Sparse Grey Matter Fly Tying Festival 2012

On February 26, 2012 Shannon's Fly & Tackle and Dette's Trout Flies sponsored the 2nd Annual Sparse Grey Matter Fly Fest. This event is an informal get together of fly tiers and fishers.  It's open to the public at no charge.  Some of the best fly tiers in the region were there. And, go figure; they let me tie.

Here's a short video of the event.  Check out Shannon's Fly & Tackle and Dette's Trout Flies in the January 2013 for news on next year's event.  Who knows, they just might let me tie again.

Enjoy.

Sawyers Pheasant Tail Nymph

I think everyone knows the Pheasant Tail Nymph, but I'm not sure how many know Sawyers Pheasant tail nymph.  The pattern is dead simple.  And. like most patterns I tie, it follows the K.I.S.S. rule.

For those who don't know the pattern, it's a killer.  It was designed by Frank Sawyers to "Baetis" nymph, or  "olives."  I've found it's also a good imitation of the "Ephemerella" nymphs, which include the Hendricksons and Sulphurs nymphs.  For the "Baetis," tie the nymph in sizes 18 - 20, and for the "Ephemerella," tie in 14 - 16.  If you have long Pheasant tail, than a size 12 is possible.

Back in January 2010, I posted step-by-step tying instructions Sawyers Pheasant Tail Nymph - Tied with Parawire.

Tim Flagler of Tightline Productions filmed me tying the Sawyers Pheasant tail nymph at the Annual Sparse Grey Matter Fly Tying Festival on February 26th, 2012.

Sawyer Pheasant Tail Nymph from Tightline Productions on Vimeo.

I recommend you check out Tim's other videos at Vimeo. 

Winter Fishing So Far...

This winter is great, if you don't like snow. We've started this winter with a charged river system, which translates into higher than normal river levels. Since this fall and early winter the amount of rain and snow is off, resulting now in lower than normal steam levels. Historically, my home river, the South Branch of Raritan, should be at 110 to 140 cubic feet per second. Now the river is at 83 cubic feet per second. Here in the east we don't rely on the snow pack, but in the west it's still important. It's important for many of the same reasons anywhere else in the world. The main reason is the slow and steady release of cold-water help charges ground water without massive runoff.

Why, you might ask, is this important. Well in one word - hatches. These levels, coupled with the warm spring-like weather we've been having in the east, are likely to affect the spring hatches. It may only mean a day or two, but when you're trying to time your day on the water, it means a lot. Since the spring hatches are some time off it many not matter much if we get our normal spring rain.

For right now I've been enjoying the spring-like weather in the middle of the winter. February is usually our coldest month and everyone has a bad case of cabin fever. Not this February, here are some shots from this winter's outings.

Let's see if March marches in like a Lion, so far it's more like a YouTube kitten.
Here are some of the fish I've taken this winter.

Rainbow taken on the my Anchor Caddis

Fat Brown...

Ice Pheasant Tail Jig...

Happy Angler!

Winter Brown...

Ice Pheasant Tail Jig strikes again...

Nice Brown...

Long and lean...

Tying Trout Flies with Don Bastian

Don Bastian is hosting a Tying Trout Flies - Fly Tying Class on March 2 - 4, 2012 at Fishing Creek Angler Fly Shop and Bed & Breakfast.  I highly recommend Don's classes (see Tying Classic Wet Flies with Don Bastian).

Your instructor Don Bastian.

Fishing Creek Angler Fly Shop and Bed & Breakfast

Don's students hard at work.

Here is the write-up Don sent me.

Fishing Creek Angler provides a perfect location in a lovely north central Pennsylvania rural setting for a winter weekend fly tying class. The Fishing Creek Angler Bed & Breakfast is beautifully appointed with solid wood walls, floors, and trim, with an open cathedral ceiling and spacious Great Room and dining area. There are four bedrooms to accommodate eight guests. Participants can enjoy the fly shop, bed & breakfast, and classroom without leaving the building. Bring your slippers!

These classes provide an educational and fun opportunity to learn from Don Bastian’s instructional expertise, knowledge, techniques, and commercial fly tying experience acquired during 48 years of fly tying. A wide variety of specialized procedures and material applications for tying all types of trout flies will be presented in this class.

• Dry flies – Comparaduns, parachutes, Marinaro Thorax Duns, Spinners, Catskill drys, Wulffs, etc.

• Multiple methods of applying and using hackle, tailing materials, and dubbing. Tips, tricks, & techniques for working with a wide variety of tying materials. Proper proportions, material selection, grading, application, & use. Instructional expertise to help solve your fly tying problems, challenges, and difficulties. Student requests welcomed!

