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Get to it.
-Alex who is gathering up wings to glue on...
Showing posts with label flies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label flies. Show all posts
VFG Nymph Special Offer!
One of the hottest flies we've ever tied to the end of our leader is now available! This fly has enticed trout from Colorado to California and many places in between. Typically used as a dropper below a dry fly, the VFG Nymph has worked on Rainbows, Browns, Brookies, and Apache Trout.
The VFG Nymph is tied in amber, brown, and olive in sizes 14 and 16. We will add more colors and sizes in the near future. The VFG Nymph is available for $1.25/each.
You can make your purchase in the VFG Store and use PayPal to complete your order.
Order the VFG Nymph!
The VFG Nymph is tied in amber, brown, and olive in sizes 14 and 16. We will add more colors and sizes in the near future. The VFG Nymph is available for $1.25/each.
As a "Special Offer" we will cover the tax, shipping, and handling for a limited time.
You can make your purchase in the VFG Store and use PayPal to complete your order.
The VFG Nymph is now available!
The VFG Nymph is tied in amber, brown, and olive in sizes 14 and 16. We will add more colors and sizes in the near future. The VFG Nymph is available for $1.25/each.
As a "Special Offer" we will cover the tax, shipping, and handling.
You can make your purchase in the VFG Store and use PayPal to complete your order.
The VFG Nymph **Available May 1, 2011**
The VFG Nymph will be tied in amber, brown, olive, red, and rust. These midges will be tied in sizes 14 and 16. The VFG Nymph will be available for $1.25/each plus shipping.
You can make your purchase in the VFG Store and use PayPal to complete your order.
**Coming Soon** The VFG Nymph!
Tied in sizes 14 and 16 and a variety of colors, including brown, amber, olive, red, and rust. The VFG Nymph will soon be available in the VFG Store so keep checking in with us to find out how to get your own.
HAIR-RAISING GRIZZLY SADDLE HACKLE DEBACKLE
So, there's a huge snafu in the fishing industry--it's fishin' vs. fashion.
We all know that fly-tying hackle is beautiful. The problem is, it's apparently too beautiful. So much so that fashionistas in the hair styling industry have taken notice....and taken over! We just got word that Montana Fly Company can't order and receive ANY additional grizzly variant saddle hackle for its fly tyers until 2012! (Good thing they already have enough to fill their current orders for 2011.) We've done our homework and called around to a bunch of fly shops, and it seems coif aficionados all across the country are flocking to fly shops and buying up the nation's supply of that gorgeous saddle hackle to make hair accessories.
Colorful, beautiful hair extensions of a variety of shades are popping up on the trendy heads of women across the country. Woven into human hair, just like other extensions, bright grizzly saddle hackle is the next big thing for beauty buffs, causing a supply shortage for fly shops. So fly tyers, get to your favorite fly shop and stock up before the hair hipsters beat you to it.
You can see plenty of evidence of the hype online--The Feather Emporiums website is just one of many my coworker Sammi found when she Googled this phenomenon. Pretty fancy. The folks at Coloradofisherman.com recently posted a few funny pics of their own rendition of Fashion Feathers on their forum. Fashion Feathers, or “Featherlocks” have taken on a new look in fly shops—they call this the “partridge mullet.”
Honestly, I love the saddle hackle look. A booth at the Snowsports Industries of Americas trade show last month was weaving these in women's hair for free, and I stood in line for a while to get it done. (Then, I got distracted by other shiny objects and wandered off...)
Soooo...ladies, enjoy your locks, but you might want to watch your six. There could be a fisherman poised to tackle for your hackle.
We all know that fly-tying hackle is beautiful. The problem is, it's apparently too beautiful. So much so that fashionistas in the hair styling industry have taken notice....and taken over! We just got word that Montana Fly Company can't order and receive ANY additional grizzly variant saddle hackle for its fly tyers until 2012! (Good thing they already have enough to fill their current orders for 2011.) We've done our homework and called around to a bunch of fly shops, and it seems coif aficionados all across the country are flocking to fly shops and buying up the nation's supply of that gorgeous saddle hackle to make hair accessories.
Colorful, beautiful hair extensions of a variety of shades are popping up on the trendy heads of women across the country. Woven into human hair, just like other extensions, bright grizzly saddle hackle is the next big thing for beauty buffs, causing a supply shortage for fly shops. So fly tyers, get to your favorite fly shop and stock up before the hair hipsters beat you to it.
