Dave G.

I don't have enough time left on earth to use up whole capes anymore so I've been buying 1/2 necks in Metz #2 grade when J Stockard has their Metz sale each year or I see something I like when in Bears Den. I like the Metz half necks, very affordable and one side out near the end usually has large softer feathers suitable for streamer feathers at least in the size streamers I tie. The small barbules are quite stiff. I don't know, they work for me at this age I find myself at. They might work for someone starting out too. My Spencer necks are running out of usable feathers so figured I'd try these, they;re fine for me.

We used to tie them all the time here to fish for schoolie striped bass using craft fur as the material. We also used craft fur to tie sand eel patterns. And I still use it for baby herring patterns and small smelts for use in fresh water. That said there is something special about bucktail patterns too, to include the Clouser. Bucktail flies still work too lol !! But ya, use what you got.

Well hey Steve, successful trip !! And you didn't blow up any lower units on the trip this time, be that boat motor or you lol !! My stepson is headed back from he and his wifes Maine trip towing their pop up camper, either right now as we speak or tomorrow. They had bright sun, low water flow and 90f days !! So it's going around ! Sept will be better, will you go back in the fall ? They intend to.

I'll bet the man got as much thrill if not more than you when you caught those fish ! Don't worry, he's surely had many years of fishing and probably someone like him taught him the initial ropes of it when he was young. Sometimes though we just get a heart for someone wanting to learn. Teach someone to fish and they can feed themselves and go on to teach others for a lifetime. Amen to that. And congrats !

To be honest you in that photo look just like my stepson when he's fishing with me in Maine and got skunked lol !!! You guys could be brothers Steve, honestly, especially with the glasses on. Put your sinking line or sink tip on with a big nymph and go deep, that's what I'd tell him. Ya I know by the time you read this you're probably on your way home anyway. Say hi to the cat for us all.

With that kind of heat coming in those trout may be the last blessing of the season till cool weather comes back. Hopefully water temps hold through part of your trip at least and you can get a few more. No doubt you're geared for warm water fish too. Enjoy !! Where we go in Maine is still on partial lock down for out of staters, you go there you are stuck on the property you stay at lol. And no shopping, carry in carry out policy. Sure glad for you Steve with maybe just a touch of a green glow here !!!

You can tie large streamers on any vise, even the India made ones that cost $40. The only limitation is if the jaws open wide enough for thick wire hooks, even then you don't have to use thick wire hooks. Just sayin.

I have a microphone that has gone into a Mi hub twice so far, two days in a row ! A long ways from my door lol. It was due in yesterday hasn't moved since Wed. and worse than that UPS now says it has no record of that tracking code.

I'd really look at those guides and your line. I've seen both wear and the casting ability of the rod goes out the window. Look for flat spots on the guides where the line passes through them. Most hardened guides won't do this but I have seen it and experienced the result of it.

My experience with cheap lines is they will or can work pretty well in warmish water and decently warm weather. Soon as you hit cold water and a cool day ( typical mountain river fishing in the spring and fall) with maybe overcast sky and a north wind and they turn into a coil spring. That said Cortland 333 is a good choice with less coiling and not too expensive, and I've had 333 outlast 444 in the coating department. But if you just want a line that works, is soft through the guides and a sure bet then ya, 444 is that line after all is said and done. And if you want one of those rocket ship lines just go up 1 weight as long as your rod has anything fast about it and is not a straight mod action.. So mod fast or medium fast or outright fast. Good choice Norm, one of my favorites too.

Nice rod ! I was wondering if you would be making your trip this year Steve, with your goofy governors stance on lock downs. Guess so, enjoy your trip!

Good story tjm, I love it !! Simpler times for sure the 50's and early 60's. By 62 dad was drive a Dodge Custom Royal I remember. He turned in the Nash for the Dodge with big V8 engine and dual exhaust. Nice car but a thirsty bugger.

