flyrod98

My set arrived today. Very nice stuff. I was short on return postage too. :down: Thanks for hosting Bill.

Hi Wulff, Tack sharp focused photos like yours, Graham's and Carlin's last photo of the eagle give me inspiration to give BiF photography a try, even though trying to do it from a wheelchair with limited range of motion from the mid chest down makes it difficult to track the birds. Also I have limited vision in my right eye caused by a venous occlusion so I have been trying to learn to use my left eye to look through the view finder. This has been difficult for me because my right eye is my master eye, plus I cannot close my right eye (wink) and not almost close my left eye as well. I really am thinking about putting an eye patch over my right eye. So this is why I decided to give the Green Dot scope a try. I have it sighted in at 25 yards so the dot and the center AF point coincide in the viewfinder of my Canon 350D. I have done this with my 70-300mm IS lens set at 300mm. I have to try and get the Dot on the bird then count on the cameras auto focusing to achieve focus. It has helped me at least get a bird in the frame. I couldn't do that when trying to look through the view finder. Focus, or maybe camera stability, still leave a lot to be desired, but I'm hoping with practice things will improve and I develop a technique that works for me. The Bushhawk is something to consider along with the Noveflex that Graham mentioned earlier in this thread. I have cut the parts for PVC cheapie but haven't done anything else yet. By experimenting with the PVC gadget I hope it will give me an insight as to what will work the best. Right now I have adjusted the camera strap and I pull it tight against the back of my neck when my arms are fully extended and then find the bird in the scope. One of the dove pics was only the 1100th picture I’ve taken with a DSLR and very few have been of birds, so I’m very low on the learning curve. Any tips and techniques you care to share will be greatly appreciated.

I finally got back to messing around with the camera again. I found a site that makes a bracket for attaching a Red/Green Dot scope to the hot shoe of the camera. I bought one of the brackets. Scope Bracket I put a green dot scope from Cablela's on my camera and here are some of the results I got using it this evening. I still have trouble because I still try to look through it with my right eye, but I'm getting better at it. I may have to get an eyepatch. I finally was able to catch an Eurasian Dove in flight. Mr. Robin All Dress Up and Looking for Girls

Bill: I haven't been able to figure out why my photo thumbnails won't enlarge. I wonder if it's because, in my attempt to keep them from eating up to much storage space and download time (I'm creating the JPEGs at the smallest setting available --160 x 120 pixels), I've made them too small. Have sized this JPEG larger (I think) -- let's see if it works! Bill Your fly really looks good. I especially like to background you choose to photograph it on. I like to post mine at around 600 or 700 pixels wide

Bill, Glad to hear my flies got there. I hope to find another nice set of clousers waiting for me, when my wife and I get back from our 3 week road trip. Your fly looks good, but for some reason it doesn't enlarge when I click on it. :dunno:

The way you describe the doing the legs is the same way I do it. I tie mine on 2x or 3x long shank hooks. It makes it easier to get the proportions of the body, thorax and head looking right without crowding things; however, I don't think it will make one iota of difference to the fish.

Or. . . you could support the sponsor of the this forum and purchase it from them. The have given me fast service on anything I have ordered from them. Gel Spun Thread at J Stockard

Will mail them tomorrow. Here is a pic of what my flies will look like. Johnstown High Class of 57, colors were blue and silver. 50 year reunion will be held in Aug. Man are we ever getting to be old timers. :bugeyes:

Got'em done and the epoxy is drying on the wheel. Need an address. I'll post a pic later.

I'm in. I haven't missed one yet. I'm going have to hustle to get these done as my wife and I are leaving on a road trip in a couple of weeks. My High School colors were maroon and white but I don't have a wine colored deer tail so I will be doing my class colors which were blue and silver. Blue over white will have to do. How does size 4 sound?

Graham, thanks for the link to Novoflex Chest and Shoulder Pod. That may be just what the "Doctor" ordered. I didn't see your link until after I had already purchased the fittings for the PVC version that I found. I already had the tubing so it won't cost much to find out if the concept will work for me. The Novoflex really looks good because it will allow me to use my hands to wheel when I am in a manual chair plus it looks like the length of the arm is adjustable. Thanks for comments and understanding of my avatar. That was a good day. Here is the photo from which it was made. The sky was one those types that is almost imposible to keep from blowing out.

