Recent comments

Submitted by Aleksandar on

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Rado thank you so much.I now understand the process and how to create the body. I have also watched the video you recommend and that has helped enormously.

You see I like the segmentation on your fly as opposed to the segmentation on the fly on Youtube.

Can you explain again how to create the segmentation ?

On your fly, would you say that the segmentation is created by how the yarn and dubbing is tied or is the segmentation created by the thread you use there.

The reason I ask so many details is that I really believe that this fly is one of the most important one I have seen so far. This is the food no fish in the river or lake will refuse if tied and presented correctly. That is why I want to tie it with perfection. That is why I need just a little more of your help.

Many thanks again and all the best.

Submitted by luis arriola on

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One thing I have to say to martin. wrong place to chase tarpon, exelent place for snook, want tarpon? chetumal bay or isla del sabalo campeche, even more fun:ciudad del carmen. best place:celestun yucatan.

Submitted by luis arriola on

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I was born in yucatan, I'm 49 years old, I do fly , spining, trolling, even hand line fishing, belive me, those guys know nothing about fishing in this area.I'm not a fishing gide becouse is not my buisnes. I work construction(civil engeenier) but I can get you in contact with serius guides, winners of turnaments all around the area.even national tournaments.

Carsten, the inlay do bulge on the first coat of epoxy. It take a few layers of epoxy and a little sanding to get the smoothness you might be looking for. At least that was the case when I did mine.
Paul

How about Salt water vs. Fresh water? Fast rivers vs. shallow streams? Morning vs. Dusk? Tell some stories.

Years ago when the trolling for salmon in the rip at tide change was over - we would strip the gear and tie a streaming fly and triple our speed. Watching the Silvers chase the lure skipping across the surface - fast darting streaks in the dark screen - now that was exciting! Watching the fish finder - showing the 15 pound hook nose buck Silvers circle around the boat and head into the fly at full speed - SLAM!!! Almost ripping the pole out of your hands if you were not alert - screaming clickers in the nearing sunset post card view. Nothing like it!

Since there are no more Elwa River 80# Kings and 60# Skagit River Chinooks anymore after they dammed up the rivers or Large hook-nosed Silvers seldom get thru past the nets traversing back and forth along the Strait of Juan de Fuca: I need a challenge for a change: single hand - two-handed - UltraLite - I am making titanium fly reels for each style. This is going to be fun and exciting.

There are several established groups and associations in Puget Sound - I will work on gathering up a list - maybe we can share our stories online - and share some pictures.

TitanPalmer

Hi Flywalleye, that sounds like some great fishing, which switch rod do you use? I am thinking of getting one for the Tongariro river and some light saltwater work.
Mostly I fish the beautful Tongariro or the Whanganui Rver upstream from Taumaranui. The Tongariro demands some fairly heavy gear as mostly I am casting big tungsten bead nymphs to get down. (if your not on the bottom your not fishing) So the Whanganui makes a nice change, I can get the 5 weight out and fish some dry fly or some combo rigs.
Here is a pic of the Tongariro:

Nd one from a smaller no name stream:

Hope the links work.
All the best.
Mike.

Submitted by Joe Best on

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I need to find an on-line source for SUPERHAIR and HOLOGRAPHIC TINSEL. I want to tie some Jewel flies that are about 8" long (ref Tube Flies Two Pg 144-147)

Submitted by Rado Akulata on

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Dear Aleksander,

Here, in this link below, you may see a step by step video clip on youtube, made by a guy from USA, known as fishigan.

In the video there, he split the yarn and put some dubbing in it, and after that make the body of the fly.

Well, the original way to make the body is to make a loop by fixing the end of the yarn to the end point of the body of the fly, like it is here on this picture.

You may see there my thumb and forefinger holding the loop, that is made by fixed end of the yarn.
This way, the twisted yarn body is made by two strings and is twice thicker. Also the segments are more precise and distinctive. The other difference is that I like to put spare amount of dubbing in the loop.
But never mind that there are differences in the way that other people like to tie my fly, the result is one and the same, the fish adore the fly. My reward is that everybody who try it is satisfied with the results.

Greetings from Bulgaria!

Cheers!

Rado

Derek,

Buying licenses is usually not that difficult provided that you know where to get them. That varies from river to river. Ask in the local tackle shop or the tourist information or on the web.

But remember that the rivers close for winter and most are closed now or at the end of October, so fishing them would be impossible until next spring. A few are open during November or to mid-November, but still. Check this before you plan to go.

