vicrider

I am really sorry I missed this swap. I have some great recipes for Shrimp Kabob, Shrimp Gumbo, and Shrimp Skampi.

Just to let ya' know, mine went out today. I know how it can get frustrating. I'm doing a swap on another board of 2 flies each between 6 people. Deadline tomorrow. Have had mine and everyone else's for well over a week early. Waiting on one guy and he was the most excited to do this and couldn't wait to see the exchange. He did respond to mail and said he'd definitely have them here on time so we'll see. Edit to add I did as good a job as I could on a smaller version of Lefty's Deceiver that I think should be really good for the shad lakes we have around here. Looking forward to using it for the wipers in Foss Reservoir, if there's any water left. I also threw in a small bonus that I'll admit was mainly a way to pass out a type of fly I'm working on getting down good. Hopefully it'll be used since a friend who uses a nicer version of that tie does good on running water and on big 'gills with the same general pattern.

Okay, I've been studying the "blob". Seems to have created a huge bit of argument and dissension in England. The problem I'm finding is where to get the genuine blob material. I'd like to do some of the quality flies for the other swappers and make some for myself for this summer. The only place I've been able to find the blob hackle for sale is England. I sent a note to an auction seller to see if he'd combine shipping on several packs but we'll have to wait and see. Does anyone have an American source for the "Blob Fritz"?

If there's a spot open I'd like in. Sure looks a lot easier than the Intruder monstrosities I'm finishing up on. I have completed 1 swap, have another set ready to send out, and am completing the Intruder swap on short notice on time. If there's still room I'll pm you my phone and addy and info. Thanx, Nick

I know mine are kind of an ungainly mess but I'm really trying. Truth is I shouldn't have got in this swap if I'd really understood. I know now I am doing a lot o extra effort doing these because I don't know what I'm doing. I actually took one out and thru it in the water and as horrible a job as it is...it does look good in the water. I think it will do a job on the big largemouths in our small local lakes. It's an attempt at a swinging hook behind a swivel (that doesn't swivel now) with 3 strands of braided superline, maribou, maribou, maribou, lady amherst cheeks, sparkles, herl. It's a LOT of work and doesn't begin to look as nice as the ones pictured. I tried to post a pic but "this community doesn't allow that access" or something like that. No photobucket?

Lesson learned. When I bid on anything on the auction or Craig's list I always check to see if the line is included as shown unless they specify in the ad. Same with many other things. If it shows other parts or items I find out before hand if it's part of package or not.

I'm an old school guy...(meaning old)...and I'll stick with mono for the most part. Remember when you read the hype about any product by the "pros" that I have seen many cases of a big change in what they say when another company offers more money. Good example is one of my favorites Bill Dance and his sudden change of lines he made when Stren didn't offer as much money as another company. Now...I am going to back up a little on one thing. The Flouro I use is the Berkeley 110 yard roll in 4# and 8# test. I use these only for sinking tippets on sinking furled leaders. I may get some 2# to take with me to some of the CO rivers I'll be at this summer, but remember, flouro sinks and it has no paticular use on dry flies or any other surface type lures, whether fly or otherwise.

I prefer the foam slit boxes with the clear tops for the most part. For storage I have several slit foam boxes I got basically for free when ordering supplies from a certain fly supplier. They work fine for storage and I just label what's in them. For small flies I like the magnetic boxes. Once you get much smaller than a size #16 or so it becomes to hard to hold them and get them into the foam slot. I have a lot of flies in the 18-26 area and it's magnetic for them except the nymphs. Most of the nymphs, expecially those with brass bodies, do not have to be handled as if they're fragile. Those can go fine into the foam slots right on down to 22-24. For streamers it depends on size. For the smaller streamers the foam slots work fine but for the larger streamers I like the flat foam or rippled foam. When you have a lot more flies then you'll use in a lifetime and still enjoy tying, you need to have lots of areas to store them toward the day your kids put them on ebay. I also have a beautiful walnut fly box with ripple foam in it. When I tie that rare fly that I sit back, look at, and say "That's too nice a tie to fish", then those go into the walnut box and will end a display on the fireplace mantle someday. Need to get more flies like that to fill it tho.

Sounds great. Your comment about PO and DMV is funny to me because in a small town with very limited use of them I never have to wait in line at either. At Christmas when I lived up north there were three windows and lines at every window before Christmas. Here I walk in before Christmas to send something and have to call the postmistress out from the back where she's probably doing embroidery. And the DMV is pretty much the same except the gal who runs is about 95 years old and the equipment she works on (computer and printers) is not much younger. It's a slow process to get things done but if there's a line of more than one you go home and come back an hour later. I don't miss the city for sure. I always a small town guy and only lived in city to keep a job. Now retired I'm in small town in western OK that has a population lower than the average count of a city high rise.

