Charlie P. (NY)

Worth can only be expressed as it applies to alternative options. So, if it provides enjoyment to produce it may be "worth it" to you. If it provides information or usefulness to someone else it may be "worth it" to them. But to other people it will be worth what they have to sacrifice to get it. A hamburger, a whole Happy Meal, a steak? That will depend.

Thunder Thighs Hopper.

I have an old Shakespeare - by God - white fiberglass CB Antenna eight ft six weight rod. Teamed with a equally old Martin reel it actually makes a good slow-action bass bug tosser. I also have an Eagle Claw six piece eight ft 5/6 wt "Trailmaster" yellow glass pack rod. The handle can be swapped end-for-end for a sinning rod. It's a better fly rod than spinning rod. ;-). I actually put many miles on mine and it has held up. Again, a very soft action but better than a willow switch. Whole lot of short, metal ferrules though. Not the best for sensitivity.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Thanks for the heads up. I'm watching!

I swear I saw it wiggle.

Slick!

What Mark said. Though for smallmouth bass some days a bit of flash is a good thing. Other days a drab 'ol olive nondescript that looks like weeds on a hook is what they want. I "dilute" the Angel Hair with Fly Fur. Adds thickness so the tail matches the body better and reduces flash (is also about 900% cheaper). These are all synthetic and very durable.

"Cree" appears to be a hybrid that does not breed straight, A grizzly (Barred Rock) and brown neck (Leghorn?) Or possibly a Bielefelder as is . . . Hens

Kind of . . . I play with a Tenkara style rod (and flies) and they are a wet fly but tied with the hackles facing forward. The idea is to give them a bit of action to induce a strike.

Frank Sawyer style Pheasant Tail. Hook: Mustad 9672 size 16 Thread: none (!) Tail: 5 Ringneck Pheasant tail fibers - and they are also the body and wing case (from same five fibers) Rib: fine copper wire Have not tried these before. The wire is used to build up a hump at the thorax, then wound back to attach the tail fibers, which then are wound forward with the wire to the head, and back to form the wing case, and forward again and tied off at the head (two had-hitches in the wire. Then cement the wing case and head. Few materials, but a odd technique. Got the tail a little too long on this one.

So, is it the big wheel that's a design fault or the post? ;-) I just checked the two I tie on and one is & 7" off the table to the head with the jaws at 8" and the other is 8-3/4" (rotary) with the jaws at that height. Little crank & no wheel. Both have a bit of height adjustment that I have not changed from fully "down". Bifocals - as mentioned above. Not defending the post idea. Just thought it was an interesting way to have that adjustment feature,

My hand's only 3" wide. I could work beside a post. How far is it between the nose and the big wheel on the left of the HMH? But carry on.

I don't tie for salt water but everything you showed was well done and nicely presented in line with the barbell flies I tie for bass. Good job!

I can just imagine a chicken like that frozen to the ground in our run on a night like tonight where it went from 37 to 22 degrees in four hours. They must raise them on velvet cushions.

Apprenticeship is a great idea. I raise chickens - but hackle only happens coincidentally. Right now we have a small flock (mixed barred rock and Ameracuanas) and two roosters are enough to live with 10 hens. Sometimes you get roosters that will not tolerate another so you have t separate them, with or without hens. Your 22 roosters may require 22 separate cages/coops/areas. And you need hens to resupply and breed the line. And if your Andalusian (black) rooster finds the Buff Orpington (brown) hen you now have a generation of . . . frying chickens. Not trying to discourage you, but to breed for a specific feather color a tyer wants means a dedicated "flock" of just that. You may need many flocks if you want to breed true. There's a neighbor nearby who breeds for show and he has about 10 acres of coops - each within a 20 ft by 40 ft run and isolated by breed. It's a slick operation. He gets about $30 for one of his bantam Cochin chicks! And he does very well selling eggs or chicks to breeders or folks interested in show quality birds. Right now we have a splendid little Japanese Bantam rooster (he has fairly decent cream hackles down to #22 or so!) and a barred rock rooster (grizzly). The latter is streamer quality - nothing like a Whiting/Hoffman/Metz/Miner, etc. His line was meat/eggs with no thought to hackles. I have no intention of tying with either unless of unforseen death. They're pets and we get enough eggs for ourselves and occasionally for co-workers in the summer.

I agree with the lever for hook tension. I like that on all I have used. A riser/sleeve and post gives a range of adjustment for height with no "visible" excess; except a grub screw or maybe thumb screw. Adds weight low as well. The two inch range would be a good solution for most. But tjm's idea about the vise arm and head being able to move up and down on a post is a good one. That way you keep the same arm geometry. Like the table on a drill press that can be cranked up or down the column as needed and locked.

For palmering a Bugger the worse the better for my preferences. I get inexpensive "Indian" or "Chinese" necks and saddles. Soft, webby fibers. Something like these for $6 https://www.feather-craft.com/china-5-7-saddle-hackle For the smaller ones the necks - I tie woolly buggers down to size 12. Again - $6 (and less) capes. http://store.hookhack.com/Imported-Rooster-Capes/products/274/ http://store.hookhack.com/Imported-Saddle-Patches/products/275/ (Sometimes one does approach Dry Fly quality and those I use for larger dry flies or foam ants).

I am getting those thoughts. ;-)

Ah. Lower case "aw" didn't catch my eye. But I do see Faruk Ekich has plowed this row already.

Most of what we call "Damascus" now is pattern welded steel; this is actually more attractive (IMHO) than the ancient true Damascus. But a bling and shiny vise? That would be a distraction and eye strain. Folks jump all over themselves for a Lawrence Waldron vise and will throw $4,000 down for one, and he's not producing any more; though HMG has "cloned" the head of one with their TVR model. Perhaps that is a design to examine? VERY few parts and unique looking (I've seen the jaws in images here so someone must have one). I guess you could use a gold base to make up for the ease of manufacture. ;-)

Seems like 5" x 6" to 6" x 6" is about right. Height of the jaws over the base pads (lever arm) the width of the base (moment arm) would determine that. Is the intended tier using 8/0 thread or A+? You can only put so much torque on 70 denier thread. Tall vise would need a wider base than a short one. There is also a reason computer keyboards stay 5" to 6" deep. That allows you to get close enough and still have room for reaching what is behind it.

Ah ha. Thank you. I have seen it much described but not had the pleasure of tying with Coq de Leon. Might have to remedy that. It makes a nice tail fiber, obviously.

I live 40 minutes from Cortland and had family there (though I don't know if all their lines are still made in Cortland NY, they are definitely all still made in the USA). What I do miss is their outlet store. I use 444 for trout and 333 for Bass/panfish.

I think that's why THE ADMIRAL insists my "set-up" is cleared after I tie. And actually that isn't a bad arrangement. She's seen my workbenches in the basement. Actually, she hasn't seen them for years - and neither have I - under all the clutter. ;-)