ben bell

Mike to add to Bimini..after you make the two loose turns on the clump, tighten down to flair then make a third wrap to lock everything down, advance the thread and make a couple wraps on shank then do some half hitches

Mike, google the video shaving brush fly by lee peddle..you don,t have to stack to make a really nice bug you can just spin and pack.

Bimini, i think it,s worse because nylon really absorbs water and relaxes(elongates), things get really loose..you can spin the whole body around the hook..i think most threads relax when wetted except wire.lol..i just had an idea..maybe soak the bobbin with the thread in a warm pan of water for a couple hours then ty the hairbug..the thread should be fully relaxed and make for a tighter fly..

I tried the glues and UV but it looks like i,m throwing stones at the water..i tried preping and gluing different threads to the shank even fly line backing but i just don,t want to put the time in to prep the hook because it takes too much time to ty the fly anyway..after the first bass the perfect bug looks like something i tied..lol. google Steve Potter Diver and watch his video and count how many half-hitches he uses then double that number..lol.

Yup..and it,s always in the last place you look..

google one step looper..they sell for about $30

i keep everything tight, use lots of half hitches, and after a good day of use just cut the hair off and ty another fly..you can spend too much time on this..just ty a new one..my hair bugs are plain James not pretty at all, so it doesn,t pain me to cut the old har off and redo it..if i can catch a few bass on one bug that,s good enough. oh, and i don,t ty for show or dough..lol. also don,t trash your old fireline..it,s great for tying hair bugs.

Steve, do you make your own labels..they look pretty good..Thanks

I like that..it would make a nice rod for Big Bass Bugs..a 10 wt. would do it.

j8000, around this area(del,nj,md) that little blade makes pickeral wet their pants..lol.

Mike is right(again?)..i can,t leave my door open for one minute and they are in and out with a skin gone..if you have dogs check their favorite hiding spots..

He once said that there is more bs in fly tying/fishing than in a kansas stockyard..he should have included rod building too..lol. i do both and can,t argue with him..he wasn,t afraid to speak his mind..

hi Steve..nice rods..i like the minama butt guides..what size are these..Thanks..

you build 9 rods in a week and it takes me almost 9 weeks to build one rod but i have understanding customers, just me..lol.

Rick, that,s a nice bunch of fish!

ok Steve..i stand corrected..it just seemed like you had a sudden call for nymphing rods and with the new mono rigging i tried to put 2 and 2 together but came up with 5..lol..no big deal..Thanks.

Does this make sense to any one but me...pole fishing = tenkara = mono rigging = nymphing = pole fishing..lol..it,s taken centuries but fishing has gone around a full circle..only the names have been changed to protect the profits..lol.

Hi Steve..lately you have built several nymphing rods and that led to me wondering what advantage these nymphing rods have over a 12' tankara rod which would be much lighter and easier to hold higher..yes you can play a larger fish with a reel of line but how many trout do you hook into over 3 or 4# in a season..thanks.

what,s an axotl though fisherboy..lol..ok, i just googled it..that is one happy salamander..lol.

really good stuff Capt. Bob..Thanks..

Silver C..i guess what i,m trying to say is that tournament fishing has too much influence on the way we fish..i,ve seen it happen in bass fishing and it stinks now it,s happening in fly fishing..so get ready to hold your nose..as my old fishing buddy used to say, "it,s all about separating fools from their money"

it almost seems like tournament fishing is making the rules for everyone else..the power of group think, maybe?

Poopdeck..i have fished all those ways that you mention but flyfishing catches way way more fish than any other method i have tried..i didn,t know there was so many fish in our state until i started fly fishing...it doesn,t catch lots of large fish especially bass but it keeps you busy..i also use tenkara, but i consider that flyfishing too.. i tried bass tournament local club stuff..one year of that was one year too many..lol..i,m only talking about warm water not trout fishing..

Poopdeck, doesn,t fly fishing mean your using a fly for bait.. method of fly presentation doesn,t matter. it,s still fly fishing..isn,t a fly hanging from a plastic bubble on spin outfit, a form of fly fishing..there are so many ways to fish with flys..no? i don,t think it is but many people do, tournament people have a new definition so why can,t the kid with a bubble?

OOPS! again and again..don,t get old..lol.