“When it comes to minimum input and maximum output in the kitchen, beer bread is about as good as it gets. Five minutes of work reward you with a heavenly aroma wafting through the house and a warm, crusty loaf in under an hour.”
Fast water nymphing in and beside that riffly water and just below. Some say first light and last light are the times best for dredging a larva pattern. Perhaps, but I have done well with greenish larva patterns midday as well.
BACON! What is it about bacon?!
Years ago, I recall having tied some rolly polly Black Gnats. Little creations with red hackle tails, fat little yarn bodies and somewhat upright duck quill wings and black hackle. I remember the pattern catching trout. Yet, I have not thought about tying a Black Gnat in decades. Does anyone tie a Black Gnat?
Basic Black…use to be a mainstay for women’s attire and fly patterns to some extent. Maybe some basic Black Gnats are in order. The pattern was often tied in sizes 12-16. I am not sure if the Gnat was representative of a Chironomid (sometimes called a ‘gnat’). Regardless, the black silhouette could not hurt.
The most difficult tying technique, for an average tier, would be the pairing of the gray duck quill feather segments. Getting them paired and set atop the hook shank, then upright is the hardest part of the fly. Some tiers place a coating of a clear adhesive over the section of feather and let it dry. Then they cut the sections out, which are stiffer now, match them and prepare to tie the paired cut out section atop the shank. As you can see the wing can be swept back (wet fly style) a bit or upright in the more dry fly style.
Cover Art for 'Basic Fly Tying' by Ronald A. Howard Jr. (4-H Leader's Guide) 1911
Weather Related Photo Competition
My Aussie acquaintance, Jai Long (Free the Bird Photography), has entered his photograph of an approaching front at Byron Bay. The contestants have entered their weather related photographs. In my humble opinion, Jai’s photograph was most compelling. I believe the voting ended yesterday. I hope he won.
Byron Bay Approaching Front by Jai Long
