The Fly Tying Thread

[durangopipe]

Having fun tying nymph and soft hackle flies on little scud hooks. Not sure when I’d use them, but they’re sure fun and look nice.

Nicely tied Gabe!
I love soft hackles. There’s pretty much no time when they won’t take Trout.

[Gabriel]

Thanks! I just wish I was able to fish for trout. I love tying trout flies.

[FredS]

Having fun tying nymph and soft hackle flies on little scud hooks. Not sure when I’d use them, but they’re sure fun and look nice.

Nicely tied Gabe!
I love soft hackles. There’s pretty much no time when they won’t take Trout.

Nice fly Gabe. Blue gill will always eat that fly. Crappie and small mouth will at certain times.

I tied some soft hackles last night too. Not nearly as nice as yours. I wanted light colored hackle and my stock of partridge feathers is pitiful, especially in sizes small enough for these size 14s & 16s, so I played around with cutting the barbs from the shaft and spinning them in a dubbing loop. I'm not really happy with the results.

Pinky Blinder (from Fly Fish Food):


Hook - #16 scud, #14 jig hook
Tail - pink saddle hackle fibers
Rib - gold wire, brassie size
Body - red holographic mylar
Thorax - peacock herl
Hackle - gray partridge
Hot Spot - shrimp pink UV dubbing
Bead - silver tungsten

[durangopipe]

Thanks! I just wish I was able to fish for trout. I love tying trout flies.

Fish those soft hackles, Gabe. They’re too beautiful not to fish.

Lovely flies, Fred.

[FredS]

My pitiful partridge stock problem has been remedied. The power was off at the house (aka my office) all morning so I ran a few errands and I'll be danged if I didn't end up at the fly shop. Visited with the boys (it's always young trout bums) and the shop dog. They didn't have what I was looking for but the south shop did so I drove down there to buy a partridge skin. Also signed up for a free demo tomorrow by Eric Ishiwata. He's evidently some wet fly and streamer swinging sage, and a professor at the college so they say he's a good teacher. I don't know much about swinging flies, but I once accidentally caught a trout on the swing when I stopped to relight a pipe and wasn't paying attention. This shop has some front-range heavy hitters lined up this winter for fly tying demos. Rick Takahashi next week, Charlie Craven in January, Juan Ramirez in February, and Landon Mayer in March. I carry patterns invented by each of these guys so it'll be cool to see what they twist up.

[FredS]

cool story

[arank87]

Cool stuff guys. Still haven’t taken the plunge on tying. My dad and I have been talking about it for years though. Need to get him smoking a pipe too...

[FredS]

Cool stuff guys. Still haven’t taken the plunge on tying. My dad and I have been talking about it for years though. Need to get him smoking a pipe too...

If there's a fly shop in your town ask them if there's a local tying night. They'd enjoy showing you some simple ties to see if you like it or not.

The facebook group for fishers on my local river is trying to get one started. Today we're voting on which brewery/tap room we'd like to set up at, 'cause you know - - - beer.

[JimVH]

cool story

I follow that guy on Instagram. He’s one of those guys that makes it all look easy.

[FredS]

I understand he posts only his best work, but damn, his dry flies are nice. His stimulators are out of this world.

[durangopipe]

My pitiful partridge stock problem has been remedied. The power was off at the house (aka my office) all morning so I ran a few errands and I'll be danged if I didn't end up at the fly shop. Visited with the boys (it's always young trout bums) and the shop dog. They didn't have what I was looking for but the south shop did so I drove down there to buy a partridge skin. Also signed up for a free demo tomorrow by Eric Ishiwata. He's evidently some wet fly and streamer swinging sage, and a professor at the college so they say he's a good teacher. I don't know much about swinging flies, but I once accidentally caught a trout on the swing when I stopped to relight a pipe and wasn't paying attention. This shop has some front-range heavy hitters lined up this winter for fly tying demos. Rick Takahashi next week, Charlie Craven in January, Juan Ramirez in February, and Landon Mayer in March. I carry patterns invented by each of these guys so it'll be cool to see what they twist up.

Sounds like you’ve got some great events coming up, Fred.
That video was fantastic. Thanks.

