Fly Tying: Attending Expos Builds Skills

Yesterday, my wife and I attended the NW Fly Tying Expo in Albany, Oregon. Having attended this in past years, I have always gained inspiration and knowledge that improved my fly tying and helped kickstart my tying into Spring and Summer. We enjoyed visiting with friends from local fly shops and I really enjoyed loading up at Fly Tying Specialties (excellent resource for Czech Nymph/Caddis Pupa patterns) this year (they missed the show last year).

I know such expos are not held everywhere, but if you can get to one where a hundred plus tiers are present there is much to be learned. Techniques, materials, patterns are usually present that fits your interests. Often worth the long drive to gain that inspiration and renew acquaintances. How to’s, networking, learning are available at many levels. Whip finisher video. 

Fly Tying: Dubbing Brushes

 

Caddis Pupa Style Nymph (Czech w/o backstrap & ribbing)

I have mentioned dubbing brushes before. They are not necessarily superior to standard dubbing techniques, but they are a treat…like a special dessert now and then. I always buy some when attending the FFF fly fishing gathering in Albany, Oregon (March 2011, look for it). Fly Tying Specialties offer them in single, double and triple color options. In the pattern above, I use a 3 color variation. Tie and and wrap. The brushes never fail to please.

NW Fly Tying Expo (Albany, Oregon….One Day Left)

Dropped in at the NW Fly Tying Expo in Albany, Oregon today. One day remains..Saturday, March 13, 2010. The show has steadily grown. The show is a nice Spring time boost of spirits and a good learning format for fly tying. Today there was a nice balance of tyers, featuring trout, steelhead and the more artistic Atlantic Salmon patterns.

I saw my favorite fly tying materials vendor, Fly Tying Specialties out of Petaluma, California at the show and acquired a selection of materials I have not seen available at any fly shops. The materials seem centered around the Czech Nymph, but the materials can be used for all manner of fly patterns.

Also, I came across two men, Mike Barnum and Dan Kellogg out of Medford, Oregon. They are starting to establish a business ventures called Tyers Tool Shop. Mike Kellogg has developed nice looking tying stations and Mike Barnum has machined classy fly tying tools.

A portent of things to follow came today as I arrived at the Expo. My camera battery was dead. No problem, I would snap photo’s with my new crackberry. Well, I took pics of Barnum, Kellogg and their craftsmanship and where those pics went, hell if I know. Disappointingly, I write this piece with no pics and I told Mike & Mike that I would create a nice piece highlighting their work.

Their website is in development, but will be active. They can be reached at  Tyers Tool Shop, 403 Picadilly Circle, Medford, Oregon, 97504 (541) 210-0949 or Barnum’s Machine Shop, 1684 Spring Street, Medford, Oregon 97504, (541) 772-5315.

Mike Barnum told me, he and Dan Kellogg have been ‘operating out of a shirt pocket’. Having full time careers while trying to develop and market a dream project is admirable. All the piss poor photographer can say is they had quality tying stations and fly tying tools. If you hit the show tomorrow in Albany, Oregon look them up and support their first marketing effort.  Mike and Mike…sorry about the pictures.

Fly Tying…the Dredging Pupa (Chuck and You Better Duck)

The pattern is a heavily weighted and meant for lobbing and dredging on a short, controlled drift..ala Czech Nymphing. The fly possesses all the weight required to sink to the bottom of any deep drift. I did not weight the hook, but instead bought hooks with molded lead (they come with titanium also, I believe). Such hooks are available in Europe and the U.S. You could try wrapping lead and concocting your own. I found the hooks at one of those yearly outdoor shows via Fly Tying Specialties.

I tied a few patterns with the weighted hooks. Of note are the bodies made of wrapped latex rubber strips and the dubbed thorax with dark deer hair. Jeff Morgan, an excellent tier, first showed me the dubbed deer hair thorax. I seldom see it used. The pieces of cut deer hair can be twisted onto the thread (not easy) or placed between the dubbing loop and spun (easier). Don’t over do the amount of deer hair. A dark permanent marker was used to touch up the thorax area to give a two tone appearance.

The above hook was covered with a fly pattern but I cut it away to expose the weighted underbody. I knicked the rear a bit with the scissors. Below are a few of the flies I tied using this style of weighted hook.

My lighting was off for these pics. So not as crisp as I would have liked….but you get the idea and I think see the value of the deer hair thorax.