fshng2 0 Report post Posted April 11, 2015 Stmflies - thanks... there are several stacking wizards on this forum of which you are certainly one. The more I see the more I get inspired. It is contagious. Nice stacking Johnny. When you began to tie these how many flies did you tie before you were happy with your work? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
johnnyquahog 0 Report post Posted April 11, 2015 Stmflies - thanks... there are several stacking wizards on this forum of which you are certainly one. The more I see the more I get inspired. It is contagious. Nice stacking Johnny. When you began to tie these how many flies did you tie before you were happy with your work? In 1985 or 86 I watched Dave Whitlock tie a sculpin and a Whit's hair bug at the Worcester Centrum Fishing Show during a snow storm where the power went out. Since lighting was disrupted he just kept tying under emergency power. I was hooked then and there. I got a Jimmy Nix VHS and watched it a dozen times. I did a pretty good hair bug back then and I was attending United Fly Tyers monthly meetings and observed some of the best all around tyers do their thing. I was mostly a trout fly tyer. In the early 90s I got into saltwater striped bass fishing. I had pretty good success with large, not so dense (you want them to have neutral buoyancy) deer hair striper flies. The late Bill Catherwood lived in my neighborhood. Bill was a pro tyer and known for his series of Deer Hair Giant Killers which were featured in Outdoor Life, October 1981. Naturally, I spent some time talking to Bill. He was a fascinating guy that raised his own birds. I doubt I tied with deer hair for a dozen years and then the Chris Helm mouse caught my eye just a few years ago. I tied some of those and then got his video and some of the prime hair he sold and started tying them more correctly. He also gave me one of his mice. The thing with the mice is that people that know nothing about fishing or fly tying want one. I've donated a couple dozen of those to auction fundraisers and given away another dozen. I then got the Cohen video and lately the M.George video which is great. Cohen is basically a phenom. I have the out of print "Art of Angler's Journal" from 2005 that featured deer hair. There are and were several phenoms around. Ken Swhwam, who drowned while fishing at night was incredible as is Fabrizio Gajardoni, another artist. These guys are innovators. There is some real talent on this forum. If I start targeting LMB then I may begin fishing these and building a couple boxes of them. This isn't what you asked. The short answer is - I was tying fishable flies after a half dozen or so but I still have quite a bit to learn and a ways to go. The internet really helps the learning curve. sorry about the rambling Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikechell 0 Report post Posted April 11, 2015 Several techniques gleaned from YouTube and while at tying events in Chicago. Mayfly ... cat's whiskers tail ... abdomen made with silicone sealant, a drill w/needle and dubbing. Craft fur streamer from Tom Loo (I think I remembered the name correctly. Sorry if I didn't. And a 1/2 inch craft fur minnow. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wschmitt3 0 Report post Posted April 11, 2015 Nice Mike, Real cat whisker? How did the cat like having those taken? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikechell 0 Report post Posted April 12, 2015 Three cats in the house. If I look around, I can usually find one lying somewhere. I've got a cup sitting above my tying desk that has about twenty of them. But I also did some abdomens with plastic fibbets that look almost as good, so I am not going to go out of my way to collect whiskers. If I ever get into realistics, though ... whiskers are going to be a staple. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
retrocarp 0 Report post Posted April 12, 2015 What yer gonna eat them ?? lol Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
retrocarp 0 Report post Posted April 12, 2015 The Heavy weight nymph Tied on a #8 mustad pro select series hook,tungsten bead , ostrich herl and buggy dub dubbing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
