Recent comments

I'm very impressed,

I'm very impressed, trying it out on the Arkansas River in Colorado, USA in the next several days. I'll post results. Tying with a tan and a green Antron as well, to match local flies. I'm trying out some UV Ice dubbing instead of the Hare's Ear (didn't have the right color, and I'm broke right now...tie with what you have on hand!)

Re: Reel and snake guides damaged by fly line?

Mike,

Amazing! I have often heard people express fear of such wear - especially when I have shown them my braided shooting line - but I have never seen this actually happen. None of my own rods have any signs of wear, but your photos shows guides, which looks like they were filed down! Not nice.

I guessed cheap guides until I read your post. Brand rods normally means good guides.

Your arguments sound reasonable. I have some sinking lines, which are quite rough, and definitely feels like they could gnaw in a guide.

SA's reaction (or lack of same) is unfortunately not uncommon. Someone should teach these companies that mail-addresses and contact forms means that people will contact you, and not replying is like not picking up the phone when it rings!

Let us know what you find out.

Martin

Re: Turkey feathers

Streamcaddis,

You don't need 100% true pairs to do paired wings - although it helps.
But by carefully selecting feathers, which are identical (but mirrored), and cutting bits that are as alike as possible, you should be able to get it to work.

Most flyshops will have the feathers paired, and truly so, because they are typically matched when plucked from the skin.

Martin

I made a couple of t

I made a couple of these just out of curiosity and used a single hook Kamasan B175 size 14. Just made a groove and superglued the cork onto the hook. Well, they've been sat in my fly box for quite a while now, and I had a very frustrating day at a reservoir here in England a few days ago, so I thought what the hell....................30 mins later I had 3 rainbow trout upto 3lbs. All I can say is cheers Radoslav. Brightened up a somewhat frustrating day. Many thanks for the simplest fly I've ever made.

I am not Norwegian, but have

I am not Norwegian, but have been over there a few times.
1. permits are generally easy to get, but you also need a yearly licence (from any post office).
2. Check the price of car hire before going....its horrendous!
3. Check the price of beer ina bar / restaurant.....yep you guesses, its horrendous!
4. At lkeast the fishing is relativley cheap! Keith.

i am an english lad,

i am an english lad,and i love a good roast dinner,especially on a sunday afternoon watching the football ( liverpool f.c) have a good one james from liverpool

Thank you, thank you

Thank you, thank you, I'm much better with written instructions, and was reluctant to buy a book to learn one knot, as I want to try this knot for finishing jewellery. Watching a video and trying to make the knot ties me in knots, five minutes with your instructions and I've finally mastered this, practice will make perfect.

Hello Nicolas

Wit

Hello Nicolas

With respect - most of what you've stated is quite incorrect, I should know, I made it!
I normally wouldn't bother but I can assure you Once in A Blue Moon was made with the utmost integrity - and I kinda feel that this is being called into question.

The film was indeed made during a mouse year ( I live there in case you weren't aware) - we've actually had three almost consecutive beech mast events with 2010 being the latest.
The main scientist in the film (Rasmus) was in Fiordland that same season we filmed - working on his PhD. The phenomena he talks about, eels, mice stripping vegetation etc he refers to in the movie was occurring while we were there filming - that's actually how we met up.
The mice shown were there in the the bush - nothing was taken it.

As far as pig sized fish go. I made the decision not to solely depict this as it is simply not a true representation of what actually occurs. And besides - it would be irresponsible of me to do so.

The fish we've shown are all good size but quite early season, It was shot in October. They had keyed in on mice but not every fish turns into a pig - A few turn into almost gross fish, but this takes months. You don't just eat a few mice and put on kilos overnight.

Your impression seems to be that during a mouse year every fish is super fat and well into double figures that's not the case - although I'm sure we all wish that it was.

We did show one very large mouse eater - well into double figures. Again, this is at exactly the same time of year at night, that's me holding it. About four other guys will happily attest to that
The challenge is that we just don't have the specialist equipment to film of any quality at night and thats why we used a still.