You can see plenty of evidence of the hype online--The Feather Emporiums website is just one of many my coworker Sammi found when she Googled this phenomenon. Pretty fancy. The folks at Coloradofisherman.com recently posted a few funny pics of their own rendition of Fashion Feathers on their forum. Fashion Feathers, or “Featherlocks” have taken on a new look in fly shops—they call this the “partridge mullet.”
Honestly, I love the saddle hackle look. A booth at the Snowsports Industries of Americas trade show last month was weaving these in women's hair for free, and I stood in line for a while to get it done. (Then, I got distracted by other shiny objects and wandered off...)
Soooo...ladies, enjoy your locks, but you might want to watch your six. There could be a fisherman poised to tackle for your hackle.
A head start
I grew restless at the bench and that was good for nothing. My back was hurting and Señor ham-egg-potato-cheese beckoned from the corner where the woman knows that it's only "the green" salsa in the bag for this guero.I saw the first one float by when the headlights kicked on lighting the brick wall of the carport. One is easy to deal with, but then there were two, then three. My God! How did they all get in the truck? I started waving madly grasping and groping to catch the suckers before they could feast on my flesh and I got one of the little bastards but as the dome light flicked on I saw that it was just a bit of schlappen fuzz. Damn. Things get strange sometimes and I had to get moving.
When you are not sure what to expect you need all the artillery you can muster. I may even be optimistic and consider this a head start.
But the burrito comes first.
There are pike that need to be caught and a hungry man is easily distracted at the vise.
hopper inspiration and minds to a simpler time... a wandering thought
When your small it's crayons. 97 million colors at your disposal and even one that was 'flesh' colored until the brass at Crayola realized that there were people running around out there in the world that weren't peach colored.
Just close your eyes and remember the experience of pushing those wax sticks over semi-gloss brown paper and never quite being able to get the shading perfect until it was too late, now your light-blue duck is just going to have to be a purple duck. Remember the crayon smell? I know you can.
Later in life after the safetys were removed from the scissors and the chairs grew metal legs we graduated to colored pencils. More color and shading control, the addition of wood and a sharp point capable of a higher degree of precision and drawing blood were a right of passage. The lines for coloring within were often lost, however, leaving the implement wielder to define their own boundaries, and often for the worst: For years the final product suffered as the creativity never seemed quite capable of overcoming the improper proportions of wildlife appendages...
...and nothing has changed, really. These days it's not strangely colored cats and dogs hung with magnets on the refrigerator door but bugs tied on lines sitting on water with a more distinct purpose. I am not saying that "muffy's" portrait was a waste of time, sweetie, the fact that it looks more like a Dali painting than an anatomy drawing does little to affect its potency in extracting smiles from mommy and daddy, however the fish seem to be a little more critical.
Anyways, the point I was somehow getting to is that I like foam. I like playing with foam. I like jumping in foam. I like tying flies with foam. There is something about the colors and texture that take me back to a more simpler time, when the only think I was worried about was what friends house I was going to ride my bike to, or what I was going to spend my $5 weekly allowance.
So when Mr. Dunn over at Third Coast Fly brought the Hopper Fishing Blog to my attention, I just became inspired. And being inspired in a wonderful feeling these days, even though I don't do a lot of hopper fishing on the rivers that don't exist around here.
-Alex who is a big kid now.
Just close your eyes and remember the experience of pushing those wax sticks over semi-gloss brown paper and never quite being able to get the shading perfect until it was too late, now your light-blue duck is just going to have to be a purple duck. Remember the crayon smell? I know you can.
Later in life after the safetys were removed from the scissors and the chairs grew metal legs we graduated to colored pencils. More color and shading control, the addition of wood and a sharp point capable of a higher degree of precision and drawing blood were a right of passage. The lines for coloring within were often lost, however, leaving the implement wielder to define their own boundaries, and often for the worst: For years the final product suffered as the creativity never seemed quite capable of overcoming the improper proportions of wildlife appendages...
...and nothing has changed, really. These days it's not strangely colored cats and dogs hung with magnets on the refrigerator door but bugs tied on lines sitting on water with a more distinct purpose. I am not saying that "muffy's" portrait was a waste of time, sweetie, the fact that it looks more like a Dali painting than an anatomy drawing does little to affect its potency in extracting smiles from mommy and daddy, however the fish seem to be a little more critical.
