Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2008 11:37 am Post subject: Time To Tie Some Flies ...
Finally back to the tying bench after wrapping up most of my major home renovations... and it feels good to turn out a couple dozen flys.
Spun up too many nancy's prayers/wb caddis to even count, and today I've got about 2 doz CJ's on deck...
Last night I dug through tens years worth of flies I've tied and never fished. Most of them came about late in the tying season (march) generally when my tying turns "experimental"...
I'm attempting to simplify my fly selection for 2008 as there are around a dozen "go to" patterns I fish all year...then another 3 dozen or so "match the hatch specific patterns"
If there are any folks out there fairly new to fly fishing who's boxes are on the "sparse" side... Send me a PM or email, and I'd be glad to send out some of these surplus flies...
Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2008 12:36 pm Post subject: I know the feeling...
A year or so ago I went through and did the same and set up a local kid with a pretty good selection of flies, taught him to fish, and have been teaching him to tie since. I've gone to a new system now. I start by tying dozens of the few "go to" patterns I like to fill my boxes. Then, I like to tie up small batches of "test" flies- usaully a half dozen to a dozen new patterns each year (at least new to me), but generally only 1 or two make it into my boxes for good. Right now, I'm working on a new stonefly pattern for the WB/EO. For me, if I can't visualize when I'm going to fish a pattern (water/hatch/etc...) I generally don't bother trying to tie it.
Joined: Dec 16, 2004 Posts: 172 Location: Syracuse, NY
Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2008 2:13 pm Post subject:
I started tying sulphur emergers on Weamer's tru-form hooks. It took a bit of getting used to but I love the way they ride on the water. Is anybody else tying on the tru-forms?
Joined: Nov 30, 2006 Posts: 78 Location: Greensboro, NC
Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2008 2:15 pm Post subject:
A couple of months ago, I read an article in FlyFisherman about the web wing caddis pattern. I ordered some from feather-craft and tied a half a dozen or so. I used it on one of the more milder days here in NC and it killed. A little hard to see on the water compared to an EHC, but durable and looks great. Also, I've been using the pattern called superman. With a tung bead and wire body, it sinks like a rock. The legs and "cape" add that little extra movement I can't seem to get on the CJ (still my #2 nymph pattern with the PT as my first). Both the webwing and superman are pretty new in my boxes but they seem to do well in fall and winter. Can't wait to see what they do in the spring.
hey boz! i'm glad you posted this. i have gone to a completly new phase in my fly tying journeys.....simplification. i am done with tying tiny bwo parachutes, joe bloes muddler, pink panthers......etc. i'm sick of tying flies that look "cool" but just don't fish well or just sit in my fly box. i no longer feel as though i need to tie those types of flies because i never use them. so, i made a list of flies for fresh and saltwater (that work the best for me) that will probaly be the ONLY flies i tie this winter, and probaly the majority of flies i fish in 2008:
1) olive cone head wooly bugger...various sizes
2) black ghost....various sizes
3) elk hair caddis.....various colors and sizes
4) henryville caddis....various colors and sizes
5) wb caddis.....whatever you recommend, because you are the king of the wb caddis!
6) pt nymphs
7) whips simple egg
adams....various sizes
9) surf candies....various sizes and lots of em'
10) deciever
11) clouser minnow
12) flatwing striper flies.
so.....that is my tying list for this year. boz....maybe we can make a little trade....a few buggers for a few soft hackles?
Joined: Feb 14, 2007 Posts: 20 Location: Lincoln Maine
Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2008 5:18 pm Post subject:
Good to see a list posted up as well. I have a tendency to get going with the tying and somewhere along the line I start to experiment, forget to tie a few important flies, and then find myself wondering where they disappeared to by the time June rolls around. I needed a burst of "refocus"..thanks.
Hunter,
Interesting that you're working on a new stonefly pattern. I have been doing the same. I sort of stumbled onto a great notion that happens to tie in with some memories I have logged in the recesses of my brain from last season on the WB. If I get it together sometime soon I'll put it up on the wiki page. Are you going the nymph route or the dry route?
of course whip.....i was thinking of you when i started my first batch. this year i have to make it out there and fish the delaware with you guys. giant picky wild browns sipping bugs on top.....i need that bad. that brown you caught last summer is unsurpassed in my book.
