alexthegrrr8 Posted December 4, 2009 Report Share Posted December 4, 2009 Here are some ties that I have been working on. I was going to head out today but I didn't like the colour of the water. So i will be tying more flies today. The big poofy white one that I dubbed the "Abominable Bugger" was what I used the other day that worked. Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigugli Posted December 4, 2009 Report Share Posted December 4, 2009 None too shabby at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexthegrrr8 Posted December 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2009 None too shabby at all. Thanks Big. It's been a fun week. I'm really enjoying this. I haven't has a hobby since I was about 16 and this has already paid itself off. I've tied enough now that I've paid off the kit and most of the secondary material and equipment. Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexthegrrr8 Posted December 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2009 just completed a few more using a whip finisher for the first time. Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smerchly Posted December 4, 2009 Report Share Posted December 4, 2009 Good job Alex . You are waaaay ahead of this dude . My wife said she watched Martha Steward fishing a lake with a fly rod , then tying flies with her brother who is big on fly fishing ....so I guess anybody can learn to tie them . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyflinger Posted December 4, 2009 Report Share Posted December 4, 2009 nice ties man - I started tying about 2 years ago and its almost as addictive as fishing! Anything with rabbit strips will catch fish - great action even in slow water and holds its profile better than marabou when under water (in my uneducated opinion...). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted December 4, 2009 Report Share Posted December 4, 2009 Nice ties Alex !! Flyflinger is right on about the powers of the bunny strip. Right up there with good ole wooly bugger. Its hard to tell from the pic but it looks like the rabbit is on the top of the shank and the dumbell eyes are on the bottom ( hook point side). If you reverse this and have bunny on the bottom of the shank and dumbell eyes on the top. The fly will flip over and ride like a jig with hook point up. This will make your fly more snag proof and give good jigging action. To get the bunny on the bottom of the shank you have to pierce the leather of the strip. A good example of this is on the Grandriver troutfitters site. Search in the fly tying instruction page for " Redneck Rabbit ". Really there is no right or wrong way to tie flies just different ideas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexthegrrr8 Posted December 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2009 Thanks guys for your kind words. It is an addiction... big time. I'm loving every minute of it and flying blind for the most part. I need to grab some stuff to tie some Clouser Minnow's. I just finished a few more and I like how they turned out. Instead of the rabbit strip and bead chain I used the rabbit strip and lead eyes. It looks sweet!!!! the second one has the bead chain eyes and I made the profile with a small hump. I thought about palmering hackle along the top but opted not to. I'll have to try placing the rabbit strip on the bottom next time and try the more snag proof route. Flue... i forgot all about GRT's site. LOL..reminds me that I should head up there one day and say hi to OJ. Flyflinger... the one that I call the "Abominable" was all marabou... over chenille. The action on that is sick. It pulses more than anything I bought this year. .. and it has hooked fish. Man... I love doing this. Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexthegrrr8 Posted December 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2009 Good job Alex . You are waaaay ahead of this dude . My wife said she watched Martha Steward fishing a lake with a fly rod , then tying flies with her brother who is big on fly fishing ....so I guess anybody can learn to tie them . LOL... nice! Smerch get tying man. As I recall, you had a nice looking kit with tools and material right. LOL.. I never thought that I'd see the day where I'd be going to Michael's for myself. Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steellee Posted December 4, 2009 Report Share Posted December 4, 2009 Some nice lookin streamers. Streamer flies will only start to work better and better now that the temps are dropping ans the spawners are finished.(Salmon and Browns)They are a deadly winter bait for me especially in colored water Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted December 4, 2009 Report Share Posted December 4, 2009 Good move on the Clouser minnows Alex. They are fish catching machines !!!! I remember tying them quite some time a go and they just sat in my box because I did'nt like casting lead eyes. Then one day they came out and all hell broke loose. Now everything is a Clouser... Clouser bunny leech, bucktail and clouser crayfish. One thing that I'll mention is that people find it hard to get the bunny strips to sink fast, just too bulky. Just tie the bunny strip ( with dumbells ) on with a loop knot. With the loop knot the dumbell will point the fly nose down and it will go to the bottom like a freakin torpedo. This will get the weighted bunny to the bottom but not as good with a direct tie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexthegrrr8 Posted December 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2009 Here are the last two I tied.... I pretty much have decided to not worry about anything other than streamers for the moment. Basically for the same reason that Steellee said. As we get closer to March/April I'll be focusing more on nymphs, wet hackles and dries like the Adams. Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoeBaggin Posted December 5, 2009 Report Share Posted December 5, 2009 Those bunny clousers will produce great. One tip though. If you tend to fish the Niagara, tie the weighted eyes on the bottom side of the hook so that the point rides toward the surface. Save a lot of gear from the rocks! Nice ties! RB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pizmo Posted December 5, 2009 Report Share Posted December 5, 2009 nice looking flies Alex, i've been practicing to and learning as i go. Can't wait for thursday night have good weekend and see you thursday night Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Andrews Posted December 5, 2009 Report Share Posted December 5, 2009 OK I gotta get into this. I have all this fur and feathers around here I should have plenty of material without going to micheals May go to Peter's to buy a vice tomorrow if it's too windy to go kayaking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik.T. Posted December 6, 2009 Report Share Posted December 6, 2009 Great flies! Now you don't have to pay up to 3 bucks for a fly! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexthegrrr8 Posted December 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 6, 2009 OK I gotta get into this. I have all this fur and feathers around here I should have plenty of material without going to micheals May go to Peter's to buy a vice tomorrow if it's too windy to go kayaking. Chilli: Nice. If you have the material... why not? It's a blast and I can see yself doing ties when I can't get out. I was surprised that Michael's had what they did to be honest. Bead chain is cheaper to get at CT. My vice was the most basic of basic and it's working great. I might get a rotary down the rod but there really is no need. Speaking of fur and feathers... for some uncanny reason I've been finding myself looking at roadkill... lol a new development in my life. I've been told to steer clear though because of parasites. Erik: You're absolutely right about the money saved by making the flies yourself. Okay so the initial investment was about $75 for kit and materials. Most flies are around $2 at most places for a basic pattern not involving rabbit strip... once you get into rabbit strip and other material it jumps to $3+. The investment has already traded itself off. I love it... it's addictive. Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Andrews Posted December 6, 2009 Report Share Posted December 6, 2009 Alex I kill my own animals but I'm looking to maximize use so I don't waste anything so fly tying is a perfect fit. Especially if I can sell em. All animal parts are either eaten or cured so I don't worry about parasites. Once you've had your hands in the guts of a warm deer; parasites in the tail are your last worry Also you really only need the very tip of a roadkill's tail so snip it of right where the hair meets the body then put it in a sandwich bag with a tablespoon of borax. Give it a day then take it out and dry it for 3 or 4 and its ready to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul Posted December 6, 2009 Report Share Posted December 6, 2009 Probably the most important tool you'll use is a pair of good fly tying scissors. For people starting out I would suggest just buying a functional vice and bobbin and spend the extra money on good scissors. Whip finishing can be done by hand and a bodkin is just a hat pin or needle stuck in a cork. Another handy thing to have is the hook side of a piece of velcro with which to scuff up the bodies of nymphs. Keep it simple at first as you may not like it and there will be plenty of opportunity later to spend a fortune on tools, materials etc!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smerchly Posted December 6, 2009 Report Share Posted December 6, 2009 Speaking of WOOL ....My wife has every colour on the planet in all shapes & sizes . I noticed you can easily fray some of this acrylic & cotton material & it looks like it could be used for certain types of flies . While fishing Port Dal. a few days ago the first thing I ran into at the spot I fished was a pile of jay feathers ......this is the second jay in just a few days the hawks have been dining on . I added these feathers to my J-collection ........always carry some zip bags with you guys ! I haven't found a head nor foot on either bird.....just this much left of both birds..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Andrews Posted December 6, 2009 Report Share Posted December 6, 2009 My owls in Fort Erie dine on Blue Jays and Cardinals. This is probably why the Jays are always dive bombing the owl house. Question: Are all feathers good for tying fly's or do you just stick to the down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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