Saltybum

I personally don't care for using water based paints in my airbrushes. Mostly 1Shot Sign enamels.

When using any of the urethanes I get the slowest reducer I can from a auto paint supply store. I also keep a bottle with nothing but reducer in it and blast it through between colors or before a break if I need to sit it down for a minute.

For a while I've thought it would great to see photos of just saltwater fish caught on fly. If you agree, please start posting your photos. First fish, best fish, old photos, what ever. Show us what you've got.

Include your stories too, if you like. I know there's some whoppers out there.

A couple shots of a nice redfish and the typical flats terrain I hunt.

Sorry vic but I don't see any bass.

So excellent to hear these experiences and sharing it.

Proud of you guys.

Some of the classiest looking thread colors I've seen on a translucent blank yet.

Beautiful job Steve.

Nice snook Flats. First one is always special. Yours is a fatty caloosa.

Young friend of mine I took to the beach for his first snook last fall. Probably the prettiest one I've ever seen too. 29"

Not on fly either. I will be making an effort though to teach him how to fly fish this year.

Here's a rod holder I made for my bike when I hit the beach or closed road areas. Notice the cutout on the back side. Works for both fly rods and spinners. It's attached via zip ties and easily mounted other places.

I hired Ian Rutter a few years back out of Townsend. Great guy and I learned a lot on how to catch those little creek trout.

I also have is book which is loaded with excellent info.

I just hope that when I die my wife doesn't sell my gear for what I told her I paid for it.

I'm sure the albies are fun like our jacks down here. I have caught a few bonita in my day but I'm a filet and release kind of guy. I do hear that striper are excellent.

Thanks for the info.

FlyTyer15 I want to see that other box you have. I love any kind of solid wood stuff.

I've got an older friend living up on Cape Cod inviting me and the wife up. Whens the best time to go for a striper chance?

Caloosa, I made mine from a piece of acrylic sheet scrap about 2.5" wide and slowly bent it with a heat gun for my 90% angle then use the typical fish measuring sticker. You can get these scraps from a sign shop, plastics dist. or people who make boat windshields etc. It's getting ptetty old now but has held up well to the salt where I fish. Very easy to store on the boat or carry to the beach or where ever.

As far as hinging? That's up to you.

Very nice FT15!

Vic what forum is that?

I have a cigar box that I painted a tarpon on and posted it but got no offers just complements.

Also recently acquired more wood cigar boxes and need to paint some fresh water stuff on them.

I don't do custom wood work but will gladly paint on anybody's box. No plastic please.

Very interesting Mike.

In the salt I always carried extra wire, wire brush, corrosion inhibitor and if your motor has fuses, extra of those.

I'm certainly not negative against Sharpies. Being a graphic artist I have more pens and pencils than I could ever use. For doing just a few I think they're great. For someone wanting to knock out large numbers an airbrush might be a better route. BUT you have to clean airbrushes very good after use or you'll regret it later. As Capt. Bob Lemay would say that's one of those "Ask me how I know".

Bimini I got instructions a while back on how to revive tool batteries. I didn't have quite the right setup to give them the proper blast but it did work,

however for only a few seconds on my drill. I gave up and bought new ones.

What I've seen eat up props faster than anything is running in too shallow water and sanding the blades down and or hitting hard rocky bottom.

Those flies look more like trolls than the trolls above. What kind of eyes are those. Bizarre looking indeed.

So 8 weeks isn't enough to tie 13 flies? How about 8 months?

People would still wait to the last minute to start on them.

slikshimmers.com for the really long stuff. 40"

You can get an Iwata Eclipse airbrush for around $85 and a cheap compressor from Harbor Freight for about the same.

The you can do all kinds of projects with it.

Three guys survived a plane crash and ended up stranded on an island for a couple years. One was an older business man, second guy a younger struggling athlete and the third was well a bit slow. One found an old bottle on the beach and took it back to the others to show and when he pulled the cork a Genie came out. Well he granted them each one wish.

The older business man wished to be back home young and strong with his wife young and beautiful again, whoosh, he's gone!

The second guy wished to be back in the game strong and at the top of his game with beautiful girls all around, whoosh he's gone!

The third slow guy asked if he could think about his wish for a bit. Genie says "I'll give you till tomorrow".

Genie comes back the next day and the guy says "You know it sure is lonely here on this island without those two other guys...I really wish they were back here"!

This beauty contest? You wanting photos of our ugly mugs? How about one of my better side?

Well...the water's beautiful anyway.