ROTW

This is a really touchy subject. I've spent hours on the phone with the USFWS about buying migratory birds from hunters. I run a small business and wanted to purchase some waterfowl skins - absolutely not! They are protected under the migratory bird act. I can't even trade for them. I would have to apply for a permit from the USFWS to do this. I'm also a Hareline dealer and in their catalog you wouldn't believe all the fur and feathers that require a permit. It is up to Hareline to keep the records and for me to track my purchases. In this day and age, it's not easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission, anymore.

AK Skim said above that you can still get seal fur in Canada. This is true - W.W. Doak & Sons carry it but will not sell it out of the country.

Maybe the newer lines are getting more uniform over the ones from the past?

I agree with everyone else but no one commented on your nymph- I'm a nymph fanatic. The body of the nymph should start at the bend of the hook and not right above the point. GREAT JOB!! especially for only tying for a month.

I wear a lumbar pack by Fishpond. I use the magnetic net release from Orvis and just hook it to my pack. It may hang a little low but it's behind my back and out of the way.

The hackle should reach just to the bend of the hook according to the early Catskill style of the fly. I love to fish the soft hackle flies - usually 1 point fly and 2 droppers. Nice job Hammercreek!!!

The spools of mono (Berkley, Stren, Trilene, etc.) do not have a uniform diameter. Standard tippets are made to exact specifications. Since spools of mono vary in diameter (even on the same spool) you will have soft and stiff parts which can affect the way your fly turns over when casting. The uniformity of tippet material gives you more control of your fly even though it costs more.

Being a guide, my flies need to look presentable to clients as well as the fish. For myself, anything on a hook can catch fish. The biggest thing I think beginners have to do is getting used to thread control. With good thread control, your materials will go on much easier and consistent. When I teach, the first lesson is always about thread - wrapping, strength, uniformity. For your first flies, I'd say you've done a great job. I agree with the other about proportion, especially the head. The tool that will help you the most for good consistency, especially the heads, is a GOOD pair of scissors. Every fly you tie you will see improvement. I've always said that the day I stop learning something in this sport is the day that I'm 6' under. Keep up the good work and DON'T get frustrated. If you do, get up and walk away for a while then come back to it!

you would need to remove the course guard hairs from the lab but the under fur would be great dubbing. If the lab sheds the longer guard fur in clumps, you can use that for winging or tailing flies. My Husky sheds both at the same time so I get a nice streamer wing from him! The rabbit fur can be used both ways: with or without the guard hairs. If you do use the guard hair make sure to trim the longer hair (in the same pile) and then mix it all together in a coffee mill. This way it will blend it together nicely and give you a courser dubbing such as you would get from Hareline.

I tend to be more of a traditionalist so I have to say that my favorite is with hair.