Prices vary, but expect about 20 Euros for a day on most waters. And paying your way with whiskey to the land owner is not a likely scenario in most places, since the fishing rights have been sold off to clubs, which administer the licenses

Martin;

Submitted by Jim Kenny on

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What a great project, just a couple of things: Why not use one of these self healing cutting mats for the base? Very often you need to cut material and you can usually get most clues of with a wash and it does not need to be stuck down so can be changed, they are cheap to replace. Also what about a lid, this could be hinged at the back with small plastic containers in the lid, fitted to the centre so when the lid is put down they are in the recess between the 2 outer blocks, this would then when open and upright at the back give more storage and the whole workbench would resemble a suitcase. Just and idea. Jim UK see web site www.westlowmere.co.uk

Submitted by Alexander on

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I do not understand what happens with split ends I look at the photo but split ends disapear and no explanation is given.
Can somebody help?
I am a new fly tier and from time to time I need just a little guidance.
Most grateful for any help.
Alexander

Your description of the reels reminds me of the Medalist reels that have been around for quite some time. For a brief history, see here:

http://www.flyanglersonline.com/features/oldflies/part287.php

I believe the general gist was that they came in a variety of diameters and two widths, and also click/prawl and drag models. It may be useful to see what models were the most popular in the past, either by researching sales or simply looking at ebay/online prices.

I do not have any real experience with center pinning, (no pun intended) but as far as fly fishing goes, it seems there needs to be a balance between the diameter of the spool for quick line pick up, less memory, etc.; and not becoming an unwieldy block of metal sticking out from the rod. Larger rods seem to allow larger spools to fit more comfortably. So from this perspective, you could look at what lengths of rods are appropriate for different areas, and base your reel size accordingly. The density of the material is also a consideration, as a less dense reel can be bigger before it becomes unwieldy.

Personally, I've never had to worry much about going into the backing fishing mostly inland lakes & streams, even pike fishing, so large backing capacity at the expense of weight would not interest me a whole lot. Sea-going fisherman I imagine would of course have quite a different perspective on this, so that is another factor.

Sorry no solid answers here...just more to think about if you haven't already. Sound like a fun project. Anyway, my two cents, for free even...

-Fly Walleye

An engineer's work is never done,

Nearly every weekend I travel to the East Portal of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, a National Park here in the United States. In the spring and fall I fish primarily for brown trout with my trusty 11'3" 6wt. switch rod and a variety of streamers, usually yellow and red patters work best. The canyon is a narrow 2000 ft. deep slot in the black basement rock of time, ribboned with pink feldspar intrusions.

I let the streamers drift down the center of the low fall flow until they are near the bottom, and then bring them up the sides of the river, stripping them in fast streaks. When the fish hit, there is no mistaking it, and violent protests ensue once hooked, usually ending at at my net with a calm return to placidness.

The fall colors of leaves and fish make the experience that much more beautiful,before the before the grey and black and white of winter sets in, beautiful in it's own way. Unfortunately the road closes closes for winter, so I must fish other waters.

I would love to hear more people share their favorite rigs & places.

There are basically four points that separate fluorocarbon from standard mono-filament lines:
1) Invisibility
2) Density
3) Abrasion Resistance
4) Strength

So, if you are thinking of switching, weigh these items first. Durability is often one of the key items for me, as I fish a lot of rocky areas with toothy critters. In this situation, I can fish a slightly bigger diameter to maintain breaking strength, and worry less about grating against rocks and loosing fish to cutting. It's not foolproof of course, just an extra edge. The fact that it sinks faster is a nice bonus most of the time.

The other time I have found fluorocarbon useful is dry-fly fishing in calm waters. The fluorocarbon will sink instantly and remain invisible for fish that are startled by surface disturbances. Note that your fly needs to be buoyant enough to support the line somewhat in order for this to work, so it may not be the best for midge patterns.

For larger diameters, the bulk spools for casting/spinning rods will be a better value, and breaking strength is not likely to matter quite as much. For smaller diameters, it is probably worth the extra money to buy some quality tippet.

One more note: If tying a clinch knot, I have found fluorocarbon works better without the final "tuck" of the improved clinch knot. Your experience may vary - easy enough to test with whatever brand you end up with. It is very important to lubricate the knot before tightening though, even more so than with regular mono-filament. Some more research may turn up better knots.

So, fluorocarbon isn't the end-all, but definitely a useful tool in the right situations.

TIght Lines

Submitted by Derek on

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Hi Martin -

Great website and a wonderful reference. Work well done.

A few friends and I were planning a trip up to Denmark ( we live in Switzerland ) and would like to fish for
Sea Trout in the river systems. It is understood that one needs a general fishing license, but will also need
to purchase, or find a place to purchase, a fishing license for the specific beat - or stretch of river they would
like to fish. I had found a forum which stated that one person "gave a bottle of nice Whiskey" to fish on the river section that was owned (taken care of) by the person (s). It was an older article ... but one that made me smile.

My questions would be:

1. Is it challenging to purchase a license for specific river systems? (Popular rivers like Karup, Skjren, Simested)
2. How much would these license typically cost per day, and are there restrictions that one would not know about just searching the internet.

and of course ... if you have any recommendations on what to use, time of the year, places etc ... that would
also be wonderful. We were hoping to come to Denmark either in the end of October, or sometime in November.

Thanks again,

Cheers,

Derek

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