Marjin Fratnik’s “F” Fly Revisited

I have highlighted Marjin Fratnik’s F fly series before. I think it is a perfect beginner’s fly pattern that has many variations in color, size and applications (caddis, mayfly, chironomid, stonefly). My only personal caveat is regarding cutting the ends of any feather. I would rather spend the time to stack/sort the feathers so they are uniform in length rather than trim them….just my personal choice. None the less, it is a simple tie and the CDC is magical. I am linking to the always helpful FlyForumUk for the step by step (SBS) visual tutorial on tying the F Fly.

Fratnik’s F Fly at The Essential Fly

 

Tenkara Bum Highlights The Unique Patterns

Check out the Tenkara sphere, which Anthony Naples does a good job demonstrating at his site Casting Around. There is much to learn here about fly pattern design, presentations and a technique that is appealing to some because of the simplicity. A minimalist approach for sure at Tenkara Bums.

TENKARA TALK PATTERNS

Tim Rolston’s Essential Fly Tying Techniques Now Downloadable!

Dear Gary GREAT EXCITEMENT HERE AT THE MOMENT. “ESSENTIAL FLY TYING TECHNIQUES eBOOK” is now available as a downloadable electronic format copy to anyone with an internet connection. Fly tying book for ipad,Kindle etc NOW AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD ON LINE You will have to forgive me if this is the second newsletter you have received in short order, and for any obvious excitement that may perhaps transfer to the writing, but I am excited and I suppose that there is no point in hiding that. You will no doubt we aware that I have been working hard at this electronic media stuff with electronic books available from Smashwords: The first one “100 Fly Fishing Tips Tricks and Techniques” has been receiving great feedback from as far afield as Scandinavia. I was very pleased with that and it was part of an on-going process of experimentation and learning in how this stuff all works. You need to remember that I never had a single computer lesson in my life. Some of this comes with a steep and frequently frustrating learning curve. More recently I was able to convert my previously published hard cover book “Learn to Fly-cast in a weekend” into a fully downloadable eBook and hopefully make that available to a far larger audience. It is difficult to get things noticed when you are sitting at the bottom of the African continent and finding publishers and distributors is a problem which is the main reason for going the electronic route. Although of course it also means that you the end user pay a lot less and that you can put these books on your Ipad or Kindle if you wish. However now I think that I have achieved the greatest success to date “Essential Fly Tying Skills” a book of critical fly tying information, full fly patterns and essential techniques supported by text, graphics and video has now been converted to a downloadable format. To achieve this, the videos have had to be provided as links instead of embedded in the book but other than that it is the same as the original CD based copy. What that means is that now this book is also available to a world-wide audience. Plus you can read it on a Kindle, an iPad, a PC, Sony reader or pretty much any other electronic reading device that you may wish to mention.  It offers the reader greater flexibility and opens up a far wider market, you can even “gift” a copy to someone so long as you have their email address. Send eBooks as a gift: As a new innovation from Smashwords you can now “Gift” a copy of a book to anyone around the world via email. Just follow the same links and look for the “Gift” option on the upper right-hand side of the page. Not only do these books offer instant download but at a far lower price than traditional printed copy. Of course it would be unfair to just tell you about something that I would like you to consider purchasing no matter how excited I may be so here is some free stuff for you as well. FREE Video links: Superglue Splice Goose Biot Spun Dun Cheater Soft Hackle Tying the marabou Muddler Minnow  a You Tube Video clip , one of the patterns featured in EFTT FREE E BOOKS: You can get yourself copies of Build your own fly fishing lanyard  a fact sheet on building a most useful addition to your kit. Who Packed your parachute. A short eBook on a new way of tying parachute flies. At NO COST. Plus: “An AFTMA fairy tale” The latest amusing and hopefully thought provoking post on THE FISHING GENE blog..   What people have had to say about Essential Fly Tying Techniques: Flyfishing Magazine South Africa: “WOW…Essential Fly Tying Techniques, was an absolute revelation…this platform is absolutely perfect for learning to tie flies. …anyone who has been deterred from trying their hand at tying flies because it seems too complicated should buy this ebook and start a whole new chapter in the fly fishing lives. Tom Sutcliffe: The Spirit of Fly Fishing Website: http://www.tomsutcliffe.co.za “This has to be the best way to learn to tie flies..engaging, ingenious and comprehensive..Embracing the three pillars of drawing, text and video..surely the first publication of its kind in the world.” SwittersB & Flyfishing Blog: swittersbwordpress.com “I was struck by the comprehensiveness, quality and forethought…Very enjoyable and impressive” Trout Fisherman Magazine UK: “Hits perfectly the sweet spot between brevity and comprehensiveness…allows cross reference between written word, detailed colour diagrams and video Other eBooks from this author available for instant download onto any electronic reader: Click on the image to download a copy of send one to a friend as a present. Finally: Well done to Western Province who walked away with the gold medal in the recent SA Fly Fishing Championships, held in Natal. Brilliant work guys.
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Fly Tying: Palmered Hackle…The Two Ways

Front To Rear w/ Copper Wire to the Front

Jay Nicholas demonstrates the front to rear, reinforced method. I have never used it much. Excellent for reinforcing the hackle to provide durability from gnarly teeth and forceps. 

