Chase Creek

Mike - I use the short handle type shown in flytire's post. I find I can handle delicate stemmed feathers (like Partridge) better, and also seems to be easier to control stem twist as I'm wrapping. A lot of this has to do with personal preference. RodL - I have replaced the little rubber sleeve on the jaw with heat shrink tubing from Radio Shack when the original wore out. When I did this, I left about 1/8 inch of tubing sticking out beyond the end of the jaw. This helps prevent the delicate stems from making a sharp bend and breaking. You also might try smoothing the edges of the bare jaw with VERY fine Emery cloth to take any sharp edge off. I've done this with all types of hackle pliers. One thing you want to do is make sure you don't have any small fibers in the jaws from the last feather you used. That will make them slip, too.

I think utyer and SilverCreek covered it pretty well. Most patterns can use substitute materials. As utyer said, there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to tying flies. Don't spend a lot of time trying to duplicate a pattern EXACTLY. Use materials that you have available. As long as the material you use behaves similar to what's called for, it should work fine. As far as feathers / fur - do you have any friends that hunt? That's a great way to get free materials. My brother is an avid hunter, and he saves me all kinds of feathers and furs in return for a few flies. Not a bad deal. Lots of common materials can be used for dubbing - dog fur, wool yarn, etc. Other materials can be used for various things, like candy bar wrappers, or old cassette tapes, can be used for wing cases on nymphs; the clear plastic windows on envelopes can be used as scud backs, and so on. Look around and experiment.

I second ROTW. Regal looks like the last vise I'll be using. Have had lots of different brands / types, but wish I'd tried a Regal a long time ago.

Some good, common sense information. Well written and informative.

Camp Miakonda Boy Scout Camp, Toledo, Ohio. You're looking at what once was the World's longest swimming pool (back in the 30's, I think). It had concrete sides and a sand bottom. They tore it down when it got too expensive to keep up with current filter systems.

flytire - I still have the bruise on my jaw where it hit the floor when I saw the first version of our structural software. I immediately tossed my crumb bag, horsehair brush, erasing shield, and the rest of that stuff into the waste basket. Interesting to see what others do or have done for a living. Some of them are pretty surprising.

Gotta agree with utyer. I've had some expensive models with all the bells and whistles, and some cheap bare bones ones. There usually is a difference in quality. As in a lot of things, you generally get what you pay for. Looking at it in a "practical" way, the only function of a vise is to hold the hook securely while you tie dead animal parts to it. Most vises on the market today do a decent job of that. Wanting and Needing are two very different things. But if you want an expensive vise, get it. (I use a Regal Medallion)

I've been retired for about 1 1/2 years. Had been a structural steel detailer (draftsman) all my life. Actually old enough to have worked on a drawing board with a pencil! (as opposed to a computer for the last 15 years.)

My favorite is most any ant pattern, dry or wet. Wet I like a red-ass epoxy ant. Dry foam ants work well here. Black and cinnamon.

I shoot in Aperture priority or shutter priority, depending on what I'm shooting. You seem to have that pretty well down. For software, I started out using Google's Picasa (FREE), then went to Photoshop Elements 11. Picasa is a great program, and will do most anything you need to do to your images. I still use it quite a bit for .jpg images. I use Elements mainly for processing RAW files and HDR. I would second the motion on the polarizing filter. You'll find using a polarizing filter will also give you somewhat deeper colors for landscapes, and makes them pop a little more. Also, you can deepen the blue in skies, or darken them in black and white, with a polarizing filter. I messed with 35mm film photography years ago. The basics (exposure, composition, etc.) haven't changed, but the equipment sure has! No more waiting for your results. You can experiment to your heart's content and see the results right away. Magic! Using a t2i now, and loving it.

All good points. I wouldn't invest a lot of bucks in post processing software. Try some free software. Google has a free processor called "picasa 3", which you can download free off the web. It will do a great job, and it's FREE. Just fool around with it, and you'll pick it up very quickly. It's very intuitive. I use picasa and Photoshop Elements 11, which is Photoshop without all the graphics design stuff, just all photographic oriented. About $125, I think. I like them both. As far as shots on overcast days, they can come out looking a little flat. In your software, you can play with the lighting and saturation to make them "pop" a little more. Keep playing with the camera settings. Like learning to ride a unicycle, you'll find out what works and what doesn't. But have fun with it.

I know a lot of guys who reel AND cast right handed (mostly spinning gear). I could never see switching hands after casting, so I've always held / cast right handed, reel left handed, both spinning and fly fishing.

A lot of folks have trouble using one of those lamps with the large magnifying glass in the middle - including me. Tried it for a while, but it really messed up my depth perception. I've been using drugstore reading glasses for years now with no problems. You can get them with quite high magnification. The only problem with those is that you have to look over the top, or take them off, to see the stuff farther away from your vise. But really not a problem.

That looks like the Walleye run in the Maumee River, Toledo. Elbow to elbow, and they say every 5th guy is a DNR guy looking for snaggers. Been in Toledo 40 years and never fished the Maumee during the walleye run, and certainly won't. I usually head up to the small feeder streams that flow into the Manistee for opening day of Trout season in Michigan. I'll go for a week or so, and stay in the State Forest. Been doing that for MANY years, and never see anyone on the water. They're all busy bumping into each other on the "big name" rivers. OK by me.

I've had most types of vises - rotary, true rotary, fixed, pedestal, C-clamp. I decided to "simplify", and bought a Regal. Best move I ever made. Won't go back to any other vise, no matter how fancy and how loaded with "features". Built like a tank and very easy to use. I keep hearing folks talk about the jaws spitting a hook across the room. Never had that happen, and it won't, if you position the hook properly in the jaws. And they tell you how to do that. That said, vises are strictly a personnel preference. ALL of the major name brands are well built, and will last a good while. Try as many as you can to find the type / style that works best for you.

After 2 months, I was still trying to figure out which end of the hook to put in the vise. Very well done. The only critique I would offer is the Clousers look a little thick (fat?). With Clousers, usually less material is required. However, those will still definitely catch fish.

I use wax occasionally for dubbing unruly material, but mostly for making dubbing "brushes" with silk or thread, on a dubbing block. Waxing the thread, then applying the material and twisting to form the brush, then storing the brush on a card overnight lets the wax set, and prevents the twist from coming undone when taking the brush off the card.

I second taking a look at DryFly Purist's posts. CDC isn't as popular here in the States as it is in Europe, That's kind of mystifying, it's a wonderful material. I would suggest getting a copy of the book "Tying Flies with CDC", by Leon Links if you can find one. I use it in many standard patterns, like the GRHE nymph, as secondary hackle on soft hackle flies, etc. Very versatile material. By the way, the F Fly is about as simple a pattern as you'll ever see, and it works!

"Pay no attention to the voice behind the door." Just guessing, but I think the door leads to the garage where the fish car is parked.

RE : belly button lint. I use belly button lint. free dubbing, Plus it makes more room for the salt when I eat celery in bed.

You can also buy packs of them in office supply stores like Office Max. Works really well.

Eide - Is that a memorial? Reminds me of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. Beautiful image.

I usually tie Klinks on scud hooks. IMHO most hooks advertised as "Klinkhammer" hooks are lighter wire hooks than the scuds, with a slightly longer bend. I've never had a problem floating the heavier scud hooks. I tie them mostly size 12 - 18. Hogie, that looks great, and I'm sure the fish will think so, too.

Sorry to hear Chris is retiring. But he's earned it. Certainly one of the good guys.

mikechell - .............ahhh..........may not be a good move....................just sayin.