retrocarp 0 Report post Posted April 12, 2015 Several techniques gleaned from YouTube and while at tying events in Chicago. Mayfly ... cat's whiskers tail ... abdomen made with silicone sealant, a drill w/needle and dubbing. cat whisker mayfly (1).JPG cat whisker mayfly (2).JPG cat whisker mayfly (3).JPG Craft fur streamer from Tom Loo (I think I remembered the name correctly. Sorry if I didn't. craft fur streamer.JPG And a 1/2 inch craft fur minnow. half inch fry.JPG Nice flies Mike..... what size hooks ? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikechell 0 Report post Posted April 12, 2015 Thanks, Retro. The mayfly is tied on a left over hook. It's smaller than the 12s I have, so it's either a 14 or 16. The streamer is on a 6 octopus hook and the 1/2 inch is on a size 10 straight shank. And no, I am not going to eat the whiskers. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fshng2 0 Report post Posted April 12, 2015 Stmflies - thanks... there are several stacking wizards on this forum of which you are certainly one. The more I see the more I get inspired. It is contagious. Nice stacking Johnny. When you began to tie these how many flies did you tie before you were happy with your work? In 1985 or 86 I watched Dave Whitlock tie a sculpin and a Whit's hair bug at the Worcester Centrum Fishing Show during a snow storm where the power went out. Since lighting was disrupted he just kept tying under emergency power. I was hooked then and there. I got a Jimmy Nix VHS and watched it a dozen times. I did a pretty good hair bug back then and I was attending United Fly Tyers monthly meetings and observed some of the best all around tyers do their thing. I was mostly a trout fly tyer. In the early 90s I got into saltwater striped bass fishing. I had pretty good success with large, not so dense (you want them to have neutral buoyancy) deer hair striper flies. The late Bill Catherwood lived in my neighborhood. Bill was a pro tyer and known for his series of Deer Hair Giant Killers which were featured in Outdoor Life, October 1981. Naturally, I spent some time talking to Bill. He was a fascinating guy that raised his own birds. I doubt I tied with deer hair for a dozen years and then the Chris Helm mouse caught my eye just a few years ago. I tied some of those and then got his video and some of the prime hair he sold and started tying them more correctly. He also gave me one of his mice. The thing with the mice is that people that know nothing about fishing or fly tying want one. I've donated a couple dozen of those to auction fundraisers and given away another dozen. I then got the Cohen video and lately the M.George video which is great. Cohen is basically a phenom. I have the out of print "Art of Angler's Journal" from 2005 that featured deer hair. There are and were several phenoms around. Ken Swhwam, who drowned while fishing at night was incredible as is Fabrizio Gajardoni, another artist. These guys are innovators. There is some real talent on this forum. If I start targeting LMB then I may begin fishing these and building a couple boxes of them. This isn't what you asked. The short answer is - I was tying fishable flies after a half dozen or so but I still have quite a bit to learn and a ways to go. The internet really helps the learning curve. sorry about the rambling Good to hear your history on stacking. I watched Dave tie a Dalberg Diver at our TU Banquet in the mid 80's and never did tie one. I even won the auction for that fly and still have it in not fished condition. Guess is's about time I tied one. I have tied rat faced mcdougals, muddlers and zoo cougars but never stacked colors. Your work is awesome and inspiring. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fshng2 0 Report post Posted April 12, 2015 Several techniques gleaned from YouTube and while at tying events in Chicago. Mayfly ... cat's whiskers tail ... abdomen made with silicone sealant, a drill w/needle and dubbing. cat whisker mayfly (1).JPG cat whisker mayfly (2).JPG cat whisker mayfly (3).JPG Craft fur streamer from Tom Loo (I think I remembered the name correctly. Sorry if I didn't. craft fur streamer.JPG And a 1/2 inch craft fur minnow. half inch fry.JPG Nice flies Mike..... what size hooks ? Nice flies Mike, and Retro. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fshng2 0 Report post Posted April 12, 2015 Johnny it's hardly a story without the picture. So I dug thru my memorabilia, and found the Dalberg Diver Dave Whitlock tied. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
johnnyquahog 0 Report post Posted April 12, 2015 Hey, thanks for digging out that Davey Whitlock fly. I saw a few weeks ago that he has a web site and sells some collectible stuff. He has an infectious smile and is quite the ambassador of fly fishing and tying. Dave tied on a Renzetti Presentation vise which I believe was the only model they sold at the time. Today they call it the 3000 model and while it is a super trout fly vise, it is a terrible big hook vise. Within a couple months of watching and talking to Dave I went out and traded in my Thompson 360 vise and maybe 120.00 for a presentation vise. Ahhhh, before the internet. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
planettrout 0 Report post Posted April 13, 2015 TAN WOBBLE-RITE CADDIS PUPA – Daiichi 1130, #12 -#18… CHARTREUSE WOBBLE-RITE CADDIS PUPA – Hanak C300BL Hook, #14's… PT/TB Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tim Shovel 0 Report post Posted April 13, 2015 Gorgeous flies, some of the best I've seen on the forum, keep up the good work Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
