Flyunder

I like the top bead head one

My eyes are getting old, but I don't see a heck of a lot of difference myself.

Flies heading your way...Out today.

Not to many people know this,but Sally is a tier... I've been using it for years cause a tier that mentored me brought it up. It's never cracked off, protects my delicate quills, and as advertised really hard. No need to worry about how it got big, probably it developed into a cult thing among tiers at some point and everybody just went with it.

After skinning I pin them to a piece of the board that looks like plastic cardboard craft stores have it. Once stretched and pinned ( I use the pins with the little plastic balls on the end) I sprinkle borax on them. Scrape any excess meat and fat off of the skin before and during the drying process.

Dfp, how do you like the body quill material? I've been thinking about getting some but have not yet. I have a dvd that came with a book called Secret flies of he Czech and Slovak fly-tiers, in It they tie a nymph with it and produced a really nice light to dark effect by gradually overlapping it. I really like the concept of it, the possibilities seem endless, would like to have your opinion. thanks, Jack

in an earlier post you had mentioned you were going to send out your address this weekend. If you have I did not receive it. Thanks.

Sounds like someone better step it up! Tell her congrats from us. That's awesome for her sounds like a nice day. I guess when you tell her you want to go fishing all you'll have to worry about is her beating you to the next good run.

Oh, gotcha. If you wouldn't mind post a pic of your handywork when you get some tied, love to see it.

Bfr, If you have sent out your address to everyone in the swap so far, I have not received it.

Bleach then dye. A very good book on this subject is Dyeing and bleaching natural fly-tying materials. By A.K. Best I don't know what or how you are bleaching goose hackles but he strongly recommends not using laundry bleach to remove natural colors from natural materials. It will destroy it, I've never tried it cause I believe him.

1984. Patapsco river in Md. It was some kind of minnow, on a small ( don't remember size but smaller than a 14 for sure) and I have no idea what the fly was.

Ok, that does make sense. I didn't think of it that way. So I'm not the only one that takes a razor to a fly I'm not happy with, good to know. Whenever I'm in a swap I always feel a sense of urgency, I like to have the ties finished well before they're due. ( I get called a lot of things but never late for supper )

Four years? I'm not sure I could go four months... Happy tying.

Sweet, nothing like tying on your own creation.

I must say I'm impressed. I've never been in a swap where this many tiers have been ready to send out flies this early... This is my first swap here, is this the norm for ftf ?

Bfr, that's a good looking number of tiers we've got here! Which translates into a lot of work for you, thanks for your time and efforts to make this happen. Jack

Ditto

I like the idea of a swap like this, very good. I'm in.

Yep

I agree, been using mine for awhile now and can't live without them.

Nice, they could come in handy. I think I remember seeing those at Joannes fabric maybe.

When you're putting the dubbing on the thread start with a fine amount and thicken the taper down the thread. If you get to the eye of the hook and still need more at the thorax dub on just a whisper to hide the thread dub that back to where you need more dubbing dub more onto the thread and proceed to the eye. For the wing case tie it down a few thread wraps further back from the eye and make the head, also don't try to cut the entire case off at once use fine pointed scissors snip small bits off at a time and you'll end up with less sticking out.

I don't either, but one time when I got a hen neck and it was nowhere near dried out I washed, pinned and put borax on it to complete the drying of the skin.

Very nice, there is no better feeling is there? Coincidentally my son was 12 when he caught his first fly rod as well.