• We will be tying drys, soft-hackles, nymphs, spinners, streamer & bucktail patterns, emergers.

Package price of this class is $350.00 based on double-occupancy, and includes room tax. 50% deposit required to secure reservation. Credit cards accepted. Call or e-mail Fishing Creek Angler to make your reservation. Package Price Includes:

•  Friday evening dinner featuring Mary-Ann’s lasagna with salad, garlic bread & home made dessert.

• Full breakfast of bacon, eggs, and toast - Saturday & Sunday.

•   Lunch on Saturday.

•   Lee’s Saturday evening steak Bar-B-Q with baked potato, salad, & home made dessert.

• Two nights double-occupancy lodging at the Fishing Creek Angler Bed & Breakfast.

• Relaxing evenings in the B & B with your favorite libation; lots of fly tying talk and informal tying sessions.

Saturday class runs from 9:00 to 5:00 PM with a break for lunch. Sunday session is from 9:00 until noon. Attending students must bring vise, light, tools, and a list of materials (provided upon reservation). Check-in is anytime after 1:00 PM on Friday March 2nd. Come early to browse in the Fly Shop or simply relax, meet new friends, tie a few flies, and enjoy your favorite beverage. Feel free to bring beverages of your choice.

Contact Don Bastian via e-mail at: dwbastian@chilitech.net with specific questions or requests.

Don Bastian has forty-eight years fly tying experience including a decade long stint as a commercial tyer. He has nearly 765 classic wet fly, streamer, and bucktail patterns published in the book Forgotten Flies. Tying Classic Wet Flies was released in November 2004. In August 2007 two more Don Bastian DVD’s were released - Advanced Classic Wet Flies, and Traditional Streamers and Bucktails. He has been a fly tying instructor for over twenty six years. References are available.


Attending students are required to have some fly tying experience.

Tenkara is not Dapping

Daniel Galhardo of Tenkara USA demonstrates and teaches Tenkara casting techniques at the Somerset Fly Fishing Show.  Ask you can seen in this video Tenkara involves casting not lowering your fly in to the water (dapping). 

In order to dap (traditionally) you need wind to position the fly on the water and help make the fly bob on the surface.  In Tenkara you are casting in much the same way you cast a western fly rod.  The difference is you have a fixed amount of line.  With that fixed line you can deliver your fly with pin point accuracy, something you can't do when you "dap."

Alternitives for Chadwick 477

First, thanks are in order to Richard, a.k.a. Regular Rod at Dry Fly 'Expert (https://dryflyexpert.blogspot.com/).  If it was not for his generosity and kindness, I would not have a sample of Chadwick's 477 to use as a reference.

Many readers of the blog know I've been searching for a Chadwick's 477 mending yarn substitute.  While Veniard sells a good substitute for the yarn used in Frank Sawyer's Killer Bug, I would never know if it was close.  I've never seen the genuine article until Richard sent me the sample.

It's been a small obsession to find a substitute for Chadwick's 477 starting with me getting Frank Sawyer's Nymphs and the Trout published in 1958 by Stanley Paul & Co. and Oliver Edwards video Essential Patterns.  I've used Rag wool from an old sweater (Rag Bug) before locating a source of Veniard's Chadwick's 477 substitute (Killer Bug Yarn). Next I found a bag of "Fun with Fibers" yarn while cleaning out an old crafts locker (Possible Chadwick 477 Substitute).  Then Patons Classic Wool Yarn (00229) Natural Mix, which I use for my K.I.S.S. Crane Fly Larva.

It was that post and my request for a sample that now brings me to the end of the quest.  Here are the comparisons.

Richard's letter and sample.

The finalist.

A close-up of the field.

Veniard vs. Original 477

Patons vs. Original 477

Fun with Fibers vs. Original 477

Now I think the winner is clear  - "Fun with Fibers," but no luck finding any.  I could not find any information on the yarn and there was no company information on the packaging.  So the closest which you can buy is the Patons Classic Wool Yarn (00229) Natural Mix.  The problem with the Patons is dye lots can vary and it's 100% wool, not the 85% wool 15% nylon blend found in the Chadwick's 477.  Now the Venards is the furthest from the Chadwick's, but is that due to dye lot or year the yarn was manufactured?  I don't know.  One thing I do know is that Trout don't care if it's the genuine article. They only care if it looks and acts like food.  It's up to the fisher to feel or see the take, strike and land the fish.

So thanks to Richard I have a sample that I can compare to any other yarn when my supply runs out.

Richard again thanks and cheers, expect something in the post.