I can't guarantee the quality of my work other than it's being the best I can do but I'd love to get in and being retired I'll have time to meet the deadline okay. I do work hard to match the patterns I find on the tube as I'm re-learning this wonderful game of fly tying. Nick AKA Vicrider

Very nice tie. That almost looks like lead wire. Is that hackle able to float that weight or does the Tenkara operator keep that dappling on the surface?

Since nobody's picked it yet I'll go with Lefty's Deceiver. It's one I was going to work on anyway with the shad in our local lakes.

I'd like to get in. Have sent my size 20 or smaller flies in already so eyes have recovered enough from that to tie some smallie patterns. Will have to look over what's already picked and decide what I'd like to do for swap. I'm still in learning stage but do the best I can. Thanks, Nick

not if the swapmeister declares 11 tyers + himself 11 flies out 11 flies back Hey, I tried.

If I count right I'm too late. If not I'd like in. TBD for now. And don't you need 12 + the swapmeister to get everyone a dozen back with none of their own?

I don't know. Somehow I got this vision in my head of a big chicken tied down to the tying bench by his claws and everytime you need a feather you reach over and pluck one from him. He'd be squawking and rocking back and forth and trying his best to peck your finger so you'd have to be fast and try to grab the right feather the first time.

I cut pieces of paper about 1/4 x 2", wrote name and fly type on there, then hooked the fly into it.I really enjoyed this. Wish I had better quality to offer but at least I'm not ashamed of my work now. When I started back into retying some of the early offerings were not much to look at, and not even sure a bluegill would have tried one of those. Now, after a couple of months of playing around on the vise the flies are starting to look a little better. Thing is, for this tie the only thread I have is 6/0 and it proved a problem. Will need to get in some finer thread and learn a gentler touch since I still break 6/0 occasionally.

I hate chickens. We had a bunch of those miserable, ornery, pecking, always hungry, noisy, dirty foul mouthed fowl up north. I don't care what hair braiding does to the price of a chicken feather, no way am I raising any of those chicken necked miserable creatures again. Good luck and my hats off to you but from now on chickens are only to provide feathers for purchase or frying. It's Whiting or KFC for me.

Ready for address anytime. Kind of trying to figure out how to put a toe tag on hooks that small.

I've always been an upstream guy on the streams of northern WI and MN I fished so hard years ago. I'd park at one of the acess points that didn't have any other cars and start working up. Usually a few hours or so to next access spot, then walk road back or catch a ride with someone. Like riffivsthsly, those streams were up or down streams, seldom wide enough to do across and down. The bigger ones usually got a lot more pressure but the small ones produced great brookies, with enough nice browns and bows mixed in to provide excitement. Fishing them back down was never as productive as up but brookies don't seem to have the memories of browns and you'd still get quite a few of those.

"Just for fishing, nothing too fancy" Beautiful flies, hey. I like those because they are something you can risk putting on a hook and actually going fishing. I see too many salmon flies that are so beautifully tied and have 27 different exotic feathers on them no one would think of actually fishing them. Especially when they want $25-35 apiece for them. Yours are fishable works of art, not just wall hangers.

Do you do tours for private citizens? Fantastic... And on the left we have...Moving ahead...

Thanx for the links to pics guys. One of the things many/most newbies and bait fisherman (man I hate bait) do on a board new to them is to forget how handy the search feature is. We'll throw out a question or suggestion thinking it's a new idea that may have a dozen threads related to what we just asked. Being new to this board but not new to boards, I always use the example of a new board member on an MC board asking what OIL is best to use in their bikes. AARRGGHHH. When this is asked you can hear the crickets chirping even thru my tinnitus. I'll spend more time with the search feature but really appreciate looking thru the photos of other's benches. Yesterday I went out, took a look at mine, and decided to organize for real this time. I am good with woodwork and will look at several types of bench storage systems for keeping things where I need them instead of digging thru an inch or two of chicken feathers to find that whip finisher or scissors. Thanx to all for such a great site for a re-entry tyer to get info and help.

Yeah, this could be kinda of a turn-off thread for a newcomer. My tying area as I'm getting started again lacks any organization at all. After looking at his setup I now know that the first priority for me is to get my feathers and components into some kind of logical pattern where I can find things. I do think it could make an interesting thread to have all the guys who have nice tying rooms, or corners, or holes in the ground, to take some pics or vids and let others see how you set up. Might get some good ideas out of that and everyone could benefit. Having just returned to tying again after years of other pursuits, my cubbyhole carved out of a corner of a crowded shed leaves me in awe of a setup as nice the guy in vid. And if this thread scares anyone off, stay out of motorcycle or firearm boards.

Just as note to dropping those tiny hooks, or the tied flies, I keep a big, wide, magnet next to the table. I quick sweep with that and I've got hooks, flies, beads, and any tools I've dropped without getting down on your knees and searching. Extended magnets and the pickup arms they sell at Walgreen's and other stores for when I had my knee surgery are some of the handiest things to have around no matter if you're working on flies or tackle. Something always hits the floor eventually.