deeky

Do you have the neccessary hardware/software at home? Sounds like a good opportunity for them to have a temporary remote office. Saves you time and gas money, so you could keep your price down a little and negotiate it as a benefit for both of you. Less pay for them and you could sleep through your commute, still get up at 8 and be to work on time, and get to work in your skivies. Lunch in the recliner, and use what would have been your evening commute to visit the local fly shop and spend the money you just earned. Deeky

Welcome aboard. I too have to say that's a nice mess of cats you have. Makes me want to break out the fryer. Some corn meal, lemon pepper and garlic salt, and a little cayenne.... Mmmmmmmmmm. Stick around, I'm sure you'll pick it back up pretty quick. Deeky

For something that fine, I would tease out a few fibers of each color from the skein of yarn rather than using the whole bulk, then lay one on top of the other. Tie them in and wrap together up the shank. If you get some antron yarn, you'll see what I mean. Just go with the feel of it as far as how much to use. Deeky

I'm saying I also have fine, long-strand synthetic dubbing and have not had the same super-tight results that this fly shows. This fly shows to be super tight and almost glass smooth, especially for dubbing. By the way, I have olive antron yarn, just haven't ever picked up brown. My first look for an antron supplier (JStockard) had about every color of antron yarn you could want, including olive and brown. They don't come blended, but if you have worked with antron yarn you know it is easy enough to pull a few fibers out and lay it down with another color, providing a blended effect. I don't have a pic of my antron yarn, but you can either find a pic on JS's site or you could Google it. Deeky

I looked at the picture closer on the LLBean site and I'm going to stick with my original thought. If it is dubbing, it is a technique I've never seen before. If you look close, all of the strands are lying very flat and are all oriented in roughly the same direction. That's what makes me think it is antron or possibly poly yarn wrapped tight up the shank. Deeky

Maybe two colors of antron wrapped tightly at the same time? Interesting effect, not sure I've seen a body done quite like that where the abdomen is wrapped so smoothly all the way to the head. Deeky

It looks like we are taking a trip to the Black Hills here in South Dakota this summer. The Hills are typically smaller streams with very clear water (Rapid Creek below Pactola Dam is currently running around 50 cfs, which remains fairly stable throughout the year). There is regular stocking of bows and browns, but there are also 'wild' populations holding their own. Talking to the Hills locals (regular fishermen), the 'standard' flies deffinitely lean to the imitative patterns in the 16/18/20 range in dries and nymphs and smaller in midges. It is mostly mayflies with only a very few caddis through the summer. Presentation is usually up and across due to the clear, skinny water. Being a primarily warmwater fisherman, these small sizes could easily drive me nuts. Now I can also throw some big streamers (like a Dungeon) and hook up. But other than streamers and the small immitations, I would like to hear your discussion on other patterns that may work. At the vice I can throw down nymphs, dries, softhackles, winged wets, anything well enough to fish. I'm looking for conversation on other options that you may use in similar situations. Can other styles of flies work in larger sizes? What are your thoughts on larger and/or flashier search patterns? How far aoutside the box do you like to go from the norm? Here's to good conversation. Ready? GO! Deeky

I think another factor to consider is how proficient you are at tying and what quality and durability you can put out. A fishing fly that could also be framed could certainly command a higher price than most of the flies that I tie for myself to fish with. Based on this question and your others, how long have you been fly fishing and tying? Experience in both will help you know what to tie and what to ask for a price. Deeky

I think I had something like that when I was a kid - pieces that snapped together. Except those went together to form an F-4 Phantom. Can you say "Model making"? But seriously, it's about the same as the prefab nymph bodies/legs systems that came out in the last year. I guess if it trips your trigger..... Deeky

To add to the mix, look in the Christmas storage boxes on clearance right now. There is a Snapware ornament storage container that is something like 8x12. They are actually 4 containers that snap together one on top of the other with a single lid. Too small for full hackle patches, but I have sturng hackle in one, marabou in another, packs of dyed mallard in another, zonkers in one, mag zonkers in another, and so on. Keeps everything separate but together in a single container when they are all hooked together. Deeky

Also read up on what is covered. A copywrite doesn't prohibit any and all use of the photo. It just prohibits people from making a profit from the photo. The amount of time and effort you put in will depend on what you are trying to control. Deeky

Depending on the size you want, do you have a hungarian partridge skin? Looking at this feather, I'm pretty sure my skin has some that look a lot like that (including texture), and there are more than a few. It won't be exactly the same, but another possibility if you can't find alula feathers. Deeky

For some reason it glitched out on the upload. I reposted it under the same name. There is a picture there.

Second try after the first apparently glitched out. Enjoy.

Maybe some lemon-dyed mallard? It will be tough to find any short enough to wrap like a hackle, but build a little bump of thread thread and then tie the mallard flank barbs to length up tight to the bump and then they should flare out for you. Deeky

I just put a tube together of thin-wall pvc and two caps for a 4 piece rod. Cost me right at $5 total. It got 1 1/4 inch tube and it is tight for a 4-piece, but fine for 2-piece rods. It will cost you a little more for a 2-piece since the pipe is sold by the foot and you will need a couple more feet. But at Ace Hardware, I think it was 88 cents per foot. Deeky

Just a reminder - ONE WEEK LEFT!!!! Hope you all have a great new years. Deeky

Just for clarification, this was a commercially purchased patch of hair. I didn't dye it and I'm not looking to re-dye it. I just wasnt to get rid of the 'loose' dye and keep the black on a useable patch of hair.

I like that a lot. I don't know that I've seen a jointed crayfish before, but something I'm sure I'll end up playing with. Deeky

But does the natural oil really play a role? Or is it removed in any processing? This is much like the discussion on CDC and its natural oil. Many attibute its floatability to its natural oils, which are totally removed in teh cleaning/dying process. It is actually the structure of it that keeps it floating. Is it the same for fur? If that is the case, natural or garment-tanned shouldn't make any difference. Deeky

If you haven't, scroll down the first page of the site to the "Steelhead and Salmon" forum. I have never fished for either, but I have to agree with you. I check in there occasionally just to check out the flies because they are some great work. Deeky

fishabouy - thanks for the info. Very interesting. I'll do some more reading on that. Deeky

I don't know what it is, but I am just resistant to fly lips. I don't know if it is the wind resistance or just too close to a plug for me. I'm sure I'll get over it at some point, but right now I just can't do it.

Nightheron - those are some great flies. I have the goods to cut foam disks, so I'll have to give it a shot. Just for clarification, they swim under the surface without any weight on them? Do they float and dive? Seems like a good amount of foam on them. Definitely going to have to play with that. Deeky