Where's the hook?

I never heard this selling angle before. 

Troy from American Milestone left a message, re: an opportunity to be part of an “interstitial program” that featured Joan Lunden.  So what's an interstitial program?  Well, it’s a 3 - 5 minute editorial used to bridge the gap between longer PBS programs.  Cool you might say.  Okay… so I called back to find out more after doing a little research on line.  Everything seemed above- board.

The phone call was pleasant and Troy informed me about the show and what they do.  He asked a few questions, but really didn’t have a clue what I did or what Fly and Fin was.  So I played along, because I didn't know what he wanted yet.  After a few questions about Fly and Fin (which he never referred to by name) he came to the real nature of the call. 

The question was what kind of advertising budget I had.  Advertising budget? 

I tried not to laugh, and said I had modest budget ($0.00 to be exact).  He then said creating a program might not be a match unless I had $22,000.00 dollars to pay for the piece.  I said no thank you, hung-up the phone and had a good laugh.

Later I was talking to The Jersey Angler about this weekend’s Fly Fishing show and told him what happened.  He said, “Well, it’s obvious your blog is getting out there.” 

Polish Pheasant Tail Varation

Not much more needs to be said about Pheasant Tail, other than it's one of the most used fibers for making nymphs. There are three fibers I can't do without: Pheasant Tail, Peacock Tail and Hungary Partridge.

This is a variation on Davie McPhail's "Polish Pheasant Tail Nymph"

What's nice about this pattern is it's simple, and it has all the elements of a great nymph.  The profile is tied in the round.  It presents the same profile when the nymph is tumbling downstream.  The pheasant tail fibers offer the iridescent brown/olive color found in most naturals.  It also has two triggers, the two hot spots and a gold bead.

This is a K.I.S.S. pattern you want in your box for euro or standard nymphing.

Hook – Mustad S80-3906

Size – 10-16

Thread –  GLO-BRITE Fluorescent Floss – Shade #5 Hot Orange

Bead – Gold Tungsten Bead

Tail – Pheasant Tail Fibers

Body – Pheasant Tail Fibers

Rib – .32 gauge Copper Parawire

Thorax – Jan Siman Synthetic Peacock Dubbing – Peacock Eye

Hot Spot –  GLO-BRITE Fluorescent Floss – Shade #5 Hot Orange

Tie in your Glo-Brite.

Tie in Pheasant Tail.

Tie in wire.

Wind Pheasant Tail fibers forward counter clock wise.

Counter wrap wire forward in open wraps and tie off.

Dub thorax and tie in hot spot.

Whip finish.

K.I.S.S. Crane Fly Larva

Crane Flies are the largest of the dipteran family of insects and can be found everywhere.  There are about 14,000 distinct species all over the world.  Some common names are leather jackets, daddy-long-legs and skeeter eaters.

Many Crane Fly patterns imitate the larva.  Frank Sawyer’s Killer Bug and Walt Young's Walt's Worm are popular.  Depending on your location, Crane Fly larva will vary in size from ½ inch to 2 inches.

I’ve added a variation of a Crane pattern to my box, inspired by Sawyer and Young.  I file it under my Keep It Simple Stupid (K.I.S.S) rule.

I've written about finding a replacement to Chadwick's 477-wool.  My Rag Bug was a first attempt using rag wool from an old sweater to tie a killer bug variation.  Now I've found Patons Classic Wool Yarn (00229) Natural Mix in a local Michael’s craft store.  The color is just right, but I don't have a piece of Chadwick's 477 to compare it to.  (If you have any, I'd appreciate a small sample.)

Hook – TMC 2302
Size – 6-12
Thread – 6/0 Tan
Weight – .22 lead wire
Tentacles – Dun CDC
Body – Patons Classic Wool Natural Mix (00229)
Rib – .32 gauge Brown Parawire or Copper wire
Shell Back – Hairline 1/8" Clear Scud Back

Patons Classic Wool Natural Mix (00229)

Wrap lead wire to hook.

Bind down with thread.

Tie in CDC Tentacles.

Tie in wire, shell back and wool.

Wrap wool forward and secure.

Pull shell back over the top and secure.

Advance wire in open wraps to define segments.

Whip finish and cement head.

Evening's Tying Session

Long time readers of this blog know The Jersey Angler and I are close friends.  In the winter months we get together from time to time for a tying session. It usually involves tying, chili, stories and an adult beverage.  We review the patterns that worked for us and create some new ones.

Between the holidays we managed to squeeze in a tying session, while our boys played video games.

The Jersey Angler checking his blog.

12 Hour Chili

Adult beverage.

Flies from the session.