sulfernut

Same Here!! Sulphernut

\ I didn't know they were still available!! Sulphernut

Hey Franky!! First off,was the guy fishing this critter with a fly-rod? If so the only thing I can think of that would come close to what you are describing,is something that was on the market by Arbogast (the same folks that created the "Jitterbug" ) called the Fly Rod Hula-Popper. It was essentially a flat faced wooden bass bug or "popper" dressed with a rubber skirt on the back end (the type of skirt commonly seen these days on spinnerbaits or jigs) Other than that,it could be anything!!.............If you browse around this site,you will see some representations of AMAZING creativity!! Check out some of the flies the "warmwater" specialists are tying....It's truly amazing!!! Hope this helps!!! Sulphernut

That is some FANTASTIC photography!! The second of two posts I've viewed today,with some really great bug shots!! Are you a photographer by trade?? Sulphernut

Troutnut: Thanks!!! Wish I could say I took that....Come to think of it,YOU might have taken it!!!

I remember hearing (can't remember where!) that there is a potential problem,when attaching gel-spun backing to a flyline,due to the backing possibly cutting through the flyline,depending on what knot is used. Anyone else ever hear of this?? If so,does anyone have any recommendations on a good/safe knot to use? I have done some Googling around,and haven't come up with very much!! Many Thanks!! Sulphernut

Rockin' Good photo's!!! Sulphernut

I think GSP will be the ticket you need!! I only just started experimenting with it,but it seems to have all of the qualities you seek! ..........Perhaps one day, the price might come down a tad!! Sulphernut

Welcome,from the Lehigh Valley!! HAH...Just tried to have a look at your website (from work) ...We have a "content filter" that for some reason find "evening rise" objectionable!!! It sees it as "adult content".HAH!!! Sulphernut! Bethlehem Pa.

I too,have had this same problem!! I don't think it's that unusual,but I must agree with the other respondants (sp?) to this thread up to this point: J.Stockard is hard to beat!! I think out of the 5 or 6 orders I placed over the winter,half of them came incomplete,or were held up due to back-order! I had a JEWEL of a mailorder house a couple of years ago,called "On-The-Fly",out of Illinois.....They had EVERYTHING!!! ...If a material was manufactured in 30 colors,they did not carry the 15 "hot-sellers"....they carried 30 colors!! Alas,after I placed my first (ande last!) order,they went out of business....to go fishing!! Can't fault that logic at all,but boy do I miss them!! I don't have a problem with an item being on B/O for a while,but the last order I placed to a place that shall remain unamed,was held up for over a month,after I placed the order,due to a back-order of a certain hook style,that I found out about in a SALES FLYER!!! This boggles my mind!! A place sends a "special" flyer,to let you know "what's new",and can't deliver!! After two weeks,I e-mailed them (in their defense,they respond to their e-mails FLAWLESSLY,within a few hours!!) I changed the style of hook I was looking for,and waited....another week....more e-mail...Now,the order was being held up,because they didn't have the Whiting 100 pak in the size I was looking for....Phone call....I asked them when the hackle was expected...they said..."we've been waiting for it for 6 weeks............................I said...do you have another size.........turns out,they had the feathers in #10 and #14,but not in #12,which is what I needed...I told them....Send the #14.....I'll make do!! Is the demand THAT great?? I may be in the wrong line of work!!! IF you want something that isn't too far "off the wall", J.Stockard is without a doubt extermely fast!! On Good Friday, I drove an hour and a half,to go the the closest "brick & mortar" flyshop I have available....Although I went there for a pair or two of wading shoes (which they had....I bought the ONLY two pair they had in my size!!) there were things that I thought a "full-service" fly shop just ought to have...that they did not!! I think it's just a matter of,"you can't please all the people,all the time' !! Just my 2 pennies worth!! Eric (suplphernut) Mendsen

That's a great story Twofingerz!! I used to get that kind of treatment at the shops that used to be in my area. It would seem to me,that running a fly shop must at least in some part,be it's own reward. You have to WANT to help people out,and do it at the risk of realizing little,or no financial gain from time to time. Of course,you have to be in the correct financial circumstances in the first place,in order to allow such practices! This topic has been bandied about on this forum quite a bit in the past several months,and I am beginning to see,that it is not just relegated to my home area,but is becoming rather widespread. Without going into a protracted discussion about the whole thing,I beleive that it's just becoming too difficult to eke out an existance (even a meager one) by running a fly-shop,"mom & pop" style. My wife has mentioned it now and again,but she is the dreamer in our relationship...I am the pragmatist!! I think..."yeah...I could run a fly-shop",and in the next breath.."what is to separate me from the 7 or 8 guys in the area that folded up their tent in the past 10 years?? Very scary at this time of my life!! So.....anyone want to open a shop!!!????

