Recent comments

Style is everything!

Style is everything! Style is everything! Style is everything! :-)))

I can only agree that patina is essential. I have met anglers who will add dirt to jackets, waders and even cork handles on new rods before using them for the first time! This only supports my thesis: style is everything!

Martin

Having lots of gear

Having lots of gear and/or wearing cool clothes, in my book doesn't quality anyone to be a fly fisher. Check the recent Sports Illustrated swimsuit model casting flies in BC. Can't cast, can't hold a rod but looks damn good. Flyfisher? Not even close.

"Patina" is the term to strive for. Well, worn, broken in and aged. Dido for that fly box. One that is too organized is one that is not fished with. Boots should be muddy, grip on the rod-dirty, dings in the reel, cap that looks run over, now you are getting close.

The "LL Orvis" ( a combo of LL Bean and Orvis) doesn't impress me much, just means you know which end of the magnetic strip to use on the Amex gold card. All those pretty boxes with paint are way too nice for the river.

Sort of like the kid in school with new jeans or new shoes. They generally got a boatload of crap about that.

I know what you mean

I know what you mean. As you say it is mostly cosmetic although if the loose coil gets frayed it could eventually start unravelling.

Try being more uniform when forming the loops and also apply a fraction more tension when winding.

AWESOME! I'm going

AWESOME! I'm going next Thursday (Mar 24) I've heard a lot about it, and I have high expectations,
hoping to find some brookies and cutts as well as the plentiful rainbows and browns willing to take a "painstakingly" hand-tied streamer,nymph,wet spider,or dry.
Seeing as I've only got two years left to fish here I,ve been preparing for it for months.
Any productive patterns for here would be greatly appreciated.
Hoping to submit some pictures worthy of consideration for the lunker board,
Bennett

i have one problem i

i have one problem in making furled leaders. After i twist each of the two halves of the leader they are very tight and smooth. when i twist them together i often find little single strand loops at the point where the three loop line ties into the five loop line and the one loop ties into the three loop. It does not affect the line but is unsightly and would like to know how to eliminate this problem. thanks

Pleased to meet you

Pleased to meet you Chris. I'm Stefano and writing to you from Italy. Just met your creations (I mean the sunlight shrimp and Mirror shrimp) on "Fly Patterns" web. Simply wonderful!!!. So I would like to buy few of them. While waiting for your answer, I wish to you a good day.
Best regards. Stefano

Beware the Ides of...

Mike Martinek you ha

Mike Martinek you have done yourself proud. What a fine tribute this is !

That is absolutely t

That is absolutely the most life like fly I've seen. Excellent job!!!!

Ten Feather Emerald Shiner

Man, that is an awsome fly!

Nice Tail, that fish

Nice Tail, that fish should be as a torpedo!

Peter,

I have a f

Peter,

I have a friend who used to design rods, and he will tell anybody who listens that angling the handle away from perpendicular to the line is a surefire way to stress any rod beyond its capabilities, even 10 and 12 weight rods. Sometimes you may have to do that to steer the fish away from rocks, logs not to mention boat sterns and propellers -- and it's exactly in these situations that you hear the infamous "crack". Notice BTW that the rod often breaks in several places (I think yours did too, didn't it?).

Hope that it at least gave you an excuse to buy a new and even better rod! ;-)

Martin

Hi Martin - Glad you

Hi Martin - Glad you liked it. Yes, the rod was bound to break, but in that particular environment it is the only way to fight the fish, I just had the wrong rod. If that fish finished the run it was on, it would have been around the jetty and gone. On that day, I brought a knife to a gun fight.

I have attempted to

I have attempted to make a usable fly tying table; there was always something 'missing' The table described
here appears to have a place for 'everything'. So am going to try to build one similar to the one described here.

A nice mix of post m

A nice mix of post modern culture and traditional fly fishing. Fish with bamboo roods is the most fascinant experience in fly fishing for old and young anglers. Congratulations!!

Hi Jeen. I am please

Hi Jeen. I am pleased to hear, that you have had good results with the Fluff, which is also a very efficient fly for seatrout.

The blend of dubbing is very simple: I use four kinds of the material "STF" - Synthetic Translucent Fibre. The colors are Tan, Light Olive, Gray Olive and Olive - only half amount of Olive, because it will dominate, if you use too much.

Then I add a little sparkle - for instance gold and green (only a tiny bit), and I blend the dubbing with my fingers. And done..!

Kind regards Per

Good tie Martin here

Good tie Martin here in the states (U.S.) the zonker style fly has been a staple for awhile, I like an olive or crawdad (off orange) version both have gold body, gold wire rib, & a gold cone, used with a loop knot they have a lot of action when striped back on a sink tip or full sinking line.

Peter,

A really g

Peter,

A really great video! Well filmed, lots of ambiance and action. A nice appetizer. I can't way for season to start.
And man! That rod was bound to break... I could so see it coming. That's no way to fight a fish!

Martin

Bruce,  A quick se

Bruce,

A quick search for micro-fibettes shows several sources, like

Here at Angler's Den...
...or here at TCO Fly Shop...
...or here at Lakeland Fly-Tying...

...and many other places.

Martin

HELLO: Is there a s

HELLO: Is there a substitute for "grey or clear micro-fibettes". AND, where can 'micro-fibettes' be purchased? Thanks

i love this

What did you coat th

What did you coat the fly with? I've been emailing with another tyer and the same thing's happening to me, even without a coating. It seems the stuff 'breaks down' after awhile and comes undone. I know the package sez something like "may not be compatible with certain adhesives." I tried Liquid Fusion on one and have to check it. I would recommend NOT using Sally Hansen's Hard as Nails, it breaks the stuff down. It's too bad if this stuff doesn't hold up, it makes the flies look awesome. There must be an adhesive that coats it and doesn't break it down.

For sure, Mark. Cre

For sure, Mark. Creating a dubbing brush as Leisenring and Hidy did, surely makes for a very strong body. Leisenring did not fool around when it came to fly construction. He was very exact and fussy regarding such things.

Recent comments

Style is everything!

Mike,

I can only

Having lots of gear

I know what you mean

AWESOME! I'm going

i have one problem i

Pleased to meet you

Beware the Ides of...

Mike Martinek you ha

That is absolutely t

Ten Feather Emerald Shiner

Nice Tail, that fish

Peter,

I have a f

Hi Martin - Glad you

I have attempted to

A nice mix of post m

Hi Jeen. I am please

Good tie Martin here

Peter,

A really g

Bruce,  A quick se

HELLO: Is there a s

i love this

What did you coat th

For sure, Mark. Cre

Since you got this far …

Long story short

Long story longer