[FredS]

I've been working on a new box of nymphs the last few weeks. These vinyl ribbed guys are pretty cool and not hard to tie.


Science seems to say that adult trout can't see UV light or things that are energized by UV light, but if they can they oughta like these. Even if they can't, the bright tag should get some attention on sunny days.

[durangopipe]

My trout boxes would look very old fashioned!
Still mostly fur, feathers, thread, wire, some floss and flash here and there.
Yeah, a fair amount of beads.

Even my steelhead and salmon boxes are pretty tame compared to most contemporary trailing hook, articulated flies.

Let us know how those glowing flies work, Fred.
Trout might take ‘em for off road lightning bugs.

[FredS]

I still catch a ton of fish on old fashioned flies. Prince nymphs and gold ribbed hares ears catch more than any others I use. And I don't leave home without some parachute adams and ausable wulffs in the bag. I've been bitten by the euro-nymph bug though, and my local river is pretty high gradient in many places, so sleek and heavy flies that sink like stones have my fancy right now.

[Bloodhound]

Cool looking flys Fred.

I am looking at black ant patterns. I want to get back after those Arctic Graylings again this year

[arank87]

I still catch a ton of fish on old fashioned flies. Prince nymphs and gold ribbed hares ears catch more than any others I use. And I don't leave home without some parachute adams and ausable wulffs in the bag. I've been bitten by the euro-nymph bug though, and my local river is pretty high gradient in many places, so sleek and heavy flies that sink like stones have my fancy right now.

I’ve been thinking of the Euro nymph stuff as well. I fish nymphs almost exclusively anyway.

[FredS]

My trout boxes would look very old fashioned!
Still mostly fur, feathers, thread, wire, some floss and flash here and there.
Yeah, a fair amount of beads.

No condom flies then?

[durangopipe]

My trout boxes would look very old fashioned!
Still mostly fur, feathers, thread, wire, some floss and flash here and there.
Yeah, a fair amount of beads.

No condom flies then?

I used to use them for carp in the Passaic River, the East River and in the Meadowlands where they are quite common.
But I didn’t know we had condom hatches that prolific here in the West.

I’ll tie up a few.

My wife used to teach sex-ed when she was the director of health services for the local school district.
She wore condom earrings when she taught the class.

Maybe I can steal them for fly tying material!

[durangopipe]

I still catch a ton of fish on old fashioned flies. Prince nymphs and gold ribbed hares ears catch more than any others I use. And I don't leave home without some parachute adams and ausable wulffs in the bag. I've been bitten by the euro-nymph bug though, and my local river is pretty high gradient in many places, so sleek and heavy flies that sink like stones have my fancy right now.

Regarding euro-nymphs ...

I expect they (and the technique) will prove deadly in mountain streams.
Looking forward to a report, Fred.

Funny ...

A fishing friend, whose wife is Spanish, moved to Barcelona a few years ago. There, he caught the euro-nymph bug (pun totally accidental). Last time he visited he tried them on the San Juan and they seemed ineffective there.

I’d guess that the bugs they were eating that day were much smaller than his nymphs. If you can tie them on #24 and smaller hooks they might work there. It would be interesting to try.

[FredS]

A fishing friend, whose wife is Spanish, moved to Barcelona a few years ago. There, he caught the euro-nymph bug (pun totally accidental). Last time he visited he tried them on the San Juan and they seemed ineffective there.

I’d guess that the bugs they were eating that day were much smaller than his nymphs. If you can tie them on #24 and smaller hooks they might work there. It would be interesting to try.

That's the rub. You need to be "in contact" as they say, with your fly for tight-line euro-nymphing. That requires a fair bit of weight on the end of the line and you just can't get there with anything less than 20. Less than 18 is even too light for me. Of course you can tie on a heavy nymph as an anchor fly and use a smaller one a foot or two up. I do that a lot with size 20-24 WD40's and RS-2's.

Still, it's not the only way I fish. If there are risers it's more fun to fish dries and emergers. It's also fun to throw big ol' grasshoppers or stimulators on hot August afternoons. The only tools I don't have in my kit are swinging wet flies and tossing streamers. Sure, I've fished both ways, I just haven't taken the time (yet) to really figure them out. Know any guides who could show me a thing or two?