CrookedHook

ok don't fret lets get you going on the right track lets start with the parachute use the neer hair for the post like you did but for your body try using just the dubbing and wrap 4 or 5 times with the hackle before tying off remember pullout the amount of dubbing you think will be enough then divide that in half and you got the right amount

Well I tried that also and no success. I am thinking that the hook may be a bit to heavy or my hackle is not that great. The hackle was given to me from a friend and it is probably 10 years old or more. Alot of stuff I have is fairly old and I think I am gonna have to purchase some new stuff. The hackle feathers are thin and I think perhaps some bugs in the past have gotton to them. It is just one thing after the other. The closest place I have to obtain the materials is Bass Pro and they are limited on the amount of material for fly fishing here in Ok.. To tell you the truth it has become more of a clothing store than anything. I will see how much the hackles are at whiting, I am sure they are outrageous due to the hair fad and all. I have been holding out for as long as I can wishing this fad would pass, but I guess I will bite the bullet like everyone else and order some. If you have any websites I can order some good, not to expensive hackle from, pleases let me know. Well, back to the drawing board and will talk to ya soon. Thanks

yeah they don't have the natural ability to float like deer hair or elk hair as it is solid

Well the test went south on all of them other than the parachute. It set pretty low however. Back to the drawing board. Here is the pic of the parachute.

also check the float ability on your dries by tossing them in a glass of water I have never had good luck with neer hair for comparadun flies also the one with the hackle tip wing the wing is a bit long now for the good news the parachute fly is very good and in my opinion the best of all the flies the proportions are very good the thorax is a bit big but it will fish well it will ride low in the water like it is supose to and will leave a great foot print

Yeah, the one with the long wings looks goofy the more I look at it LOL, but you never know there might be a cross-eyed trout out there that cant tell the difference Ha Ha. I Think it would be just as good to tear the wings off and fish it as is without wings. When you mentioned no luck on the neer hair, are you talking about the floatability of it on the comparadun flies? Thanks

They will probably catch fish but some suggestions to make them better would be to add a couple more hackle wraps on the dries. The fish don't really care but you won't have to put as much flotant on them. Also remember you don't always want the bodies to be that bulky. Don't worry as you tie more they will become very good. It probably took 100 dry flies tied before I started liking how mine looked.

Yeah I was thinking they were a bit thick in the body too. I will keep that in mind. Also this was my first time using the Neer Hair and it seemed pretty easy to manage though. Thanks for the help.

These flies are all super fine dubbin, pheasant, little wild boar, Neer Hair white and light blue, and some badger hackle.

Hooks: White River -011 size 12 Dry straight eye

Thread : Uni-Thread 8/0 Tan

Any Suggestions?

Believe it or not we're getting mayfly hatches mid -day. Fished dries and emergers in the film all day yesterday with great luck... Temps in the 50's during the day.

Yeah I would not doubt it. The weather in that area is crazy. If you do not mind, what zone were you fishing?

Looks Great. Do you use floss for the yellow or is that wire also? Thanks

As for all the pheasant feather uses, I am sure it is never ending. However, I will suggest that you visit you tube and review some of the videos which will give you some ideas on how to use pheasant feathers and different types. I would not, however, consider all that you view on there to be "gospel", but I will mention one name that comes to mind that uses many different types of pheasant feathers and that is Davie McPhail. Super guy, clear videos, and very nice flys. I am sure several more members here will agree with the McPhail videos. Good luck and remember: You will never know it all when it comes to tying flys, everyday is a learning adventure. Keep asking questions.

Here is a sample of what you will be looking for:

Tying a Pheasant tail buzzer by Davie McPhail

I have to admit, I've used my beard for streamers ... and no, I won't send you any!

That is funny, my beard is similar to the one in your photo and I have thought about it to.

Here is the pic. Just click on it and you will be able to view it better.

Saran Wrap is good to use for tails on dragon flies. I cut it into about 1 1/2 inch wide strips and get (color of choice) perm. marker and make crazy patterns throughout the strip and let dry. Note: do not have to cover entire sheet just squiggles. Twist up the saran wrap several times, let loose and it will wind back on its self and twist some more. After several times of doing this, it makes a good tail for the dragons. Sending a pic in a min.

