KevCompton

Hey Chad, Nice Cz. Nymph. The Knapek hook looks great. How have your hook-ups been lately? I know red fits the scheme, but do you ever use different color threads to distinguish different amounts of weight added to the hook? Or tint the heads with permanent markers? Check out this book and these Czech Nymphs. Karel Krivanec proposes an interesting way to classify the ever-growing varieties of Czech Nymphs. http://www.czechnymphs.com/misc/books/book0004.pdf Are you fishing these much in Colorado? Is Cz. nymphing gaining any popularity? Kevin

A new addition to the fly pattern database has been submitted by WindyHillFlys: <a href="http://flytyingforum.com/index.php?act=flyshow&showid=4951">Stoned Gold Nymph</a> <img src="uploads/none.gif">

A new addition to the fly pattern database has been submitted by WindyHillFlys: Stoned Gold Nymph

"I hate to say most likely not" to using sewing thread in fly patterns. Don Holbrook & Ed Koch use C&C sewing thread, along with embroidery floss, regularly in their midge pupae patterns described in Midge Magic. They also provide an appendix with a list of C&C colors and code numbers. This work is based on 25 years of study on the streams of Central Pennsylvania. Many others, including Deward Yocum of New Mexico, use C&C again and again in their midge patterns for the San Juan. http://www.danica.com/flytier/dyocum/dyocum.htm

...and Czech Nymphs: Mustad 39951 Similar to an up-point Partridge Czech Nymph hook and another hook from the Czech Republic:

phg & others, I was mistaken. Most manufacturers do NOT charge the same amount for barbed and barbless hooks; thanks for pointing that out. Simple economics, I suppose.

At the end of May last year, Yellowstone Park went barbless. In Canada, many provinces have significant barbless regulations (can someone better explain where these regulations have gone into effect -- or is it country-wide?). International Championship competitors, including Team USA members, are required to use barbless hooks. European regulations...not sure? For the moment, leaving aside the central issues of ethics & mortality rates, hooking & landing fish without barbs, and earlobes...leaving aside the question of WHY go barbless, in other words...what are the benefits of using manufactured barbless hooks and not a pair of pliers. Most hook manufacturers now charge the same per hook for a standard dry and a standard barbless dry hook; and likewise for other models. Do you crimp the barb at the vise or on the stream (where you may crimp the barb and point right off, wasting the time it took to tie the fly), or just buy barbless hooks? To crimp or not to crimp is not, in this case, whether to go barbless, but rather, to crimp with pliers or not, to buy barbless hooks. I'd look forward to any opinions here and others regarding barbless fishing. Thanks. Kevin

GO-TOs All-purpose/stonefly nymphs: #14-16 Prince Nymph (or Psycho Prince Nymph in various Ice Dub colors). Caddis: LaFontaine's Emergent Sparkle Pupa, Scott Sanchez's Glass House Caddis Pupa; and Hans Weilenmann's dry CDC&Elk (also tied with Mirage Opal Tinsel body). Mayflies: PTN, Barr's Emerger, Comparadun/Sparkle Dun tied on a scud hook. Indicator flies: Stimulator. CDC&Elk Barr's Emerger:

Hi Mark, Both of those Alec Jackson soft-hackle hooks are 2XShort -- the description below each hook is hard to make out.

Has anyone used these hooks by Alec Jackson to dress and fish soft-hackles? The only difference between them seems to be that the JSH has 1XF wire whereas JNC is standard wire. The odd hook sizes are interesting. Is there any benefit to this sizing? Is there any correlation to the traditional spider shank lengths? What about the straight eye?

A couple of steelhead soft-hackles and a bead thorax soft-hackle: THe French Partridge Egg, Siman Brush Soft Hackle, and Fool's Gold:

Soft-Hackle, Welcome to the UK Forum from this side of the Pond. Look for Oliver Edwards' spread on Spiders/Soft-Hackles in the next issue of Fly Tyer. Maybe there is some small benefit to paying attention over there, lol!

Soft-Hackle, Welcome to the UK Forum from this side of the Pond. Look for Oliver Edwards' spread on Spiders/Soft-Hackles in the next issue of Fly Tyer. Maybe there is some small benefit to paying attention over there, lol!