David Cammiss Shows Both Palmering Methods Here

I learned the Rear to Front-Unreinforced Method. I rarely have had the hackle break on a Woolly Bugger or Elk Hair Caddis. Practice both methods and see how durable it is for you. 

I have to admit that much of the fly tying durability techniques: head cement, reinforcing the hackle with wire, double whip finishing at the head, head cement on the shank before wrapping the thread or body….have never proven necessary for me…yes, I do on occasion catch enough fish to test that practice.

The only place I have had flies separate from fish teeth or forceps is the front hackle. So, I would imagine my securing of the hackle was amiss. Rarely has the thread head unraveled. And, truly if a fly is falling apart from too many fish or their sharp teeth then ‘hooray for me!!!’

Fly Tying: Suggestive Dubbing

Is this a perfect pattern for a beginning fly tier? A dubbed green abdomen and the teased out darker thorax on this little gem makes for a productive emerger/pupa pattern. FlyMagazinecComBr   Dubbing for the Beginner

New Fly Fisher: Take Fly Tying Classes

As Fall nears this is a great time to contact your local fly fishing shop or community college and check out the availability of fly tying classes. It is a never ending  journey when learning fly fishing. Adding fly tying and fishing with your own creations elevates the enjoyment of solving puzzles of fly fishing. ‘The moment’ when you hook and play a fish on one of your creations will put a big smile on your face.

 

Fly Tying: SOS Baetis Nymph by Spencer Higa

Spencer Higa’s SOS Baetis Nymph: This simple nymph pattern, reputed to be a Mayfly nymph, is a nice beginner’s tie that is also likely productive. Click on green to see tutorial of simple, beginner’s tie.

Spencer Higa's SOS Nymph. Note here that there is a bit of a wing of Krystal Flash (like one-two small pieces) and a more spikey thorax (guard hairs from dubbing create 'spikey' or leggy appearance).

Fly Tying Materials: The Hoarding Gene?

I recently remarked over on the blog, Hoarding Woes, that some people involved in craft activities can display hoarding tendencies. I pulled out all my fly boxes, to display, as a hint of what enormous quantities of materials I have in so many containers that I make amazing discoveries all the time …”Oh, I forgot I even had that, those, these, them …”  

So, when my good friend Jim called to say, “I am cleaning out my barn and I have all these materials from Ralph (good friend, avid fly fisher that died 15 years ago) that I want to get rid of…” I said, without hesitation, ‘Sure, I’ll take it’. It was described as “some animal pelts, capes, yarns and a whole bunch of stuff.” 

My son was kind enough to go load it up while I was out of town. I came home to my garden shed loaded up. And, a tipping point has been reached: I really have no decent place to put it all. I am full up now. What was I thinking? And, so it goes….. I have a new boat load of 1970′s fly tying materials with some animal pelts that Ralph harvested somewhere over out of Prineville. The good thing is I feel a bit uneasy about this acquisition so maybe I am not quite so much a hoarder?

No Tell Motel Fly Tying

On the road. Near good waters, but no time to fish. All the gear is with me. Trout, Steelhead…I have it all save my pontoon boat. Sitting on a beaten down mattress. No high end here. Those nights in $130.+ rooms are gone. Lower rates. Lower expectations. Not even a muffin in the morning. Near the railroad tracks. Near the ebb and flow of vacationing transients. 

Year ’round, I have some form of  fly tying materials with me. I usually forecast ahead what I would need to have with me for Spring, Summer or Fall tying. I load up my little containers with materials for whatever I have not tied enough of earlier (usually after that long Winter tying binge).

Now I know this is really only applicable to the guy primarily confined to a vehicle or checking luggage on a flight. I drive the I-5 Corridor between Portland and Medford. I stay in motels, not hotels. More often than not, my outdoor experience is having the room window open to better hear the sirens.

I rarely wet a line. But regardless, I do keep tying, imagining and planning. If you can tie in a No Tell Motel, with all the noise, door slamming, yelling and trains rumbling by, you can certainly tie just about anywhere else, except maybe in an upriver, afternoon wind.

When the economy turns, if ever, I will be able to stay at a place with that skinny bacon, instant scrambled eggs and biscuits and gravy. Geeze, those were the days.  

Fly Tying & Fishing: Open Eye Hooks

The Gateway Hook Company unveiled their product about a year ago. I haven’t yet come across this open eyed hook in the shops I frequent. The concept is evident: no threading the eye of a hook, particularly a small hook. You or someone ties the flies on a Gateway No Tie Hook. A loop is constructed on the end of your tippet and cinched down around the open eyed hook. A blocking nub is at the end of the hook’s open wire eye to prevent the loop from sliding off. I will leave to your imagination/assessment as to what is saved or avoided with the product.  Gateway No Tie Hook Loop Knot Tutorials