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Flies — 6 Comments
15
Mar 11

Bonefish Flies for South Andros by Idylwilde

This is from Deneki, of course, as they present 5 Idylwilde patterns for South Andros.  You have to like the Idylwilde blog… the tag line is “Marinated in Awesomeness.”

Nice tie from the Idylwilde folks.

5. Paulson’s Bunky Shrimp: This little pattern, in sizes 4& 6, is a uniquely tied “shrimpy” pattern. I used this last May to great success on the shallower East side flats when we were hammering the bones coming out of the inland mangroves. It turns over delicately at distance and the braid over the top of the body helps to keep it gack-free.

via Bonefish Flies for South Andros by Idylwilde.

These patterns all look pretty interesting to me.  I’ve noticed touches of orange or pink in most all of these, as well as, in general, a generous helping of rubber legs.  This particular fly, the Paulson’s Bunky Shrimp, doesn’t have the rubber legs, but… well… it could, I suppose.  A unique looking offering and I’ve been trying to tie up some approximations.

Voila... legs.

Maybe the legs are a bit long, but I figure it is better to start long and trim.  I once (a LONG time ago) was getting a haircut and was asked if I wanted more or less hair.  Yeah… start with more and trim back, harder to go the other way.

I’m still busy at the vice… still trying to fill up my boxes with goodness and flies I have confidence in throwing.  I figure I pulled 40 flies out of my two bonefish boxes… flies I just wasn’t feeling.

Tying is fun.  What can I say?

Seeing a post over at Michael Gracie’s about the same, exact fly.  His version looks good.

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Flies — 3 Comments
12
Mar 11

Peterson Spawning Shrimp – TCO Fly Shop

I started thinking about Peterson Spawning Shrimp, a pattern MG mentioned he had tied up in preparation for Andros.  I decided to turn again to my old friend and fly tying teacher, Mr. Yew-toob, to see what he had to say on the subject.

A nice tutorial from the TCO Fly Shop surfaced.  TCO Fly Shop is out of PA.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6AF_3RhxGY?rel=0

I gave it a shot… it would help if I had more rabbit that wasn’t orange… so, I’m improvising a bit.

 

OK… maybe not there yet.

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Flies — 1 Comment
10
Mar 11

Kids are Cool… Gurgler Fly Tying Video

When I was this kid’s age I wasn’t tying flies.  I was still in the grips of gear fishing and was dreaming of steelhead trips with my dad. I think this kid is going to out tie me pretty soon.  Maybe this won’t be your next saltwater tie, maybe it will, but I just think it is cool this kid is focused and doing this stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wuR5X3l3s0?rel=0

 

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Flies — 14 Comments
07
Mar 11

Variations on a theme… the reverse Gotcha

I’ve been playing around at the vice a bit and maybe there is already a name for this style of fly but since I don’t know it, I’ll just call it a Reversed Gotcha.  Basically, this means putting the eyes toward the back of the fly.  In truth, I have a hard time staying that focused at the vice.  I find myself tying one this way, one that, one a third way.  If I sit down to tie a half dozen flies, I end up with six flies that are all unique.  Tying is fun though, so I won’t beat myself up for that.

I’ve also been putting a strip of Clear Cure Goo or Rio Knot Sense on the top and bottom of the fly and I really like the way it looks.

Here are some of the recent ties.

Clear Cure Goo under the UV lamp.

The reverse with a little hot bunny tail.

Bigger fly, a #1, I think, with Fox as the wing.

Throw in some rubber legs.

Heavier eyes, in case I get over to the West Side.

A #6 with just the flash for a wing.

I’ll bet these will catch fish, but I understand a great number of flies will catch fish out there.  I look forward to throwing some of these flies at those Androsian fish.  Catching a fish on a fly you’ve tied is a great feeling… one I hope to experience over and over and over again.

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Flies — 13 Comments
22
Feb 11

My vice bites the dust

The thing really isn’t even that old… I think it is about three years old.  I don’t think it should be breaking at this point… but alas, it has.  I was putting a #2 in the jaws there and “snap.”

Damn.

Yeah… it wasn’t a really expensive vice, but still… should probably last more than a couple-three years.  So… I’m in the market for a vice.  The price points are really, really varied…

If I wanted to break the bank I could spend $690 for one of these… A Master Swiss Vice.

Damn... that's a lot of scratch

I am probably just an ignorant fly tier as I can’t imagine what this can do for me to justify the price.  The truth is it probably can’t do anything for me, as I probably lack the skills needed to demand any Swiss tool beyond the army knife.

Michael Gracie has a more viable option for me…

That's $9.57

In truth, I’ll probably spend more than $9.57, but I’m not breaking the bank.  Andros is coming soon… going to have to get on this.

UPDATE: Through the generosity of strangers, I’ll be getting a lightly used Griffin vice.  Awesome.

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Flies — 6 Comments
10
Nov 10

Bouncer Flies, the Avalon and something new.

I was looking around for some different flies to tie and came across the Avalon Fly, named after one of the big boys of Cuban fishing.  It had a mono loop on the underside of the fly with beads hanging loosely on the loop.  This was something I hadn’t seen before, so I tied a couple up and asked around about the theory behind the fly.  I was directed to the Bouncer  Flies website, which sheds some light on the topic.

A new construction method that can make exciting new patterns, and will improve many old favorite flies.

via BOUNCER FLIES.