A new addition to the fly pattern database has been submitted by WindyHillFlys: Graceful Gal Spade

A Welsh Mystery that sinks. http://www.partridge-of-redditch.co.uk/Hooks/SLF/slf1.htm

Hot Tuna (from Jorma & J. Cassidy??) and others, Betts & BRF have cornered the market. Here are Craig & Company's explanation: Zelon "In 1985, Blue Ribbon Flies and John Betts purchased the world’s supply of raw Zelon from DuPont. Since that time, it has proven to be one of the most versatile and widespread fly tying materials of all time. We have incorporated Zelon into countless patterns, and after twenty years it remains the main tenant in most of our fly designs today... ...Antron vs. Zelon The age old question. These two terms are mistakenly used by tiers. The fact is, antron and zelon are entirely different materials and should not be confused with each other. Antron is a synthetic fiber that imitates the natural characteristics of silk and is best thought of in this manner. It has a fuzzy feel and it subtly adds sparkle and sheen to your flies because of this silky nature. It's primarily used for wet flies and nymphs, as the individual fibers tend to stick to one another and mat when wet. Antron makes excellent wet fly wings and bodies when you want to add some motion and sheen; in a more limited use it can be used on dry flies in conjunction with other materials that will float the fly. Zelon is a synthetic fiber that is made to hold its shape. The individual fibers do not mat when wet, retaining translucency and luster. The fibers also have a tendency to crinkle, making zelon the best material to use for natural looking shucks and wings. It's a great dry fly material when tied loosely on the hook, and, it's a great wet fly material when a tightly wound, segmented body is desired. Check out the Micro Zelon for small flies. In short, think antron when you tie bodies and wet fly wings. Think zelon when you tie shucks, dry fly wings, wet fly wings, or bodies. A final note: Zelon can only be obtained from Blue Ribbon Flies or Umpqua... *************** Then again (?), BRF is in the business of selling Z-Lon...if it was the same as Antron, they would not have, nor continue to have, the sole market of Z-Lon...nonetheless, I agree, Z-Lon/Antron are not the same synthetic materials.

Hey Verno, Long time since we've crossed paths. How's it going? Poly Yarn and Antron are not the same materials. Are you referring to Antron Yarn? Poly Yarn and Antron are both synthetic materials. Antron is a trilobal filament (as Ephemerella points out). It has a high reflectivity under water. Antron mats in water. Poly Yarn is polypropylene. It is non-absorbent and somewhat buoyant. It is suitable for large dry flies such as adult stoneflies or grasshoppers -- where the volume of Poly contributes to the pattern's flotation; or spinner wings and parachute posts (again, Ephemerella mentions this). For dubbing, the fine filaments of Antron have been blended with natural materials, such as rabbit and mink. Hareline's "Hare-tron" is 20% Antron and 80% rabbit fur. The filaments are also blended to produce an all sythetic dubbing such as "Tri-Lobal Dubbing" or or Fly-Rite's "Crystal Clear Antron Dubbing," which is only available in it's original clear color. Antron Yarn (Sparkle Yarn or Dazzle-Aire) is also chopped and mixed with natural fur to produce the dubbing prescribed by LaFontaine's Emergent Sparkle Pupa -- the dubbing blend that is "touch dubbed" to the thread which becomes the pupa's body. There are countless all-synthetic dubbings which are likely all Antron -- "Caddis Emerger Dubbing," etc. Fly-Rite's Poly Dubbing is entirely polypropylene -- non-absorbent and with a density less than water -- makes it a great dubbing material for dry fly bodies. I've never tried chopping up Poly Yarn and blending it to use as a dubbing material. Maybe it's worthing investigating. Antron and Z-Lon are similar. But Z-Lon is not a polyester. However, Antron mats, whereas Z-Lon does not, in water. Z-Lon is perhaps a better shuck material and is called for in Craig Matthew's Sparkle Dun, a traditional Comparadun with a Z-Lon shuck. It would be interesting if someone could better explain the differences between Antron & Z-Lon. KDC

They don't mention which manufacturer (in Japan?) makes these "high quality" hooks? What happens if your customer asks which hooks you used to fill his/her order?

A new addition to the fly pattern database has been submitted by WindyHillFlys: On the Rocks

Oliver does suggest a stiff 'animal bristle' for the tails of the Baetis in his Flytyers Masterclass but he also recommends European Badger -- not American Badger which is not stiff enough. The photos below show: L -> R 1. American Badger -> Boar 2. Peccary -> European Badger The first and last are the badgers. European badger is available at Chris Helm's Whitetail Fly Tieing Supplies in Toledo, Ohio (419-843-2106). Chris has natural as well as dyed E. badger. KDC 1. 2.

Nice fly, Mark. Especially dig the mohawk guard hairs. (This may be in the recipe, but:) What thread do you use on your S-Hackles? KDC

Chris, Couldn't access photos...says, geez, "FORBIDDEN", whatever that means. Curious, though. KDC

A new addition to the fly pattern database has been submitted by WindyHillFlys: Pheasant Tail Sparrow

A new addition to the fly pattern database has been submitted by WindyHillFlys: Olive Bear PTN

A new addition to the fly pattern database has been submitted by WindyHillFlys: Ollie's Olive Shrimp