3"-4" long black rabbit strip leech slowly swung through holes and runs.

You got a pic of one of them? Going next week and I would like to tie one and try. Thanks

Scud city, all day. Some midge stuff might come in handy from time to time but for me, I tie these hi-viz orange and pink scuds that make for great searching patterns. I find that fish are pretty pooled up in the winter, and you need to cover mad water to find those fantastic spots, and Scuds with a tungsten head on them, super flashy but small (16-20) are dynamite.

How do you present it?

Just thought it would be a good idea, due to the season and all, to get a general census on what your favorite winter trout fly is. Also maybe some pics and short stories on the success.

Thanks

Going back home for Christmas this year and have decided to do some trout fishing at mountain fork in Oklahoma. Wanted to know if anyone here is familiar with this area? I have fished this place a few times before and did great, but that has been years ago. Just wanted to know the up-to-date status of the area. Thanks

This my Pheasant Grenade made from Pheasant biots, Pheas. feathers and super fine dubbing black and brown.

How old was that doctor when he started guiding 30 years ago? Somehow those experienced guides had to start off their guiding carrier

 

Guiding Doctors? I know what you meant to say . But that really just proves what my point is even more so though. Because what I was saying far as the guides that have been doing it for 30yrs is that back then most guides worked they're way up to being a guide over a period of time by working in the fly shop behind the counter learning things, then moving along a bit more till they had the experience at actually take people out give them a proper guided trip. Today though young guys want to just jump right into being a guide right off the bat.

 

Of the guides I know (even the older ones) not a single one is stuck in his routine or afraid to try anything new, because they make their living off of guiding so they want to provide the best experience to the customer that they can, at least that's how they are here in the USA.

 

I'm not trying to say you don't know what your doing Laxi, I've seen you here for years and you catch some great fish over there. But I do believe that 15 yrs from now you will know even more than you do right now and you'll look back and think "ahhh okay I see what he meant" ...that's just how life goes for all of us as we progress through it and that's my main point.

You know I have read the conversation between you and Laxi and it just dawned on me: Fishing is fishing, its not called catching. I have fished since I can remember. Age I began, I do not know. It was something we did all my life from memory began I guess. I have fished for just about any kind of fish possible and one thing I have learned is. You can throw anything you want at a fish and if it does not want to bite, it wont. It is as though the "rant" has gotten stuck on a tug of war between age and experiance. Fishing has nothing to do with either. I have a 7 year old daughter I take fishing all the time and every dang time we go she catches bigger and more fish than I do. No Joke. If the young guy in question (rant) doesnt like what he sees on the river and complains about the people, more than likely he will not last too long in the business. I do think that fishing is a passion some of us hold; however, many will illude that they have the best knowledge on how to catch fish. Really, its a fish! If mankind has to feel as though he or she has to outsmart a fish to prove something, then my concern is maybe the fish are smarter than we are. Just fish, have fun, enjoy the outdoors, and be happy that we have the ability to go out and enjoy something that is so simple to enjoy.

The big difference between the older gen and the new is that we (myself included) have the internet to aid us along when before, you learned from your parents or peers or possibly books. Say i want to learn how to roll cast, or mend better, or tie a better BWO, i can find fifty videos on youtube or FTF showing me how. We have access to so much information, but that also means that we (young generation) have no excuse for not being grateful. This post is a little too long!

 

Interesting you bring that up... I've listened to some very compelling discussions about how because it's so easy to access "information" now, that on average as a whole, people KNOW MORE but are actually DUMBER than ever before. Our personal knowledge in general is getting to be a mile wide but an inch deep. I've watched fifty youtube videos about how to operate a nuclear reactor and how to fly a helicopter. Theoretically I KNOW how to do both but I'm not smart enough in those particular fields to DO either of them well. If I've actually went and spent the time to DO those things, along with all the associated logic connections, problem solving, focused experience, etc, in a lot of ways I'd be smarter, not just know more. I guess the bottom line is that people want to DO and KNOW things without any real understanding of HOW and WHY those things happen, like the punk-ass young guides complaining about too many people or people not being what they consider good enough.