I started with a Southbend glass rod that I still have ( just the rod) and an auto reel with level line. On a hunch I tried that rod while out spin fishing. I was able to get enough line out to fish a small pool with a tent wing caddis two sizes larger than the hatch and caught two brook trout, missed half a dozen first time out. But that hooked me better than the fish cause non of the spin fishers near me caught anything that day. It sealed the deal on fly fishing right there. After that I mustered up dough for a 6 wt St Croix rod, inexpensive click reek and tapered line and I was off and running. I caught everything with that St Croix for years, then I broke it and got a replacement that to me never fished the same and that started the quest for the ultimate fly rod. I'll be 70 yo in two days, I can say the ultimate flyrod is the one in your hands !!! When I was maybe 6 or 7 1956 or 57 and stores were closed on Sundays back then, my dad cut a sapling switch stick, tied twine to it, bent a hook from a safety pin, we dug worms from the garden. Granny my mom, my dad and me piled into the Nash and took a ride down to the run off from the reservoir that formed really a small pond and I caught my first 3 sunfish that day on bobber and worm. That was the ultimate rod that day. I still remember the first ever bite, it was like electricity shooting up my arm lol !! One of these days I think I'll go repeat that for old time sake. No matter how you do it go fish, maybe take a kid and be blessed lol !!

I made my spinner out of a colored paper clip and just twirl it with my fingers of one hand while gripping with the other. I just make the loop out of the tying thread in place on the hook. Works fine for me. I suppose I could turn a bob for it on my wood lathe but never bothered. If I know I'll be dubbing that way I like to use 6/0 thread vs my usual 8/0 but have done it with either. Truth be known I usually dub the old fashioned way anyway, with the single strand. I do use a loop for tiny minnows tied with fly fur though ( those things fish awesome)..

I just brush paint my poppers with nail polish or airbrush lures with acrylic paint then in either case clear coat with sallys. So no haven't tried this technique.

Lookin good !

In spite of all the bad news in your post those spiders are alluring lol !!! I don't have any Starling feathers but those things look to be fish getters for sure. I do have some really soft grizzly hackle though, maybe that would work.

Suckers are good for cleaning your wader boots while you fish up in Maine lol !! We have huge suckers down here ( I don't live in Maine) in a couple of lakes that spawn more in April than now. Never caught one on a fly that I can recall.

I've gone to using the amber rod tip cement in stick form and been doing that over the last ten years or so.. It's like a plastic resin material, different than the cream or white colored sticks. It seems plenty strong, I've never had a tip loosen up that was glued on with it and if a tip is off center a bit it's just a matter of reheating with a lighter up near the eye and rotating it into position. I used epoxy a few times years ago and for what ever reason gravitated away from it. The hot sticks I use are made for guides and offered by FlexCoat , Fuji and Eagle Claw.. Best I can say is it works for me, not that Epoxy didn't...I guess it's just turned into a personal preference or habit might be a better term lol.

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That fly would probably work well locally for me. Nice to see the use of the x acto, reminds me I used to use single edge razor blades for probably 20 years, not sure why I use scissors now. Thanks for the video !

Photos on a computer screen don't do the copper trim justice. I did up a rod a couple years ago with copper trim and it's nicer in real. I may not do many rods in it but does give that old time look and a quality look too that you just don't see much these days ( kind of why I chose it). It's probably nice against the amber wraps out in daylight. Course my computer is getting old too so I'm not getting the full value of your great work showing through on this one..

Nice, never thought of green on black, I like it !! Hmmm, I've never tried ( fished with) or built on an iM8 blank.

I have a wood lathe. I turn bowls, Christmas ornaments, candle holders and fly rod grips on it. I've had it going on six years now. My Christmas ornaments and my smaller lidded bowls are in demand as Christmas gifts. And I really enjoy turning the fly rod grips to get the exact grip I want vs having to buy what's in stock. But my popper bodies are so simple to make I can't really see setting up the lathe to turn them out honestly, I've gone to using rolled up 2mm. foam and if I want fancy colors I just paint them up with nail polish.

Yep, clean and classic. Do you notice any difference in action between the green and brown blanks ?