I've got to tie EZ Zonkers, Surf Candies, PBCRs, flatwings, rays flies, jiggies, wooly buggers, gurglers, bombers, crab flies, deceivers, various nymphs, glo bugs, and some shrimp flies. Actually, I plan on tying these flies, but probably won't. As usual, I'll probably scramble to tie all the flies I need the night before I go fishing, use one fly all day, and then lose the box I put them in or have thhem get buried in the backseat of my car.
Going the nymph route. We'll see how it works out this season.
btw, any thoughts on improving the wikityer page? I'm kind of busy with thesis "stuff" but would like to keep adding content a little at a time. I've heard nothing but good comments but haven't seen many folks adding material so far. I was kind of hoping folks would start filling in some of the missing pictures, upgrading them, etc..
Let me know when you want to fish GLS this year. Camp will be open.
Joined: Feb 14, 2007 Posts: 20 Location: Lincoln Maine
Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2008 1:04 pm Post subject:
Hunter,
I'm not sure how to spur initiative for the wiki page. To a certain extent I worry that a bunch of hooligans will start posting random crap on there, so maybe keeping the slower pace is better in this case. I noticed a few missing fly pics that I might be able to fill in. There are a lot of other flies that I have never tied in my life, so my pics might be a little less than desirable. People are slowly adding stuff, but I am surprised that more fly tyers aren't jumping all over it. I am just starting my spring semester, so I have been pretty busy as well. But I try to put up a few flies every weekend if I can, or maybe a tutorial. I'll have to put together one about a new zebra caddis design I came up with. Now thats a fly to try out at GLS around Hex time. I can already picture myself casting that baby over a specific underwater ledge. BTW thanks for the offer on the camp. I might have to take you up on that.
Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2008 7:33 pm Post subject: simplify
i agree simplicity is a general goal of mine while im on the bench. i want simplicity all around from my leaders to my flies to everything in between, I do however like experimenting with new streamers
box one
streamers
numerous colors
box two (winter)
basic midges in obvious colors black olive tan
box three
worms original wine red and a few bright ones.
box four.... spring and fall
the bead game over
o and any size rubber leg stonefly. you guys know the one. chenille and legs game over usually in dark brown
Joined: Jan 21, 2005 Posts: 123 Location: Kodiak, Alaska in winter, bristol bay alaska in summer
Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2008 6:59 am Post subject:
I actually tie quite a few different patterns, some complicated, probably because i fish so much for salmon in freshwater. Steelhead, Trout and Salmon in the salt all feed 10 or so flies that match their food will usually do. However salmon in fresh do not feed but still hit out of aggression or whatever which means attractor patterns are killer and because attractor patterns don't need to look natural or like any food source the limits on effective colors and shapes are virtually non existent. Last year my best dry fly for Coho salmon was variation of a pollywog. It was made of purple, pink, chartruese and blue spun deer hair. Don't ask me why it works and definately don't ask me why it catches tons of fish while a plain pink or puple wog wont!
I break my boxes down by species and location
Dollies in Fresh
Dollies in salt
Chinook in fresh
Chinook in salt
Coho in salt
Coho in Fresh
Sockeye
Pinks in fresh
Pinks in salt
Chums
Rainbows in lakes
Rainbows in rivers Springtime
Rainbows in rivers for fall
Halibut
Spring steelhead
Fall steelhead
Grayling
Pike
Sheefish
Lake Trout
As far as flies here are some good ones that I tie a lot of that I can think of right now.
Joined: Dec 23, 2005 Posts: 4 Location: Alberta, Canada
Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 2:51 pm Post subject: Go to flies for my area
I have developed a few patterns for my local area and where i fish most of the time. They are all simple to tie and cheap. The colours and sizes are proven on most waters but I have slight variations. Since I am not from the North Eastern States I don't think I am giving away any secrets but mabey some would work in your area too?????
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