bowmike

Hi Ben, I am new to this whole musky deal and to be honest don't have a rod for them yet. I am having a custom 10 wt made, and just picked up a cheap 10 wt from ebay to get me by until I get my custom one in, and to use as a back up. I imagine that it may cast with an 8 wt but cannont be sure. I have been trying to find this thread for a few days now so thanks for bringing it back up. Here is a fly I am pretty proud of that I did up on Sunday night, or Monday.

I also have a stainless. I am giving it to a college kid just learning to tie. That vise served me well. thousands of flies have come off of it, and to the best of my knowledge thousands from the previous owner. Just a great quality USA made product. Just blessed to have my dream vise now. And of course I get the big game jaws for it, and get an order for size 22 scud. LOL we will see how that gos.

Im getting a 10 wt built just for these things. LOL

I got my dream vise on Friday and have been tying with it a lot since. I have tied everything from size 16 nymphs to size 6/0 musky flies with it. I have the big game jaws on this vice but may pick up a stainless head as well. It just gets a little tight on the smaller flies but I knew that going in. Now on this musky fly it work absolutely wonderful. I left the tension on the rotary at about 0 and the counter weight kept everthing in line. Was a blast to tie this fly on the revolution. I also cut some time down. I can honestly say that I have my dream vise, and am only getting the stainless because I just got a request for some size 22 scud. I may try it but I think there just isn't enough room for that small of flies. I will give this vise a 10 out of 10 and recommend it to anyone. if you don't get into the big guys then the traditional head or stainless head might be a better option. One word to describe tying on my vise. SMOOTH!

yessir, I was thinking that this is a decently easy pattern to tie, and can do a lot of variations. I may try a fly men popper head reversed tied. may help it dive a little. But I am also cheap. LOL

Did these up last night. I have a few things to work on in the future. I think I will add a mono weed guard, need to research how to do one. I also think I may either go 2 hooks, or do the head section with the hook. Not a hard tie, and think it should do well. I will be picking up some smaller shanks to do these in some smaller sizes as well.

Man I hope so. I am a trout guy so this is all new to me.

I have the stainless. They hold smaller hooks, less bulkier head as well. I tie from size 18-6/0 on mine and don't really have any issues. Plus they look Cool! LOL just kidding on the last part. the head itself comes to more of a defined point. I have a travel vise I bought for my son that I have tied nymphs on as well. If you aren't doing anything tiny I don't see a huge advantage. I guess one could argue the rust proof advantage, but I just love the heck out of mine.

SOME FROGS FROM YESTERDAY

Going for some Big bull frogs on this one. The smaller ones are more for bass but I will be throwing the book at musky this year til I catch one. LOL

I messed with some more of that foam I picked up from dollar general. The big bull frogs are articulated. I think these should fish well. I am hoping that the lead eyes will keep it hook point up. I love crafting my own stuff.

getting my warm water on

Got caught up with everything I could so I could get back to my musky fly addiction. LOL this is just the rear two sections of a fly I am working on. I never would have thought I would have a time where I would say "That Im working on" LOL I and learning a lot and improving picking up details as I go. I think I am putting too much deer hair on the fly itself to be honest. I am waiting on some 6/0 partridge hooks to come in, but may try some Gamakatsu SL12S on this in 6/0 instead. I am also not sure how I want to finish the head on these. I am thinking a Beuford style deer hair head will fish well, but we will see once that time comes. I love this thread.

Tied up some crappie imitation for bass, pike, and musky. Also going to give those cohen crayfish a try.

turkey tail, merriams to be exact. the natural brown/black barring on them gives the case the perfect look.

first crack at craft fur bait fish.

I tied up 2 dozen of these guys last night. Fished them on Sunday and slammed some wild browns. If you don't have this pattern in your nymph box you are missing out!!