While I didn’t have all the colors that I saw on the Avalon, I did try to tie some up to see how it might all come together.  The Avalon is supposed to be primarily a permit fly, but it might be fishable for bones and maybe even tarpon… we’ll see if it even gets broken out of the  fly box in Belize.  Something new at the vice, which is always interesting.

A first go at the Avalon.

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Flies — 2 Comments
16
Oct 10

Tying

I guess if I can’t be fishing, tying is a weak compromise.  I do enjoy it… which is kind of odd.   I’m not exactly a detail oriented person and fly tying certainly has that kind of feeling.  It mystifies my wife how I can sit there for a couple of hours and just wrap thread around variously sized bits of wire.

Tying Central... important that it closes up so small fingers don't get ahold of pointy things.

For the most part I am a self taught tier.  I never took a class, but I did spend a summer as a guide at Clearwater House (now Clearwater Lodge) and after the fishing was done the guides all sat around in the guide shack and tied.  I picked up more than a couple pointers in that setting.  I also used to go down to the Golden Gate Angling and Casting Club and sit around and tie with some of the old guys. This was about a decade ago, maybe a little longer… I certainly learned some things there.

I do wish I had the time to take some classes though… I’ve never had to learn a dubbing loop and that is coming back to bite me in the arse as I’m trying to put together some Black Death’s for Belize.  There is no dubbing loop required in a #20 zebra midge or a #16 bead head flash back PT.  That kind of tying requires little skill and values speed and numerical output over precision and detail.  A messy tie in a #16 still looks pretty close to a good tie in a #16.  A sloppy tie in a 3/0 looks like a frigging disaster.

Not totally ready for prime time Tarpon Flies

I find that by the time I get in a groove when I’m tying it is usually time to close up shop for the night so I can get a good enough night’s sleep to keep up with the whirlwind of activity that is my 3 3/4 year old.

I am starting to like the way my merkins (legged and legless) are looking, so at least there is that.

Leggless Merkins with weed guards (weed guards are new to me)

See you at the vice.

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15
Oct 10

Uff da

Uff da.

I try really hard to keep things here slanted toward the world of bonefish, even if my every day existence is really not too bonefishy.  Sometimes I fail.

Today, my trusty Xterra blew a head gasket.

This car has taken me to many, many fishy places, mostly in California and Oregon.  A 9 foot rod can be put in the car without being broken down.  The roof in the rear is full of flies broken off before I put the rods away and stored there, just in case.  This car could make the trip down the dirt road to Ah Di Nah in 15 minutes, regardless of road conditions.  It had great clearance so I could go over rocks, not around them.  This was a great fishing vehicle.

More recently, the right side passenger window has accumulated a rather impressive layer of Trader Joe’s stickers.  There are very small socks strewn about the floor of the back seat, along with discarded Goldfish crackers, wet wipes, hair clips and used tupperware containers.

The car, like myself, has lived many lives.  This, however, may be the end.

When the bills start coming in, I tend to think of them in terms of trips, rods or plane tickets.

This little adventure through automotive hell is likely going to = 4 plane tickets.  Four plane tickets = 2 trips to Belize = 4 new 8 wts = 8 less expensive 8 wts.

Having said all that, I’m going to go tie some flies… I’m filling up my fly boxes for Belize and El Pescador.  I’ve got a lot of Legless Merkins and need to add several more regular Merkins.

I could buy flies… but I really enjoy catching fish on flies I’ve tied.  There is something immensely satisfying about that.

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Flies — 1 Comment
11
Oct 10

Every Christmas is unique

I was looking at the many variations of the Christmas Island Special.  Now, there isn’t a whole lot TO a Christmas Island Special, but still… on a fly as sparse this, there still seems to be room for everyone to tie it differently. Seems that there are many variations on the theme with a couple of key hallmarks.

1. Big eyes

2. Lots of flash

Beyond that… some have calf-tail, some have flashabou and others crystal flash, some have craft fur.

I guess there is a standard…  I mean… if Kaufmann tied it and Umpqua has his name on it… that’s probably it, isn’t it?

From the Umpqua gallery.

Other variations…

Same fly, different tail from Black Fly Outfitter

This one from Black Fly comes with a weed guard, that looks like calf tail on the wing and crystal over. The interesting thing to me is that the tail is actually straight flashabou… in pearl by the look of it… I have that at my tying desk and love the material.

Same fly, from Cabela’s.

Cabela's... I dont' shop there.

I’m going to call that Craft Fur & Crystal under the fur.

So… here is what I think is the lesson… tie it how you want… if you want to tweak your fly, tweak it.  Throw out the step-by-step. Tie how you want… it will probably catch fish as long as the eyes are on straight and the colors aren’t out of place.

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16
Jul 10

I love nap time

Being a stay-at-home-dad (SAHD) has many drawbacks and many benefits.  I can’t pick up and head off to, say, South Andros, when an opportunity comes up, but I also get to watch my little girl grow/learn/play.  Beyond the fact that I got to watch just about every World Cup match (GO USA), I also get a bit of free time, sometimes, in the middle of the day.   This is called “nap time.”

Today, I sat down at the vice.  I tied a couple of green masses that I hope resemble some sort of plant matter the carp in Los Gatos Creek might eat.  I also tried my hand at tying some Merkins… again.

I had a little bit of a breakthrough on the Merkin front… I’ve been over-thinking this pattern, it seems, putting too many steps in, putting too many wraps in too many places.  I’m happy to say I’ll be adding Merkins to my fly boxes for my next saltwater trip… whenever that may be.

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