 

I agree with you. We do have all this information, but that does not meen we can do what we read or see. For many years I have worked as a safety, health and environmentlist and I noticed people would read federal laws and try to decipher them. It was easy to them while in an office; however, once in the field they crumbled. As for fishing, we can read until our eyes turn the color of red floss and never get our line wet. That does not meen we are fishermen; that meens we read about fishermen (those that do it).

 

The good guides don't do it because THEY love to fish (or hunt), they do it because they love for other people to fish. Big big difference. With very rare exceptions, that attitude only comes with a little bit of age.

In my opinion...

 

The hook is wrong. That's a std shank hook, and the monstrous gap on the #8 throws everything off. If you were trying to imitate small baetis but wanted a larger gap than what is offered on a #18 or #20 2xl hook, then I could see stepping up a size and using a shorter shank hook.

 

The bead is huge. On my beadhead nymphs, the bead usually occupies ~15% of the total hook shank. Your bead occupies a full 25% of the shank. I want the bead to add some weight and attraction, not be the outstanding feature of the fly. If you think you need more attraction than what a smaller bead offers alone, then use the smaller bead in conjunction with some flashy ribbing or a mylar wingcase. Or consider a faceted bead.

 

When tying a standard PT nymph, my proportions are approximately: 50% abdomen, 40-45% thorax, 5-10% head. When I add the bead, I try to keep those same overall dimensions, but I exclude the bead from the equation. So I end up with a fly that is very near 50% abdomen and 50% thorax. After installing the bead, I view the remaining shank length as the total available shank and tie my fly accordingly by dividing it in half. I think having a bead that is equal in size to the thorax looks weird.

 

Most nymphs have a gradual taper along the abdomen, building up to the beefier thorax. On most size hooks, it's not difficult to build that taper, and on smaller flies it really isn't as necessary. You just need to think about creating a slight underbody on the bigger nymphs.

 

And, proportionately, the tail is too sparse. Three fibers works on a 16 or 18, but more fibers look better on larger hooks.

 

Now, that's nitpicking, but I think that's what you wanted.

Yes it is, I would rather someone get to the point and let me know what is crackin instead of tippy toe to the point. As for the information you provided, I will take in consideration your points and apply them to the next PT. I thought the hook was a bit much for the fly also. Thanks again

Fantastic looking fly.

I am having a problem with this pheasant beadhead fly. I am using pheasant tail, wire, and peacock herl with a brass bead. The hook is a Mustad-Viking #8. For some reason it seems as though the fly is not at the correct proportions. Any suggestions? Thanks

the yellow ones are the crests from the golden pheasants

Ok I see. I was sure it was the ring neck, but I do think you are correct. I finally got one of them seperated and situated how I want it and it turned out pretty nice. The ring neck has so many different feathers; therefore, I sectioned out what I could and clipped the rest. The sections are in the back room drying, so I may be able to handle them in a few weeks. I have already used the tails to tie the "2012 swap" pheasant bead head flies. First ones I have ever tied and they came out pretty good. Well, talk to ya later. Thanks again

Yeah I just recieved them and they are full skinned pheasants with wings and all; therefore I may dry some parts and pluck other parts. I think I can section each part that has different feathers and pluck the wing sections if feathers are good. They already cut the tails off which is a good deal and they look good. However, there are no yellow hairlike feathers on these birds. Is that in the females or males? Anyway, thanks to you all for your ideas and I will try to combine each idea and I should not go wrong, hopefully. thanks again

So my friend that is a hunting guide is bringing me a couple of ring neck pheasant skins (fresh) that he cleaned. He said he used 20 muleborax once on them already. My question is: What else do I need to do to ensure a proper tanning of the skin in order to use these feathers?

Thanks

I'm In.

This is my first time doing this so I will need a little help in understanding what exactly to do as far as information exchange etc. Thanks

Basically you tie 10 flies each month that fit in the category and send them to me by the end of the month with a return envelope and postage I inturn sort out the flies and send everyone a set of flies that contains on from each other member in the club if you still want in and can commit to the year let me know

Yes, I do sounds fun. Will you send the shipping info via SM?