Anyways, the point I was somehow getting to is that I like foam. I like playing with foam. I like jumping in foam. I like tying flies with foam. There is something about the colors and texture that take me back to a more simpler time, when the only think I was worried about was what friends house I was going to ride my bike to, or what I was going to spend my $5 weekly allowance.
So when Mr. Dunn over at Third Coast Fly brought the Hopper Fishing Blog to my attention, I just became inspired. And being inspired in a wonderful feeling these days, even though I don't do a lot of hopper fishing on the rivers that don't exist around here.
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| This is what adult kindergarten looks like |
-Alex who is a big kid now.
Yay! Super happy fun time tying video!
So, yeah. Here it is, beotches.
fun filler
Mmmm, tasty. Something is totally going to eat the crap out of this. I didn't realize how colorful that dubbing was until I got it under some good light, it looks like a freaking carnival.
"Hey dad, can I go on the Twister ride?" No. You don't have any tickets left. "Yeah, but I really want to!" I don't care. I told you that the basketball rim wasn't round, but you went and blew all your money anyways. "Oh, come on! Give me ten bucks!" Shut up and eat your corn dog and leave me alone.
Expo photo recapitulation
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| Hutch Hutchinson demonstrates how to properly fix 'your buddies' casting techniques. |
But I suppose if you are not going to spend a wonderful spring Saturday on the water, then hanging out with a great group of fly junkies telling war stories, watching tying demonstrations, snapping photos and learning better and more efficient ways to make the local water inhabitants bow to their sensei is the next best thing.
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| Emerson "Chief" Craig sharing some of his 30 years worth of White Mountain trout fishing knowledge |
Another highlight was the demonstration of Mike Leed's improved grass frog. Tied on a Waddingtin shank with a top-side looped weed guard, and a upturned TroKar 1/0 drop shot hook attached to the leader with a 2 foot section of weed-slicing 30lb PowerPro braided line, I cannot imagine running into any problems dragging this frog across even the nastiest of weed beds.
It still looks like a heavy bitch, but losing the rabbit zonker legs for feathers might help a bit. Still, don't think you will be throwing this on anything less than an 8wt. Mike uses a 10wt, which helps get these surprised fish out of the weeds and into the boat.
A thank you should also go out to Dave Brown for his talks surrounding fly fishing in BC, and John & Cullen Murphy for their presentations on the guiding and services they provide, as well as some great fish porn helping make this event the best it has been in nearly a decade. Great job, gentlemen.
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| I should have been paying attention, but I was too busy playing with my camera to tell you where Cullen caught that large fish. |
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| The Future |
-Alex
Hill's Discount Flies
Here's a plug for Hill's Discount Flies. They are a great online source for flies and it's been my experience that orders can arrive within 4 to 5 days after placing an order.
Colorado early snow , Bordem as a Chef
I am very bored, so I will share with you all some things happening in Colorado right now.
For those of you who do not live in Colorado, and many of you live in the heat, We have been seeing some unsightly early snow. I am not too sure what to think about 4 days in the high 70's and suddenly we hit snow. The mornings here in Deckers have been between 32 and 37, I do love the cold but not this early. I am sure the leaves will change from green to dead, instead of the spangled orange yellow and red on the Aspens.
Please be careful driving, the weather on the moutains is starting to kill off a bit of vegitation so the Deer and elk have been lowering into the canyons and roads. Trust me its no fun to hit an elk as I did last November and almost lost my car. The bastard even walked away from the hit as I sat there with a busted ass front end.
Yet good news, I have been throwing BWO's along the South Platte sizes 24-28 with a Zebra Midge dropper, the midge has been doing well and a few hits on my BWO. Don't be a pansy and get your ass out on the river, the fishing is getting nice with the cold.
OK This morning I woke at 4a.m., that is normal for me, and decided on my fruit plates this morning I wanted to make flies
. I have not been tying much so I thought I would make a golden stone out of strawberries cantaloupe, pineapple, and blue berries. If you could not tell I am quite bored. Stupidity or creativity you tell me.-Kyle, Damn the cold sometimes
Spreading the word: Dahlberg Diver
Over a year ago, Jay Lee sent me two flies, a Humpy and a Dahlberg Diver. Last night I tried my best to instruct how to tie the Dahlberg Diver at the local fishing club.
