bowmike

Focus on the processes to tie the flies instead, of the whole pattern. Learn the process then apply that process to the patterns as needed.

I am getting better. I need to get a hair stacker though. I bit the bullet and went a little cheaper on my first rod build. I went with a 7'-3wt blank from ebay, and picked up the hard ware and thread wrapping jig from mudhole. I bought some Pro Wrap in black white and orange size A to match the brookie fin theme I wanted to go with. The rod is a brighter green than what I was looking for but I decided to go with it anyway as it fits in my wifes fathers day present budget. I will try to keep you guys posted. Not sure what forum to post the rod pic in so I will probably just add them to this thread.

I believe I want to get a 7' 2 or 3 weight. I was set on getting a 6'-6" 2 weight, but think if I get an open spot it will be miserable to cast. My reel that I currently us is a 3/4 so it makes sense to get the 3 wt. I want to do it as a brookie theme. So the wraps are going to be white, black, and orange. The blank is going to be green. Guides and reel seat are going to be black. I may go with fiber glass as well.

That's a doozie! This was my best from this past weekend. Caught 40 that day.

Thanks, I have seen a few brookies in the 8-9" range in the are. They are a little more picky. I used the chartreuse because that is what color hackle I had. I have had quite a few guys reference deer hair over elk. I may have to go that rout as well. I am going to pick up some dry fly hooks. I use Daiichi hooks though, I think I want to go with barbless, as I pinch them anyway, but want to skip out on the wide gap I have been seeing on a lot of dry flies. I don't want to injur these fish.

I don't fish them so I haven't been tying them. My brookie trip the other day made me want to get back into them a little bit. I gave all of my dry fly hackle to my uncle this spring as well as hooks and such. So these "Works of art" LOL consisted of scud hooks, hares ear dubbing, some smaller saddle hackle from my musky fly material, and prong horn antelope fur. LOL talk about quite the creations. I snuck out this morning before work and caught a bunch of native brookies on them so at least I know they work on low pressure, immature native brookies. LOL I may get back into tying and fishing dry flies, but I am pretty much a nymph fisherman. I am going to get into rod building and my first rod is going to be a brookie rod. I just love these little guys. Don't be too hard on me for these masterpieces. LOL I will be using elk from now on. The pronghorn just isn't cutting it.

I like the regal line for ease of use and speed. I had the stainless and tied thousands of flies with it. I jumped up to the revolution this year and absolutely love it. I got into tying big musky flies and baitfish patterns and such. I like the counter weight. I think they are about the best quality of anything I have ever tied on. I use a fly stones base with mine and it truly is my dream vise. I like the lever system for speed. I tie every night just about, and tie a lot of flies. I like to just give it a squeeze and switch. Now the revolution is about the price of a cheap beater car, but it is worth the money, if you tie every day or nearly. IF maybe a few flies a week I would suggest the Regal Stainless.

I cant paste to this forum. like control V doesn't work and right click copy and paste doesn't work?

it took years, but I started when I was 16. I didn't have you tube and forums like are out there today. But I agree with the comment above about repetition. Try no to get tyers ADD and focus on one pattern. Most flies all contain similar aspects. So start with a walts worm- will teach you how to put dubbing on a hook. Move up to a hares ear. THen keep building. In my opinion you are better off learning steps than just patterns.

Thanks. I get a little winded and describe every thing I am doing. How do I get the links to post?

I think the 10 wt should chuck it well. Hoping to get a chance to try it out this week.

A friend of my tagged me in Hook Shots video yesterday of a super speed tying of a duckling. This was my first try at spinning hair so be easy on me. Also I didn't have any lighter colored deer hair so this one is made from Pronghorn Antelope, and colored with sharpies. Hook is a 6/0 Ahrex Predator Stinger hook. Was a lot of fun, and definetly out of my wheel house. But sometimes you just have to try something different. Bonus is I scared the heck out of one of the office ladies with it.

I must add that my tying shed looks a lot better than it does in this video also. LOL I actually have a desk and such.

Figured I would post close ups of those craft fur bait fish. for you guys

I ordered the bright green from Hareline, and I got the white from Sidling Hill. I love his hackle and he is a local guy to me in PA. Best Ive used as far as movement and such, blows harelines away to be honest, but he doenst have the time to dye it. Neither do I. LOL

I did a 2 part tutorial on how to do these craft fur bait fish on my you tube but I can paste a link for some reason. Just look up: "craft fur bait fish fly tying tutorial" click the one with the redneck looking guy wearing a black hoodie and a camo hat. These are reverse tied, and I kind of do them with a hollow tie look about them. I used white craft fur on the body of the crappie, and chartreuse yellow for the perch. on your last application of craft fur put the darker color on top and the hot spot on the bottom: (dark olive on the perch, with firey orange under neath) (black on top with the crappie and red underneath) I call the crappie with red under it "Wounded" You don't have to put that on there. I got my time to tie on these down to around 5 minutes. Key to doing them fast is to prep your mask and eyes before hand, and prep you snips of craft fur. IF you watch my tutorial I show you how I gage where to start, and about 12- 14 craft fur snips is all you need on it. If someone can put my video up on here it would help out a ton. Thanks for the kind words guys.

I am really getting the hang of these musky flies now. Hoping this chartreuse and black lands a friend of mine a big pike or musky.

The blank was an MHX. To be honest I am not a fancy kind of guy. I was just looking for a plane jane, with just blue thread on the eyes and such. He told me he wanted to make it really nice so I said knock yourself out and just do what you want. Just want a blue and black theme. I learned more about rods and rod building through the process than I ever thought I would. I may give it a try.

LOL still working on my first thousand. I had a follow in april. But turkey season came in and I am a bird brain. Hoping to get on them this summer and fall. I pick up the book Hunting Musky on the fly and just fell in love with tying these flies. They are a blast to tie. Casting them is a little tough to get them going but once you have a little distance, that rod just launches them. I am a Czech nymphing roll casting fly guy with a 10' 4 wt so this is all new.

I got my custom 10 wt in the mail yesterday. Had to stay up and tie a matching musky fly. LOL I also whipped up a couple clousers for my beach trip in July. I am amazed the rod builder kept this build at 4.38 oz. I wanted a blue and black theme and boy did he deliver. Now that turkey hunting is over my quest for the fish of 10,000 casts continues.

this is my never fail fly. It replaced the pheasant tail as my go to. Love the dubbing on your fly though. looks great!!

think that they turned out nice. I just took an 8x10 picture of a beautiful brown I caught a few years ago and laid them on them. I think the singles look the best and preserve the most detail.

Here is the fly complete. I called it the Nittany Lion

One I am working on at the moment. Trying to fit these flies in my with my nymph orders stinks. LOL

I am skipping the first day of trout this year in PA to chase musky. I will let you know on the 15th how she pans out.