Hey Fly Tiers...What's In The Vise?

[Linc]

Can I substitute hard cider for beer?

[rgfixit]

Geez....it sounds like a two Heineken fly. Pretty expensive tying there.


Rg

[IFF]

I was thinking the same thing, but think I was seeing double

[MattyP123]

Been playing around with some quick tying golden stones, this recipe "idea" is nearly done, only a few more things to improve. The body looked better before the black sharpie got heavy in my hand 

[perchgypsy]

Looks good Matty...hey you don't have to eat it just a fish or 10 

[trapper2000]

looks  great  matty...... the  one  thing  all good  nymphs  share  is   ,they look  "buggy"  and  you captured  that .... i'd  tie that  on for  sure ,nice fly

[trapper2000]

one thing I suggest  everyone   put in their fly  box  is  some  cicada patterns  we will experance  the  17 year  cycle  this  year....large trout and  bass  love  these  insects  so be ready

[one last cast]

My twist on the slump buster.

[perchgypsy]

one thing I suggest  everyone   put in their fly  box  is  some  cicada patterns  we will experance  the  17 year  cycle  this  year....large trout and  bass  love  these  insects  so be ready

there was a hatch like 4 years ago

[trapper2000]

way I read the map we should get some on long island and the southern tier pa and the ohio vally

[MattyP123]

first off, it's a shame this thread fell to the 3rd page! Do any of you "seasoned" guys have a trick for getting tiny bead heads on tiny hooks? It's almost humorous going from  size 18 (easily manageable) to a 20 or 22 hook. I'm only tying midges, but that being said, I spend 5 minutes barb smashing/getting the bead on and 2 minutes tying. What are some of your tricks?!?!?
P.S. Saw a couple hoppers doing some yard work yesterday evening 

[trapper2000]

go to joannes fabrics get a clump on  magnifying  lens .....it really helps when you can see what your tring to do

[boondox]

first off, it's a shame this thread fell to the 3rd page! Do any of you "seasoned" guys have a trick for getting tiny bead heads on tiny hooks? It's almost humorous going from  size 18 (easily manageable) to a 20 or 22 hook. I'm only tying midges, but that being said, I spend 5 minutes barb smashing/getting the bead on and 2 minutes tying. What are some of your tricks?!?!?
P.S. Saw a couple hoppers doing some yard work yesterday evening 

what kind of beads are they cause I got tricks to get the correct sized bead to fit snugly around the bend of a 18 or even 22 fly hook grow longer thumb nails  for this.. but  I just clipped mine so I will try to get a picture on how to hold it with one hand cause the other has to take the picture.... I hold it buy the shank of the hook with hook point aiming towards thumb nail bead loaded correctly... direction small size if applicable of bead hole facing the eye of the hook or headed that way   ... with the other hands thumb nail I get it to pop over the barb of the hook with out getting the hook under the nail very pain full if you do.. just a tip will try to get the pick later if you don't under stand what's said here. so let me know if you cant under stand this cause pictures are worth a 1000 words some times..   

[rgfixit]

First of all, I haven't spent much tying the last couple months. Tied up a boat load last winter.

Second, #22 with beads? Testing our skills are we? The older you get , the larger your flies get. I figure in 10 years or so, barring any miracle advances in eye site restoration, my flies will resemble 2/3 of a whole Rhode Island Red on a hook

Tiny beads can be a challenge. Especially with my xxl hands. Getting hold of the blasted thing is hard enough. Lining it up so one can get a tiny hook through it Without booking a thumb in the process is near impossible.

Barbless hooks are pretty much a must.

There's a tool out there that looks like a large fender washer with a number of small depressions drilled in it around its perimeter. I made a couple for smaller beads using the drill press and a selection of bits.

The idea is to place the bead in the depression and, using a tweezer or forceps to hold the hook, simply put the hook through the bead eye and pick it up. It worked .....sort of.

There's are beading tweezers form craft stores that have rubber tips. They work ok.

My best trick is a Popsicle stick with a piece of 2 sided tape  about 1/2" long on one face. Lightly pick up a bead with the taped end and thread the hook through the bead.  I've gone so far as to place the hook in the vise by the shank and, using the Popsicle stick, ease the bead onto the hook. It's a good concept that could easily be improved upon.

The last tip is to work over something that will catch the beads when you drop them. You'll drop them! I like using the little foil pans Walmart sells for bbq. They're about 5x8" and an inch deep. 3 for $.88. I use them for all kinds of stuff.

Hardline Dubbin sells a small silicone bead pad that has little dimples to keep beads from rolling around the bench. I've never tried one but it looks like a pretty good solution.

If a person were to invent a universal bead dispenser that aligned a bead so that it could be threaded and removed, he would make millions.

My last idea is to pay a group of Girl Scouts $.25 a hook to do them for you.
Rg

[trapper2000]

My last idea is to pay a group of Girl Scouts $.25 a hook to do them for you.
Rg

this is clearly cheating!!!!!!  but I approve of it ....I only pay a dime