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

[rgfixit]

I know you guys are tying for the spring. I've been tying my bluegill buggers and working on my "Ugly Clouser".

I tried some Ausable Uglies last year and they were a real producer. Thought I'd try one in a Clouser pattern.

#12 n-curve hook
6/0 grey Uni
1/8" brass dumbell
raccoon tail...tail (save the under fur for dubbing)
Medium copper wire




Dub a loose body. I mixed muskrat, raccoon and coyote leaving the longer guard hairs.
Bring the wire forward and tie off behind the head.


Cover the head with dubbing
Don't know why this picture came out green. It's really grey


Tease it all out to make it look "buggy".





I think it might just work

The "Mini Buggers" are my spring time go to for big gills.

What are you all tying??

RG

[Bluegillonafly]

Rg....Nice.  Could you do the same instructional for your "mini-buggers" or have you done that already?

[rgfixit]

Happy to. Stay tuned

Are you playing with foam bugs yet?

RG

[Bartman44]

Looks good RG.

Lost my classic streamer box somewhere this past fall that I use for my Maine and New Hampshire trips.    Been busy and now I have two full boxes for the Maine smelt run.    Here's a sample of some recent ties.  Still need to paint some eyes on these.   

 

[rgfixit]

Very nice! Just when you're about finished renewing your supply, you'll find that lost box

RG

[rgfixit]

Here you go
It's a basic Bugger just down sized. Colors are up to you. (Olive is good)

#10 hook
crimp on bead. Joanne Fabrics in the jewelry section
medium copper wire
hen hackle
medium chenille
6/0 thread




The stuff I use.



Crimp the bead on the hook and lock it in place with thread.



Pull some webby fibers from a hen hackle and tie in a bunch for a tail about as long as the hook.



Tie in your wire on top and prep a hen hackle thus.


Tie in the hackle by the tip and chenille on top


Bring the chenille forward and tie it off



Bring the hackle forward taking 2 or 3 wraps at the head and tie it off


Pull the hackle back and form a small collar with thread then bring the wire forward. You need to kind of weave the wire around through the hackle so it doesn't flatten everything down. Tie the wire off behind the head.


Twist on a small noodle of dubbing



Form a small dubbed collar


I apply some super glue to the thread and take several wraps before whip finishing. Makes a tough fly!


Tease the collar back.


Voila'......A "Bob's Blue Gill Killer"


Have fun!

RG

[rgfixit]

A quick tip on dubbing and bead/hook storage.

I make my own dubbing boxes from cheap Plano boxes. Just a couple of bucks each. Drill some holes in the bottom.


Beads and hooks are a pain so I use these bead storage things I found on Ebay for around $7 each. The containers are 3/4" deep  by 1 1/4" or so round. They've worked out great. I have a bunch of them.


RG

[Bartman44]

Very nice! Just when you're about finished renewing your supply, you'll find that lost box

RG

That wouldn't be a bad thing. I went through a weird stretch this fall where I mysteriously lost a number of items including the box, my remote camera shutter release, a set of keys, etc. I thought it might be my family playing mind games with me but I gave up on that theory. As always, in looking for the box, I found all sorts of other items that I had lost and completely forgotten about.  

[Bluegillonafly]

Rg...Thanks for the instructional.  Yep, still doing the gurggle pops.

[rgfixit]

Won't be long now. Couple of months and we'll be watching those foamy flies disappear with a big slurp

RG

[fishgalore]

Here's some recent ties, both for Steelhead and local trout:
Pheasant Tails

Stoneflies, Wooly Buggers



Flashback Pheasant tail, Pheasant tail, Bead head Caddis Puppa, Misc. Midge puppa's various colors/sizes, Brassie's various colors, Variation Black Beauty.

[rgfixit]

I knew there were more addicts around

Nice looking ties.

RG

[fishgalore]

Thanks Rg..........got 4 tying classes in February starting tonight. Then I need to learn some flies for the swing now that I bought a Switch rod. Definitely gonna use it on the lake this summer for Smallies & Wallies to see if I can licit a take. Your ties are excellent.

I also want to set up a table exclusively for tying with lighting, storage, tools, etc, so I can do it more regularly. Currently I put it all away when done then have to set up each time which is a pain. Only good thing is that on bad weather days I've had blocks of 6 or more hours to tie.

The Pheasant tails in the top photo are for Steelhead tied on beefier hooks than the ones on the bottom.

[rgfixit]

Classes are great. I've taken some over the years and I always walk away with something new and good. There's limitless technique in fly tying.

If you really like the PT Nymph, watch this video of Frank Sawyer tying his original. Nothing but wire stripped from old lamp cord and a hank of pheasant tail.

Frank Sawyer, Pheasant Tail Nymph

I'd also suggest some time watching Davie McPhail tie. He has tons of You Tube videos. An outstanding tier with an amazing sense of proportion.

I'm lucky enough to be an "Empty Nester" with an extra room for my fishing addictions. My Bride acquiesced when we moved out of our house and into a smaller, more economical duplex and let me take over the room.  As long as I contain it, she's happy which, in turn, means I'm happy

RG

[fishgalore]

Classes are great. I've taken some over the years and I always walk away with something new and good. There's limitless technique in fly tying.

If you really like the PT Nymph, watch this video of Frank Sawyer tying his original. Nothing but wire stripped from old lamp cord and a hank of pheasant tail.

Frank Sawyer, Pheasant Tail Nymph

I'd also suggest some time watching Davie McPhail tie. He has tons of You Tube videos. An outstanding tier with an amazing sense of proportion.

I'm lucky enough to be an "Empty Nester" with an extra room for my fishing addictions. My Bride acquiesced when we moved out of our house and into a smaller, more economical duplex and let me take over the room.  As long as I contain it, she's happy which, in turn, means I'm happy

RG

Sawyer is talented and used no hand tools other than a scissor and brush at least in that video. Interesting stuff.

I like your ideas for storage and dispensing. I'll have to look at the local Dicks shop since I have a $50 gift card for there. And especially for the dubbing and beads. I may have an "empty nest" room available soon! Haha that'll be fun to see who gets to use it for what!

We tied 2 patterns last night and both were pretty simple. Maybe I can post his example and my tie in each case. The first was a Hendrickson the second a Red Quill. Both are dry flies but the 2nd is an emerger. There's plenty of room for improvement.