Flytying.ro has a nice tutorial here for tying a ‘dry’ fly. Depicted are the popular euro red tag tail. A good example of peacock and ribbing and tying in a dry fly hackle. Check out the site periodically for good instruction on tying effective patterns. The photographs add so much clarity in understanding the techniques. Notice the ribbing is counter wrapped over the peacock.
Red Tag Dry ~ Fly Tying Romania
Damsel Fly~SwittersB
Inexpensive paint brushes in that gray-green-brown hue. Usually a bit ragged on the ends but a good supply of cheap fibers to form wingcases or ribbing material. Durable, pliant and takes a permanent marker.
Thirty or forty years ago, some writers offered that if you had to carry but one fly it should be the Muddler Minnow. No doubt those were Brown Trout chasin’, streamer throwing anglers. In fact, the Muddler was reportedly a 1930′s Minnesotan creation for big Canadian Brookies (ok, for the foolhardy brookies). The pattern represents Sculpins and other small, bottom dwelling fish. It can even be tied with a bullet head (duck!) to keep its’ normally unweighted body down. To be honest, I have never done well with this traditional pattern. Why? I believe because I have not diligently fished the fly. I am not a streamer chucking FFer, yet the largest Rainbow trout I have ever brought to hand was on a Spruce Fly while fishing a non-private lake. I have not given the traditional pattern a fair shake.
Below is another variation of the Muddler that I tied (I tied my Muddlers some time ago and there they set) is the Black Muddler. This pattern adds more flash and movement (black marabou and peacock herls).
I am not that great at spinning deer or elk hair. I spin it, make a mess and hack away with scissors or razor blade and come up with a fairly blunt head, which is said to be a good thing to create water displacement and gain the attention of predatory fish. There are quite a few variations for the Muddler.
Robert Burton's Bead Collection (Nymphs)
Go to Fly Fishing Manitoba and click on the above pic to see the full size (apologies to Robert for cropping pic to tease) and consider the possibilities of beads. You too can walk around a bead store making all the craft ladies nervous. Suggestion: take along some hooks you intend to use and experiment before you buy. Fly shop beads tend to be different (holes bored differently) than bead stores, often enormous options in a bead store. Some very interesting beads can be found. Some bead stores actually will know what you are up to.
Of interest, Bob notes that his pattern (on stillwaters) flips over and rides upside down. This may be the curved shank or the thorax area having too much material atop the shank. That aside, the beads are key here for color variations and segmentation. Bog remarks the patterns are effective tumbling down the stream.
http://www.david-dodge.com/misc/bikini.html
“A man posing as a customer told them his mother was on the way to the shop and the two of them planned to buy a present for his father.Long and the man went outside to try out a rod.”He could talk the talk and cast the cast,” said Long. Then, Long said, the man asked to see another rod. When Long brought it out, the “customer” and the $620 rod were nowhere to be found.
Hindsight…yes, yes. Some one is passing along some sweet deals on line.
GuysFliesPies advised me that Moldy Chum~America’s Most Wanted (no offense Mr. Barton) is already on the case! Only for the sake of clarity, from another life, ‘robberies’ is incorrect. A robbery requires a use of force to commit a theft. Unless there was a tussle or weapon displayed in the parking lot over a 5wt. these are probably Aggravated Felony Theft….that aside, the appropriate penalty is: tie him to an Aspen sans pants, coat his tenates in some bear bait and ………….. What? Oh? Well perhaps some form of rehab is in order.
“The result? DPD gumshoes caught their man red-handed while trying to sell his ill-gotten wares at a Lakewood pawn shop. Little Denver Barneys can now go to sleep at night without nightmares of waking up to a vanished Sage reel.” Westword.com
Bead Head (BH) Black & Peacock Spider (RiverFly.com.au)
EssentialFly UK
Nothing much to say….Peacock….use it! I do notice a unique use of Peacock on the bead head patterns above…notice the herl’s appear to be running parallel to the shank over the wound peacock underbody with a ribbing securing it.
Cajones Woolly Bugger (Black) Swede's Fly Shop
Found this pattern at FishEyeSoup; I believe the ‘cajones’ attached to the head of the fly are probably the type that are a long string of single eggs attached by a cotton cord. One can clip off single eggs or groups….or in this case ‘cajones’. I think the cajones may come in different colors if I recall correctly from my gear days. There is a Western Hemisphere Pattern similar in construction called the Tenates Fly (Chitoso Amigos)
A NW U.S. fly fishing entrepreneur, Jim Teeny, reportedly created the Teeny Nymph in the early 60′s on Oregon’s East Lake while chasing big browns and ‘bows. The pattern has been around since then, but frankly doesn’t seem to get the recognition it deserves. Given the material used, ringneck pheasant tail, it should be a hit with tiers. Perhaps it is that the pattern was aggressively touted as a Steelhead/Salmon pattern on NW/US waters and not trout? Perhaps, it seemed too drab; too simple? Well, the pattern is still around and has progressed beyond the original look with more colors and contrasts. Perhaps another look is in order?
Teeny Nymph (Steelhead/Salmon)
Teeny Leech Pattern
Teeny Nymph, Size 14
I have met Jim at shop presentations over the years and have always found him to be down to earth and approachable. If you see him at a show, walk up and start a conversation. He and his wife, Donna, are very nice people. Jim also has an excellent assortment of fly lines and other products.
