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

[rgfixit]

Tying flies is just like when you were a little kid. Mom would give you a giant box of crayons and a pile of blank paper and you're imagination was your guide. The past few days while I was fishing I kept thinking about a new pattern for a smallish damsel fly. I might sit down at the bench and try a few today. Point is, it's always in my thoughts.  Sometimes I put myself to sleep at night tying patterns in in my head. Pretty weird ain't it?

3 of my most  productive warm water flies are patterns I've never seen anywhere but on my bench. They're productive because I fish them more than any other flies I have in the boxes. Those flies get the attention and time to vary the presentation enough to find out what's making the fish bite on a particular day. Fishing is 90% presentation and 10% equipment.

But......we sure have a lot of fun with the equipment 

Rg

[rgfixit]

So I started playing with the Damselfly pattern.






The furled Antron tail has real possibilities.
Rg

[fishnmachine]

I like it. What size hook, 10? In my mind's eye, I can see it in an iridescent blue.... 

[rgfixit]

That's a #12 Maruto barbless nymph hook. I thought the wider gap and light wire would help keep it floating and increase the hookup rate. Yeah, blue would be great. I think I'll tie a few more like this and then buy more materials

The furled tail is much easier than other detached tail methods.

Rg

[rp dog]

All great looking flies by everyone. I got sidetracked by garage demo and turkeys my wife let four jakes walk all less than 10 yards. Don't blame her we would rather hunt them than kill them. My son says we're undercover tree huggers!!

[big_guy_13021]

I like those flys i been slacking...i been resting...gotta see the doc on friday my ankles are swollen cant hardly walk...its hard to tie flys with my legs up..ill be back in business soon  ..

[merkleyb]

As the old saying goes, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder". That's especially true when YOU BE HOLDING a beauty you caught on one of your own home ties! 

We got a lot of rain locally overnight Monday (of course I had Tuesday off) and the creeks were running high and dirty. In hopes that our local stream would drop and clean up enough to be fishable by late afternoon I sat and tied up some #12 flash back Pheasant tails with a fine copper rib and copper bead head. I used the large size gold holographic tinsel for the flashback. The first two stops I made were a bust because the creek was still too dirty, but near the top end of the stream where it's much faster and smaller, I caught four nice Brook trout (stocked) in the 10" range on my 3 wt. That end of the stream was rippin' but at least it had cleaned up good.

WK

No....Beauty is in the eye of the BEERHOLDER...

[merkleyb]

That's a #12 Maruto barbless nymph hook. I thought the wider gap and light wire would help keep it floating and increase the hookup rate. Yeah, blue would be great. I think I'll tie a few more like this and then buy more materials

The furled tail is much easier than other detached tail methods.

Rg

Looks good RG....Try a small thread of torn blue jeans for tail sometime. Good color and most of us have a pair of jeans with holes in it.
I gave all of those flies away, so I don't have a picture - but it works good for damsel or bluet patterns.

[trapper2000]

very nice RG   

[rgfixit]

Tied a couple more today. I'm trying to work in some foam. It'll get there.


Rg

[fishnmachine]

Imagine....I myself had envisioned foam...   :
 

[WANNAKETCHUM]

I'm not currently able to post pics because my digital camera died and my old style flip phone (yes, flip phone) takes HORRIBLE pictures but, I'm working on a pattern that incorporates mostly red materials. I recently discovered a free (waste material) at work that's very similar to Swannundaze that I use for the body. I've tied some flies with it that I used for ice fishing and they worked well so I believe it's worth using. I also have a pile of barred turkey feathers died red that were leftover from back in the day when folks were making there own cedar shaft arrows. Not to mention the countless other materials that are available in red. I'll probably tie it with a red glass bead head and rib it with small silver wire or oval tinsel. I may add a soft hackle or wing... maybe both, I haven't determined yet whether I'm gonna tie a wet fly or nymph. To be continued...

WK

[rgfixit]

Imagine....I myself had envisioned foam...   :
 

I have a bunch I've done with all foam and hair wings. I'm just playing with that furled tail idea.

Rg

[rp dog]

I have a bunch I've done with all foam and hair wings. I'm just playing with that furled tail idea.

Rg

I like furled tail section really makes it looks evenly segmented in even dimensions. Could not tell by picture but if it was sealed with something that would help it float. But I'm sure you already thought about that. Nice looking flies !!
 

[rgfixit]

Here's a couple with foam backs.




Fun pattern for sure.

Rg