It takes some time until we reach the level of perfection Jay has, but the word is out there. We are going to catch pike soon.
Thanks Jay!
It takes some time until we reach the level of perfection Jay has, but the word is out there. We are going to catch pike soon.
Thanks Jay!
Fly-fishing Tradition
Importance and role of the tradition in fly-fishing is substantial. There are flies and methods used by anglers hundreds of years ago, the reel is pretty much similar in design as it was when first invented, and the reason to fish is pretty much the same as is was before as long as we are talking about fly-fishing.
About a month ago I tied a few March Browns, winged wet flies dating back a long time. In the 80s I was with my parents fishing the Ruunaa Rapids in Eastern Finland. I had a fly rod and had bought, or at least whined to my parents long enough that they had bought me, a package of of three wets, pretied in a leader. I remember the horrible mess the rig was after a few minutes of serious rod waving. One of the flies was a March Brown Silver. I caught couple of fish. They were bleak, no trout for me back then, thank you.
I intented to visit the Ruunaa again last August but instead decided to go to the very heart of Finnish brown trout fly-fishing tradition, the Huopana. It is not a big river, or at least long, only about 1.2 km or .75 miles.
But its every pool and channel has been named and there are even rocks that have names. Those rocks are named after fishermen. That is what I call tradition.
The whole milieu of the river is unique. The houses, the old bridge, and even the old hydroelectricity plant just belongs there. As well as the fishermen (no more than 10 per day with the current regulations) and the brown trout.
The all time sport tackle record trout from Huopana was landed by Mr. Bruno Alanko on 22nd of August 1933 using "a yellow fly". That was 8.3 kilograms or 18.5 pounds of lake-run brown trout.
I visited the river exactly 74-years later. After a short but good night sleep in my car I saw two fly fishermen with a story to tell. "I just lost the trout of my life" was the first thing the younger man said to me when we met. With wide eyes and stunned expression on his face he told me about the trout he hooked and played for good thirty minutes. The hands of the older man were wide apart when he estimated the size of the fish with his hands. At least 5 kilograms he said. The fish broke of just when they thought that they could finally land him.
The tradition of fly-fishing is not static. It lives and evolves as we read, write, talk, and dream about it.
About a month ago I tied a few March Browns, winged wet flies dating back a long time. In the 80s I was with my parents fishing the Ruunaa Rapids in Eastern Finland. I had a fly rod and had bought, or at least whined to my parents long enough that they had bought me, a package of of three wets, pretied in a leader. I remember the horrible mess the rig was after a few minutes of serious rod waving. One of the flies was a March Brown Silver. I caught couple of fish. They were bleak, no trout for me back then, thank you.
I intented to visit the Ruunaa again last August but instead decided to go to the very heart of Finnish brown trout fly-fishing tradition, the Huopana. It is not a big river, or at least long, only about 1.2 km or .75 miles.
But its every pool and channel has been named and there are even rocks that have names. Those rocks are named after fishermen. That is what I call tradition.
The whole milieu of the river is unique. The houses, the old bridge, and even the old hydroelectricity plant just belongs there. As well as the fishermen (no more than 10 per day with the current regulations) and the brown trout.
The all time sport tackle record trout from Huopana was landed by Mr. Bruno Alanko on 22nd of August 1933 using "a yellow fly". That was 8.3 kilograms or 18.5 pounds of lake-run brown trout.
I visited the river exactly 74-years later. After a short but good night sleep in my car I saw two fly fishermen with a story to tell. "I just lost the trout of my life" was the first thing the younger man said to me when we met. With wide eyes and stunned expression on his face he told me about the trout he hooked and played for good thirty minutes. The hands of the older man were wide apart when he estimated the size of the fish with his hands. At least 5 kilograms he said. The fish broke of just when they thought that they could finally land him.
The tradition of fly-fishing is not static. It lives and evolves as we read, write, talk, and dream about it.
Deep Sparkle Pupa Variation
My favourite caddis pupa pattern is Gary LaFontaine's Deep Sparkle Pupa. Green has been most effective color for me. I have replaced the hackle fibres of the original pattern with lively CDC fibres. This fly is fast to tie and ugly enough for trout to love it.