Forgot to mention that when we went to put the glue on my son dropped the head, I put the glue on and as he is picking it up the dye or something on the deer hair and the krazy glue had a chemical reaction. It started to his, and give of some sort of smoke, it then shot some sort of liquid and it hit me in the eye. I hollered and ran to the bathroom to flush it out. I came back in and Corbin says, " Im calling this one the Fire Punch, since my fly punched you in the eye, DAD!"

Well I have been teaching my boy to tie for a little while now. He is four. Since last year and up until about 2 weeks ago I have always held his hand while he is holding the tools and such. I picked him up a regal Travle vise. I let him choose all of the materials and such that he ties with, and have mostly just helped him with the motions. Roughly 2 weeks ago I started only coaching him on things, and he is holding the tools and such on his own. Now I may have to hold his hand and tool if he needs to go back over or lock something in better but I would say he is now tying 85% on his own. This is a blast and he loves it. It gives us some one on one time that he doesn't get as much now that he has twin 2 year old sisters. LOL I was tying up some nymphs, and he and his mom came home from visiting his grandmother. He told me he wanted to tie so I put vise and such away. He told me "Daddy I want to tie a big fly!" So I got out a size 4 streamer hook and he did kind of a bass sized bugger with some saddle hackle tail. I thought that would be good then he said, "NO DADDY! I want to tie one of the ones that have the really really big hook, and the fishy head." So we went at it. He watches monster fish and told me that he wanted it to be red like an injured fish, like how thy Pyara like to eat. LOL So we went to town, and came up with this one. Now I had to hold his hand when locking in the deer hair and such, but he tied in the feathers, and the chenille and such. This is my favorite thing about tying now. He is going to be one heck of a tyer some day. The last picture is of his bugger, and my musky fly. LOL

Still learning but did these three over the weekend and mixed them in with my other nymph tying. I am getting the processes down for tying them a lot better, but these guys still take me for ever. My material order should be in today or tomorrow for more flash, legs, and other goodies to put in. Next order will be for bigger hooks! I loved how the brown and black fly turned out, but I used way too small of hook. Hoping I can salvage it and just add another section in front when my bigger hooks come in. As you can see the hook gap is just not there. The brown fly is around 9" or so, white is around 10.5-11", and the rainbow trout is around 8" or so. Love tying these and right now still more practice flies than anything thing. The addiction to these things is real!!

Thanks Adam. I may have to get in on the next musky swap. I have a pile of nymphs to tie first, and some bass stuff but once I hammer through those I will be hard core back on to musky flies. I need to get them in the hands of a few guides to really beat them and fish them and let me know they are durable and fish correctly. LOL I just don't have time with twin 2 year old girls, and a 4 year old boy. LOL

I have a regal stainless that I tie on and bought my 4 year old boy the travler. He would tell you that his vice is the best out there and way better than his Daddy's. Maybe once I get some change saved up Ill pick up the Revolution and call it a day. LOL

FINISHED THEM THIS MORNING!

The flies you have helped me get into these. I am half afraid to post them as they are no where near the same level as what has been posted but oh well. I will get there. I am waiting on some material to come in so I can finish their heads. And also I will be getting in some flash and a bunch of other materials. But here is what I did last night. What I like about these things is that there really is no limitation. you want to try some skirts on it, What the heck tie them on. LOL I am having a blast doing these, and can't wait to get my other material in. I need to get caught up on all of the nymphs I need to tie, but these musky flies are just getting to me.

LOL I am totally new to all of this and I feel ya. I typically tie size 16-14 nymphs. I will be picking up a 8 or a 10 wt and will be testing. my uncle has a few 8 weights that he uses for salmon I may bum one and give it a try. I have no clue how they cast and such right now just learning the tying practices to improve on it. My heaviest rod is a 10' 4 wt. How you tie in the deer hair protects the thread, but there are some weak points. I will be adjusting these guys, and playing around as I go. I will say this though, these things have sparked a flame for tying that I haven't had in a while.