Skip48

Great tips and I do appreciate them all! Thank You, Skip

I don't know much about these flies, but they look pretty good to me. What is the orange ball at the back? I am just a crappie jig tier trying to learn something about tying flies too. Skip

So what do you fly guys think? Also if anyone wishes to point me in the direction of a fly rod and reel that is good, but not totally costly I would appreciate it. I am thinking of something around a 5 or 6 Wt. since I want to use it for Bass, Crappie and Bream and the latter 2 the most. Here is a pic....

Good idea as I am not a youngster either, LOL! Even got cataracts that I guess will need taking care of at some point, but so far the glasses are OK. Thanks, Skip

Thanks and here I am guessing, but I think you mean like a little bright hackle around the front legs or something like that? Skip

I am a little happy with some of these, but not sure about the others. Do any of you like the short legs on the High-Viz ones or the longer legs.

Thank You so much and I can't wait to see the ones you have. Also on the High-Viz Ants does the hot color go on the front or rear. I feel this is such a simple question, but I have never seen one tied and don't want to tie them back wards, LOL! Also on the legs...I don't feel like I know the best way to tie this on. I also have seen tips that go into actually taking a needle and pulling the legs through the foam. Then there is the figure 8 tying of legs? I just am not sure what to think, but maybe your pictures will tell me what I need to know. Thanks again, Skip

I am really a crappie jig tier and want to offer some bream/panfish flies using foam bodies and the first is the Rainy's High-Viz Ant Bodies. Next would be Chernobyl style ant's using the foam body cutter. I also could use so help with tying the legs on and making them right! After all I do plan on offering them for sale on my web site. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks, Skip

I also use a toothpick when painting jig heads and it seems to get paint in the eye a lot. When using powder paint it's very hard to clear after it's baked. However you can take a bodkin and heat the tip and when you stick it through the eye it will melt the paint even after it's baked on. Skip

Nice simple idea and it looks like I have the same one as you. Thanks, Skip

Your welcome and Thanks for the kind words as I do appreciate it. If you get the scissors you will be happy! Hope everyone has a great Christmas!

Well I didn't wash any except ones than look like they needed it and thankfully not many did. I had another guy send me a big plastic bag full of other kinds of duck feathers and they are just great too. I put all in the freezer for at least 2 days and then sorted to some extent. Then I placed them in two 5 gal plastic buckets that has a good seal with a pest strip and moth balls & crystals. I put the balls and Crystals in zip lock bags and poked holes it them to let out the moth ball oder into the bucket. I still have some of the 3rd batch that last guy gave me to go through and they are still in the freezer, now for about 2 weeks, LOL! Thanks all! Skip

Yes it is and they are great scissors, all of them.

OK I am a crappie jig tier so don't really feel I can add much about tying that would help you guys so I have a tip about scissors. I have a lot of fly tying scissors, some serrate some not, Dr. Slicks and others. However my favorite ones yet are from a set I bought a few years back. I use several of them, but the little ones are perfect for cutting close, even like cutting chenille very close with the tip is nothing. Anyway now they are on sale and you can give your wife the little pruning shears and the big kitchen ones, maybe others, but the little ones a just great and since you get all 5 for $30 and they are Henckels which are German made they are just great. So that is my tip and if you try these I think you will be glad you did. You can cut most anything you want with them. I just ran into the sale and thought I would share with you guys so you can get some great little scissors and have a gift for the wife as well. Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all! Skip Here is a link to the sale... http://www.macys.com/catalog/index.ognc?Ca...;CURRENT_PAGE=5

Now that nuke thing sounds pretty easy and yes it should kill any creepy crawlers in there, but doe it do anything to the feathers? Guess I have enough to test a few. I can see where some may need washing because of stuff on the feathers, maybe his blood or something in the lake where he came from.

Wow, that's a imposing thought, but I do see where all the sorting can be very good later. Just so you all know, here is my story and how I got to this place in life. I had major back surgery in 1989 and have not had a job since, enough said right? Then I started trading stock to make my self useful in the income department and along about 1995 I really started doing pretty good. Later did really good, but then in 2000 I went tot he doctor to see about losing weight.... and to make the story shorter....A few days later i was having 5 Bypasses and ended up OK, but still have heart rhythm trouble, but that's not where I am headed. I fished all my life and was most of all a bass fishermen with lots of salt water pitched in to boot. After my heart surgery I had no interest in stocks and after a year I forced my self back into that. However it was different, I knew what to do, but for some reason I just couldn't and this year I had to finally give it up as had lost a lot of what I made. Now with nothing to do but watch TV I also has started crappie fishing and decided to give jig tying a shot. After a few weeks my jigs started to look decent and then pretty good, then people started to ask if I sold them. Then I make my web page and started tying. The more I did the more I wanted to experiment with different feathers and materials. I learned tying by reading this web site and a few others. Anyway I have now got to thinking about tying some salt water flies. I don't even fly fish now but I did years ago. Anyway my "hobby" for something to do other than watch TV has turned into a real big deal that seems to keep growing. I not long ago hunted for a month or more until I found a chuckar partridge skin, then a Hungarian Partridge (in cadis green) and a Golden Pheasant, Oh boy! If you get a chance and look at my web site you will see I tie different jigs than most. Thanks, Skip

Thanks. I do have everything in it's own separate zip lock. All that I have are things I bought except the new Duck feathers and I have them in a separate container all to their self. I have all my materials in a couple of plastic cabinets thanks to Walmart, but I put these new duck feathers in a 5 gallon bucket with a good lid on. I also have them divided into several zip locks inside the bucket. I was thinking since they are duck feathers (almost water proof, LOL) then washing them would not do much except make me take the time to do it and dry them. They seem very clean as they are. Am I missing something and as long as I keep them in their on container is this still not enough? It's a lot of feathers, like maybe 2 ducks (all their feathers). Thanks, Skip

I am new to this board and to tying. I tie jigs and am trying to learn more about tying. I try to make jigs that are not just the normal crappie jig. I am so impressed with what you fly tiers do and want to learn more and that is why I am here. Now to my question....I have been lucky enough to get some Wood Duck Feathers and I see some talk about washing them first. Why and is it really necessary to wash them? The guy picked all the feathers off the ducks and gave them to me in really good condition. They are not dirty or anything like that. I have put them in a container with moth ball crystals and a pest strip to get rid of any little critters that may be hiding in there. Thanks, Skip