Fly Tying/Fishing Thread

[Rack Daniels]

If you’re spin fishin throw one of these

Or the brown trout one same style; original floating diver.
any assortment of different rooster tails, kastmasters, or spinners. I can’t speak on flys for the Madison as I’m no longer in the area but I’d imagine any little streamer would catch a fish in the right pocket— otherwise, match tha hatch… crowds ridiculous near cliff and wade sometimes, or right at Norris. Still, big fish to be caught in these spots…

 

[westbranch]

Alaska.

 

[Hem]

Alaska.
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Come on, admit it...using a spinning rod with a bobber/fly
Looks like a great time. Keep the fish pics coming.

 

[westbranch]

One more evening and full day tomorrow to fish. It's a lot of work to catch this many 20"+ rainbows

 

[westbranch]

Come on, admit it...using a spinning rod with a bobber/fly
Looks like a great time. Keep the fish pics coming.

I mean, we are just fishing beads under bobbers . Using a 6 weight switch rod, 15 lb leader with 12 lb tippet. A foul hooked salmon is a pain in the ass and will break things up. But the rainbows can go high 20s and we have broke off a few of them too.

A couple guys are swinging flies but I like catching fish more than the method
We're at Seasons on the Fly lodge on the Kvichak river.

Did a fly out to the Kulik where we saw the bears. Piles of sockeyes and lots of rainbows.

 

[Hem]

I mean, we are just fishing beads under bobbers . Using a 6 weight switch rod, 15 lb leader with 12 lb tippet. A foul hooked salmon is a pain in the ass and will break things up. But the rainbows can go high 20s and we have broke off a few of them too.

Thats awesome!!
What switch rod are you using?
Ive gone nuts with my switch rods, use them 90% of the time these days.

 

[westbranch]

Thats awesome!!
What switch rod are you using?
Ive gone nuts with my switch rods, use them 90% of the time these days.

Douglas 11'6". Helps turnover 12 feet of leader/tippet. I still suck at casting it.

Monday on the Kulik walk wading I was using an Orvis recon 8 weight 9' single hand. The two hander would have been nicer there too.

 

[Hem]

Nice day on the lake. My wife and I had fun mixing up tactics to catch fish.
The hatch could have been stronger but enough of these guys to make things interesting.

 

[Hem]

Caught some fish. Part of story i might have to make a separate thread about later today.

 

[Hem]

A little redemption today. Ive taken it on the chin since the last post.
Caught a bunch, lost a handful using barbless.
Very healthy, strong fish. One nearly in to the backing.

 

[Jamen]

Well i think this winter i am going to dive down the rabbit hole and start tying my own flies. Does anyone recommend certain videos to watch and learn? Since it is waterfowl season and upland bird does anyone have any recommendations on what feathers i should save? I have done some research and have a few i will save. But looking for more ideas!
Thanks!!

 

[MTLabrador]

Kelly Galloup has a ton of good stuff on YouTube. He’s more well known for his streamers, but he has a lot of good videos on tying a variety of stuff.

 

[MLC]

Charlie Craven’s videos are very good. Gallops are good also but in my opinion, tend to be longer than necessary. Entertaining though.

 

[El Jason]

Since it is waterfowl season and upland bird does anyone have any recommendations on what feathers i should save?

Hungarian partridge
Pheasant
Ruffed grouse
Mallard drake

Mule deer hair for Muddler patterns
Elk hair for caddis, stimulators, and adams

You can go to a taxidermy shop and see if they have any scraps from trimming.

Salt them really good and put them in a freezer for a few months. Let them dry good.

 

[Jamen]

Hungarian partridge
Pheasant
Ruffed grouse
Mallard drake

Mule deer hair for Muddler patterns
Elk hair for caddis, stimulators, and adams

You can go to a taxidermy shop and see if they have any scraps from trimming.

Salt them really good and put them in a freezer for a few months. Let them dry good.

I process deer in the fall for people so i should be able to get some of that. The elk i will reach out to a few taxidermist. Thank you!

 

[El Jason]

I process deer in the fall for people so i should be able to get some of that. The elk i will reach out to a few taxidermist. Thank you!

You want the real coarse body hair on the back for muddlers. It will flare better when you pull the thread tight.

 

[Jamen]

If anyone has extra elk hair i would pay for shipping. Or I would trade for spices I make and bottle.

 

[Sheltowee]

Charlie Craven’s videos are very good. Gallops are good also but in my opinion, tend to be longer than necessary. Entertaining though.

+100. Charlie's videos are really good: https://www.youtube.com/@CharliesFlyBox

 

[Little Canyon Creek]

Well i think this winter i am going to dive down the rabbit hole and start tying my own flies. Does anyone recommend certain videos to watch and learn? Since it is waterfowl season and upland bird does anyone have any recommendations on what feathers i should save? I have done some research and have a few i will save. But looking for more ideas!
Thanks!!

There isn't a better time to learn how to tie flies than now, as YouTube is ideal for this. The Fly Fish Food videos are really good and they have a series of skill builder videos targeted at people just learning. Charlie Craven videos are also excellent. Kelly Galloup videos are great if you know what you are doing, but the way they are filmed can be a little tough to see sometimes. They are also very long winded, which is fine because they are chock full of valuable information. But that isn't necessarily what you need when just starting out tying.

I would say that to start out, I think it is better to tie a large numbers of a handful of patterns you are going to use a lot. Maybe 1-2 dozen in total with 3 different sizes. You improve your skills and consistency quickly that way and the economics work better. Don't cheap out on hooks! When I was first starting tying I was on a graduate student salary and I bought cheaper hooks from a semi-defunct brand. I had issues with them bending out and it was a waste of money. Now I stick to known good brands like Daiichi, Ahrex, Gamakatsu, Fulling Mill, Hanak, and Umpqua. I like Ahrex because they publish the dimensions of your hook so you actually know what you are getting, but I also use the other brands.

If you are duck hunting, save every last mallard flank feather you can. Those things are used in so many streamer patterns and it is hard to get good ones commercially.

Catching fish on your own flies is pretty great. Here is an Alaskan coastal cutthroat on a shrimp fly I tied that was one of the highlights of my last trip up there.