samuraiti

This is what threw me off...I was tying 6/0 rubber bass jigs for the last 8 years then tried to tie size 20 midges... Love doing them both! Todd

I don't know why the fish wouldn't eat it! They eat my bugs :shocking: so that's gotta tell you something! Todd

Very cool you're putting this together for them! I've been working with the California chapter and already donated a bunch of zebra midges and need to package up some Parachute BWOs along with pheasant tail nympths. If I get some additional time (which might not happen for a while) I'll be sure to see about donating to this one as well! Todd

Cool report! Thanks! I've always wanted to catch a pike...will have to make time someday to get out of California to do so! Todd

Good job and welcome to the addiction! Even myself as a long time tyer (but no expert by any means!) needs to start off with bigger hooks. I've tied mostly bass fishing jigs on 4/0 and 6/0 hooks and when I tried to do trout size flies again...painful! Thankfully it only took a dozen or so but for almost any pattern I've been working on, starting off bigger has helped me work on portions and neater heads. I love that I got back into it this year but now have too many bass fishing related orders (not flies) that need to be fulfilled.... Keep it up and show them off! Todd

I'm not a production fly tyer but do use the vice for other things as well! Another item I think you'll find in the book as well as the mentioned hints is doing the head cement all at one time. Also, if doing hair wing flies (like parachutes or wulffs), do just that part first. It ends up creating a couple additonal wraps when you re-start but I've found my consistency to be much better that way and way more done in a shorter period of time. Todd

Thank you! Great video and something I hope to try sometime in the near future. The last time I tried a hair fly was probably back in the 80s as a kid...not good results!!! LOL Todd

I was living in San Francisco right next to Lake Merced. I had been fishing in my tube there a few times with conventional gear and had been catching a few nice bass every trip. I convinced my buddy to come out with me one evening and about 1/2 hr in we see what I thought was a big blue foam block pretty deep in the tulles. He freaked out but I wasn't buying it. I went in with my tube (gave him my rods) and when I was about 6 feet away started to get a better look. Hmm, those kind of look like shoes, that looks like a shirt and...ahh damn, that's hair!!! The worst part about this was I hadn't gotten to my "spot". I convinced my buddy to wait to call 911 so I could fish in peace :nono: Floater and bloated as could be. My buddy and I both made the evening news and every cop, fire fighter and rescue person came out. We had 7 cop cars, 2 fire chiefs arguing who's jurisdiction it was, 5 other fire engines and 2 "recovery" units out there to go along with 5 news stations and two ambulances. I never fished Lake Merced again Todd

I don't have any experience on the Griffin but love the Peak I got a few years back. Not that I tied much for the past three years but am getting back into it and am doing all my trout flies on it and have had a great time. I love the rotary and would have a hard time going back to non-rotary. I personally think it is a great deal for an American made vice! Todd

Wow, that is a great haul! Todd

Here's the start of the flies I'm tying for Project Healing Waters. I'm going to try to get these out today and more next week. Hope they look OK as this is my first time tying midges!

Since I got into tournament bass fishing the flies I tie have mostly for my Dad and his friend. I am now tying for Project Healing Waters and hope to get to the Casting for Recovery a bit later. One day in about 85 years I'll retire and start using the flies I tie! Todd

So beautiful! Thanks for sharing the pic! Todd

I'm personally not hot on the Dr. Slick scissors. I've tried a couple and wore them out quickly. I prefer the Anvil scissors. They're not cheap but they last and cut oh-so-nicely! I love my Rite Bobbins as well and am looking forward to trying the new one with the tapered tube. I have the Renzetti double sided hair stacker for most of my trout flies and a Dyna King stacker for my hair bugs (which I haven't tied in about a decade...). Don't have experience with others but they both work great! Good luck and hope a few more people chime in as well. Todd

Wow! Those are so very cool!!! Thanks for sharing! Todd