific. Joe

I talked to him for a while at the Fly Fishing Show in Arlington, TX, back in March and he told me that a couple of companies were in negotiations with him about selling his vise design. Please ask him how those discussions are going. Thanks, Joe

Bino, See if this helps: http://www.charliesflyboxinc.com/flybox/de...cfm?parentID=37 Joe

La Fontaine's Halo Midge Emerger. Trying to figure eight tie that wisp of closed cell foam for the wing pads and then the orange deer hair on top of them sticking over the eye, impossible for me in size 20 and smaller. Drives me to drink. Hmmm.........think I'll try to tie one now!! :cheers: Joe

Smallie, Do you feel the same about the plastic curly tails that you can tie on woolly buggers instead of marabou? I did tie a couple of buggers with those a year or so ago. Wasn't too impressed. Joe

I live in a part of the country - Fort Worth, Texas - where those who use hardware fished on 20 lb. test line and 100 mph bass boats are in the vast majority. There aren't too many of us fly fishermen around here. So when used fly fishing books and magazines show up at a used store they may stay there for quite a while, or at least until I show up. I did go to an estate sale a couple of months ago and the gentleman who had passed away was a long time fisherman. He had stacks and stacks of fishing magazines, many of them were fly fishing. I wish now I had gone through them. Joe

Delarob, I don't know where you are located, but I have been able to find some back issues of fly fishing magazines - Fly Tyer included - at Half Price Books. They are used, but you know how neat we fly fishermen are (???) so they were in great condition. If you have some store like that in your area it may be worth checking out. They were $1.00 each. Joe

Jim, Krystal Flash shows up well as a parachute post or as a small overwing added to the regular dry fly. Poly yarn is good, too. As far as colors, pearl Krystal Flash or white poly yarn will be good as long as you are not fishing the foam lines or going into the sun. Black or darker colors show up well when there is a glare on the water and pink or red is a good choice when fishing foam lines. Attractor flies work well in small creeks. Small Stimulators, Elk Hair Caddis, Lime Trudes, and Royal Wulffs or Trudes in sizes 14-18 would be good choices. Small creek trout, as a rule, are not too picky because there usually isn't a lot of insects in smaller creeks. They are opportunistic and eat whatever they can. Joe

Amazing idea, Al! That's why you make the big bucks! Joe

Haven't I read that microfibbets are just synthetic paint brush bristles anyway? Joe

Most online fly shops should carry them. They have a number of different types and sizes so check out which ones will fit what you're looking for. You'll love them. Joe

Your first picture and description are just like Taylor Streit's (pardon the expression) "Shit Fly". His reasoning is how many times do you tie a regular Gold Ribbed Hare's Ear and it eventually loses its ribbing and wingcase but still catches fish? You're both right, it does work! Joe

Greg, Welcome! I've had a Renzetti for about 20 years and it is terrific (it should be for the price). I purchased a HMH Spartan about 3 months ago because I had trouble having room to work at the tail end of smaller flies on the Renzetti. The HMH has solved that problem completely by the way you can adjust the vise angle and by using the midge jaws. It is not a true rotary like the Renzetti, but if you don't need that function I think it is as good a vise for the money as you can find. I also haven't had a hook slip yet on it. Joe

For me, my favorite - tying, looking at, and fishing - has been the parachute. But the Paraloop style is getting my attention, at least the tying and fishing part, since my 2-week trip to northern New Mexico a couple of weeks ago. It's quite durable, worked very well, and rides in the water just like you want it to do, be it a dry, emerger, or whatever. Joe