Dare I say it? Do most care? Well, those questions aside, as I am only concerned, this time, with what I care about: I hope Tiger Woods has some semblance of self control in his life. I want the drama confined to the golf course and links. Not driveway drama, but fairway drama. Drive it home hard Tiger. Leave those sleazy broads in the shadows. I want to see Tiger Woods dominate in the Masters and kick ass once again. I love watching the rest whine.
Archive for March, 2010
It seems as if I have been spent a good part of my parental life admonishing ‘don’t read in the dark’..’turn on a light so you can see better’…’would you turn on a light?’ or combinations of the above. So, it comes with practiced ease that I admonish you to not tie flies with improper lighting.
Room lighting or natural light will rarely be adequate for tying. Invest in an excellent quality light. At a recent show I noticed craft lights, Ott lights, goose necks, magnification lamps, office lamps and those little lamps that slide on to the shaft of the vise.
Another recommendation is the back drop you tie against. As you can imagine, your eyes are always focusing. If you want to strain that process try tying against a varied backdrop. Place a neutral colored backdrop behind the vise so your eyes only focus upon the hook and nothing behind. Some vises come with attachments that slide onto the shaft (like the lamps) and present a square, neutral colored plate behind the vise, for a neutral backdrop. Years ago, I recall Dave Hughes tying at a less than suitable venue. He unfolded a pale green cloth napkin. He laid it out slightly in front of the vise as this would be the area his eyes would be drawn to behind the fly. The napkin diverts the attention from the backdrop to the front. Remember your eyes can begin to play tricks on you.
Ostrich Quills Are Flat and Not Even
“Look at the ostrich quill before tying in. The fibers may not be even on both sides. Because the quill shaft is flat, you can tie it in so that the longer fibers will stick out from the hook shank when you begin to wrap it. Also, the fibers are curved and will bend forward or backward. Determine how you want the fibers before you tie the quill to the shank.” Wotton
15
Mar
10
Moles & Malignant Melanoma
Today at work, I noticed a young lady was wearing one of those support boots one wears after surgeries or sports injuries. I asked the usual ‘what happened to you?’ She hesitated, then offered an interesting story with flags for us all…she was bitten by a hobo spider on the ankle. Her leg swelled up and she headed to the ER. The ER doc looked at the bite and was concerned, but when he looked at the mole on her ankle, he was more than concerned. This young lady had noticed that odd mole on her left ankle for some time and was a bit annoyed with the occasional itch. A followup to a skin doc and tests confirmed the suspicions of the alert ER doc: a malignant melanoma. Invasive surgery resulted and so far they do not believe there was any permanent nerve damage or cancer. Time and rehab will tell.
A young (27 y/o) lady, not a sun worshipper, developed a mole on her ankle and but for a spider bite probably would not have received the immediate attention and successful intervention. Visit a skin doctor re any suspicious moles or skin oddities.
‘Malignant melanomas take the lives of more than 8,000 Americans a year, or about 13.5 percent of the people diagnosed with the disease, the Skin Cancer Foundation reports. Other forms of skin cancer are rarely fatal, although squamous-cell carcinoma can metastasize and result in death. But the situation isn’t bleak. If detected early, 99 percent of all skin cancers are curable.’ Skin Cancer
How to freely move duct tape to get the correct position: “Get a small spray bottle and fill with water. Next add a small amount of liquid dish soap (about 1 tsp/ liter). Mix. Spray this lightly on the surface you are going to apply your tape to….” DuctTapeNation
“Use this simple rule: If it’s not stuck and it’s supposed to be, duct tape it!….Duct tape sticks best to itself (if this happens to you, throw the piece away and start over). Duct tape sticks worst to wet stuff.” DuctTapeGuys
Professional Photography
Amateur Photography
13
Mar
10
Robot Fish & Pollution Detection
A robotic fish developed by scientists from Essex University is put through its paces in a special tank at the London Aquarium. It works via sensors and has…
Oliver Edwards' Caddis Pupa
I might do a teaser and say LaFontaine v. Edwards, but I figure that although Edwards may disagree on the prioritization of trigger points for pupa there is obvious respect.
Caddis contrasts and conundrums: Oliver Edwards
Deconstructing Gary: Bob Wyatt
These two articles are thought provoking re Caddis Pupa. From the type of hook (straight shank v. the popular curved pupa hook) to drooping dark wings and outrigger legs…there is a little here to experiment with: LaFontaine v. Edwards or LaFontaine & Edwards. Additional interesting ideas from Oliver Edwards re Caddis Pupae/Pharate
“I just started using that knot and like it. The part i wanted to comment on was helping out some lesser knowledged flyfisherman to enjoy the beautiful art of catching not just casting. The other day I was working on a good day in my favorite hole hooking fish. Often, a guy just down river was shaking his head. After a while I walked up and asked what he was using. I hooked him up with double rig setup: emerger and nymph. A few minutes later he had his first of three fish. Made my day and his too. Practicing random acts of kindness become contagious.” Brian Meade of LaPine, Oregon
Brian Meade stopped by SwittersB to comment upon a knot (cinch knot) he liked. But, he commented also about helping others less knowledgeable. Brian is right…one of the pleasures of this endeavor is sharing the knowledge. Feel your way and when the likely recipient is receptive, then share a bit and move on. Hopefully, they will pass on the kindness.
Old and simple, carved in stone effective..the North Country Spider. Northern UK, sparse and historical. Simple and functional. The pattern is too simple for some. I have mentioned this before, some flies are so simple that they immediately beg additions…stop! Don’t. Size 18 to big. Leave it alone.
Simple variety of thread colors. No tail, no ribbing, slender, only the tiniest of thorax if at all…a leggy two turns of hen or partridge or if small starling. A few spare parts twitching in the meniscus, life ending, life beginning, life undecided.
On stillwaters or glides or along the edges believe in that spindly silhouette.
Notice the body length does not have to occupy the length of the shank. Key point: reduce the thickness of the body. You will be tempted to adorn and flesh out the pattern. Have at it but save several dozen sparse spiders and give them a fair effort in a hatch. Mayfly, Chironomid or even Caddis, the North Country Spider is a great beginner pattern to tie and fish.Oh, the Anatomy pic is also a great resource at www.flydirectory.co.uk
I am not artistic. My son, Tony, has a decided talent in drawing and painting, but he didn’t get it from me. When I attended the NW Fly Tying Expo yesterday, I noticed the most tyers/tiers of Atlantic Salmon flies than I have ever seen assembled at a tying symposium. I appreciate the artist that creates upon canvas or paper. Dare I admit this, and no slight intended…honest…I cannot wrap my head around the required discipline of effort with the end result a fly on a plaque, on a wall. It is akin to painting a rose or peonies. If the fly is not fished (I know they were originally) my mind disconnects from the effort. This betrays my practical side and accounts for my ‘impressionistic’ tying and sloppy finish that no artistic tier could fathom as acceptable. That said, those tiers did have their attentive audience, so it resonates with some. When I taught fly tying, I once in awhile would have a beginning tier, always women, that wanted to learn to tie just to create. They did not fly fish; they had no intention of wetting their creations. They simply wanted to create for the satisfaction of art. So, for the artistically inclined, that might accidentally wander into an impressionistic slop fest: Shawn Davis Original Fly Design