I have a couple of problems that make tracking birds with DSLR difficult. First is doing it in a wheelchair and second I have lost most of the sight in my right (master) eye due to an venous occlusion so I have to use my left eye to look through the view finder. Has anybody tried something like this? Build Your Own Shoulder Brace & Camera Gun Stock I'm also thinking about adapting a Daisy Red Dot scope to the hot shoe some way and sighting it in so the dot and the center focus point coincide at about 25 yards.

Here are some of my latest attempts with the Canon 70-300mm IS. I'm really going to enjoy learning how to use this lens. The Eurasian Collared Doves have taken over my neighborhood and you hardly see any Mourning Doves around. These birds stayed around all winter, whereas the Mourning Doves migrate. I want to try and catch one of the doves all flared out for a landing. So far I haven't had much luck. It's kind of like shooting clay targets with an 8 power scope on your shotgun. I also want to experiment with the AI Servo mode of the Rebel.

I gave up on the 5 minute stuff for same reasons that billb stated. . .not enough working time. The Flex Coat stuff gives you about 15 minutes working time before it starts making spider webs. I really like the way it levels when put on a drying wheel. I can do about 12 flies per batch. Here is the product description from Cabela's: Flex Coat Two-Part Epoxy is professional-strength waterproof epoxy that dries clear. Ideal for gluing reel seats, ferrules, gimbals, handles, grips, roller tip tops, cork rings, butt caps and for general repair. Dries to full strength in only two hours.

Graham, your pics are just gorgeous. As a beginner I have very high standard to strive for after seeing your photos. In one of your earllier posts you mention that you turned the VR off to save on battery power. Is that Nikon's equivalent of Canon's image stabilization?

No, I use Flex Coat 2 part epoxy that I got from Cabela's. Here is their Catalog # ITEM: IG-311397 Flytire, posted this link in the Beginners Forum showing Bob Clouser, the pattern originator, tying his fly. There also is a video at the same site that shows how he applies epoxy to his flies. They are well worth watching. Bob Clouser Tying The Deep Minnow

I had just put a new Canon 70-300mm IS lens on my camera and went outside and spotted an eagle riding thermals over the small town in which I have lived most of my life. This is first time I have ever seen a bald eagle over town. This is one of my first pics with the lens and its hand held. I'm really looking forward to learning more about using this lens. I already found out I had the IS is the wrong mode for trying to pan a moving object.

Could this be the problem? You're not within these focusing ranges? Focusing ranges for the R817: Focus range Macro: Wide 0.12 m - 1 m (4.7 in. - 39.4 in.) Super Macro: 0.03 m - 0.2 m (1.2 in. - 7.9 in.)

In Part I pay attention to how he positions the eyes. He starts the thread at the 1/3 point and makes a bump of thread. He then places the eyes behind the bump and pushes them up to the bump and cross wraps them on. He also measures his proportions by dividing the total hook length in thirds. Edit added: I just finished watching the video Mr. Clouser does on epoxing at the link "flytire" posted. It really shows how his flies are proportioned and how sparse they are. Note what he says about not binding the hair down clear up to the eyes.

I dug through some old boxes of "stuff" and found the minnows I tied in 1985 when Tim England published is article. Some of things I remember from his instructions were: Tying thread was white size A and he steams his flies over a tea kettle before he trims and shaves them with the razor blade. It really makes the hair stand out from the hook. Now days I think gel spun thread is what everyone recommends for spinning deer hair. I still like the size A. If you really pack the deer hair tight you can shave it so it is almost like balsa wood. Here are the pictures. It gave me a chance to play with my new camera and lights. First my version of his "Magic Minnow Rainbow" Second is a minnow in progress. Third is my attempt at a perch.

Nice job on the jointed minnow. Tim England tied a jointed deer hair fly he called the "Magic Minnow". The March 1985 issue of Rod & Reel magazine published an article written by Tim with the tying and coloring intructions. The link to Rocky Mountain Dubbing Co shows a picture of his creation. I tied several of them from his instructions back then and I still have one around someplace. I will take a picture of it if you are interested. I don't have the issues of the magazine with the instructions anymore. :wallbash: :wallbash:

If you are wanting a bulb that is long lived and puts out hardly any heat, you guys may be interested in these bulbs found at this site. daylight balanced compact fluorescent bulbs. I just bought a pair of the table top lights from them. The picture is my first attempt using them with the fly in a light tent.

Got 'em done. Will be mailing 12 out tomorrow.

I bought a "Daylight" from J. Stockard as well. I only have 20/400+ vision in my right eye and this light and magnifier have helped my tying a lot. The output is cool and it is in the daylight color temp range so you see colors accurately.

My set came in today's mail. A very nice bunch of flies.