My grandparents used to call them mosquito "hawks",and yes,it is a rather large specimen!! It always amazes me how many people actually think these to be mosquito's,and panic when they see them!!!

Twofingerz!!!! That looks REALLY nice!! Can you tell me what that body is made of?? Sulphernut

Ineteresting man and materials...sounds a bit like he's got an axe or two to grind!! (Not that that's at all a bad thing!)

Yo Dog!!! Try elk-hock hair!! I too had similar troubles with this fly when I first tried them! It was better when I used short-fine hair,but better still using the elk hock! Indeed,I have to almost "coax" elk hock to spread around and flare a bit!! Sulphernut

Hey Snik!! Unless you are making a LOT of dubbing,I don't think a full sized kitchen blender will be of any service to you. The "wind" from the blades will just blow the fur up the sides of the carafe. This is why most people recommend using an electric coffee grinder....smaller blending chamber=more contact between material and blades. One can be had from nearly any retail store for about $20.00. Hope this helps!!! Sulphernut

Very interesting indeed!! Sulphernut

A quick question to the moderators: What is the difference between a "reply" and a "fast reply"?

Same thing happened to me,Cut! Sulphernut ( sometimes!)

Royal W!! A hassle indeed!! I think more than it would be worth. I got so wrapped up in what I was saying about it though,that I forgot to ask you about your comment on saving your silk floss trimmings for use as dubbing! I have used "strand" type silk as dubbing,and frankly,found it a pain in the arse to work with! My question is this,are you chopping it up very fine,and mixing it in with fur? This would be the saving grace of the current pricing of GENUINE silk floss!! ( I remember buying REAL silk floss for a dime a yard,back when I started tying) ( 1967) !!! Sulphernut

Hey there Royal!! (nice moniker!) You can in fact use this "fluff"as dubbing. I first read about the concept in Eric Leiser's book "Fly Tying Materials" written sometime back in the 70's if memory serves. I believe that it is pretty much an "old school" thing,although I had a guy on this forum recently request that I send him all of the fluff I had left after "laundering' and sorting a bunch of duck flank. He swore by it as dubbing material! With all the varieties of "prepared" dubbing out there,I have never been able to justify squirreling this stuff away for use! One MAJOR reason being,you have very little latitude in the way of color. And yes,I think the "old sage" you spoke to was right....I believe that this fluff would be more water absorbant than water repellant.....What about CDC you might ask...??? It has been suggested (pretty well,to my way of thinking) that the reason CDC floats like a cork,comes not so much from the "oil gland"that it grows near,but from the physical structure of the feather fibers themselves. But....this is another matter altogether! The short answer to your question is....Yes!! ...If you like it and it works for you....BY ALL MEANS,use it!!! Sulphernut

That's It!! Hot Tuna came up with it! The Noll Guide to Trout Flies!! Wish the hell I knew what became of my copy! Sulphernut

Hi All!! I don't know for sure if this post belongs in this category or not,or should perhaps even be on TFF,but this place,and you guys are the most familiar to me! I am looking for a piece of equipment...You all must have noticed the trend in recent years,of "minimalism" when it comes to toting gear to the stream. By this,I mean the rise in popularity of the "Chest-Pack" type of "vest". A couple of years ago I bought one (an "off-brand" cheapo) and two years ago,my wife got me a really nice one from L.L.Bean. I like them both,save for the fact that instead of a "harness" to attach to them that covers one's back,they have a strap of heavy nylon that just loops around your neck. The one from Bean had the option of a harness,but it was a separate purchase (God only knows why!?) and my wife didn't know that at the time. Anyway,I am loking for this type of harness now,and it appears that NOBODY uses,or carries them any more!!! I have already contacted Orvis (yikes! I know,I know,alot of you guys HATE them) but I have been an Orvis customer for as long as I have been fly-fishing,and have always been satisfied. But mainly,I contacted them because their 2005 catolog was the last place I saw one of the harnesses in question. They tried to locate one for me for a week,with no success. I'm going to stop prattling on,and attach a picture,so that you have some idea what I'm looking for. I figured that one post here would be worth much more than individual letters to all the tackle vendors I could think of !! Sulphernut

I used to own that very same book,but it was called "something else's Book of Trout Flies and How to Tie Them"....When I think of the name,I will post it. ( Old Age: Thy curses are legion!) Sulphernut

Unless I miss my guess,there is a product named "Aunt Lydia's Sparkle Yarn" that is a blend of wool and Antron....???? Sulphernut