The one aspect that you are correct on is the still shots of mice in the trouts guts. There are pictures from Fish and Game from a couple of years before, they actually quite well known - If you look at the closing credits we state this. Simple fact is that I wasn't prepared to kill fish for the film, so we put the word out for existing photos.

I can absolutely assure you that the science, fish and story are real and were all captured during a real beach mast event -that's part of the reason it took us so long to produce this film.

I hope that clarifies things for you and I'm very happy you otherwise enjoyed the Once in a Blue Moon

Best Regards
Carl McNeil
On the Fly Productions

I want to thank you

I want to thank you for adding fly tying videos to the site.

hey
what's on your

hey
what's on your bucket list? when i mean bucket list i mean something exotic! what's in my bucket list is the devil Tigerfish they have huge teeth and can rip my 2000 dollars worth of mylar,bucktail,feathers and tinsel in a single strike! (pic below it's jaws!)

I'm gonna use your cable ties

I'm gonna use your cable ties concept

Hi Michal, no offence taken!

Hi Michal, no offence taken! I'm glad I brought laughter to your life haha. Just to let you know the basket works great, although I've sealed the holes and shortened the whole thing making it shallower. I've also shortened the ties and cut two notches for the rod to sit in if I'm faffing about tying on flies etc.
Tight lines! :wink:
Dave

Hi Dave!

Hi Dave!
You just give really good laugh :D No offence! I really admire people with invention(I'm one of them). I saw the thing 1st time on my mongolian trip; orvis with the sticking things inside. The owner told me that it prevents the line from tangle. I hate retrieving my line from the current while casting but the view of this guy, walking miles every day through mongolian stepp with the thing hanging from his ass like nappie full of...Finally I got one for myself-snowbee-reinforced fabric with stiff removable bottom. That was OK until I removed the bottom(just the mesh left) and got the tray under the surface(Welsh Wye last week)line started tangling! This time I turned it back and look like the nappie man. Anyway-tight lines!
P.S
It has the holes so it collects the water. What about moving your tray up and down to prevent it to happen?

Hi Paul, i just read

Hi Paul, i just read your Andros story, good stuff. I'm on my way there (from Oregon) next week, I have booked a day with Phillip Rolle and am very excited about the bonefishing (my favorite fish on the fly)... Did you happen to see any permit or tarpon on your trip? a grand slam opportunity would be devine. :-)

Martin, pontoons are

Martin, pontoons are a flyfisher dream. Congrats!
I purchased my Arrow Backpacker a couple of years ago and everything changed. To float endless rivers during days without encounters with other people in Patagonia, is incredible. The tent, small cooler and run!
Juan

the picture on the l

the picture on the lake when its raining is the most beatiful of them all

Hello Martin, By th

Hello Martin,
By the time I read this article last year the garfish season had already passed. So, I decided that I'd be in Denmark for garfish fishing in 2010. Now I have everything ready, including my flight ticket to Copenhagen. Can you recommend me some good spots that can be reached by bus or train from the capital? I've been to Dragør and it looks promising. Would you recommend that town for garfish? Thank you in advance.

Thats exactly the sa

Thats exactly the same fly (except for the hook) that I use for grayling in northern Finland with good success.

I love the simplic

I love the simplicity of this fly! I would like to see it in a single hook style. I seem to recall a single hook that was made with another piece that was bent from the bend of the hook back toward and finishing in a point behind the eye. There was only a couple mm between the main shaft and the upper one. Finishing the body as described then adding a small groove on the underside of the cork and the addition of a small amount of cement would provide the stability that the bottom two hooks of the treble gives the original.

Just an idea from a former tyer unable to indulge due to a stroke. Love the site.

Not the greatest ide

Not the greatest idea putting the trout on snow like that. Fish such as trouts gets coldburns very easily sadly. But still, nice fish.

Martin:
Enjoy your

Martin:
Enjoy your site. I have a neighbor with two Shetland Sheepdogs - probably be looking at them a little
differently now.
Cheers.

Phlatwing... Sort'a.

Phlatwing... Sort'a... Thanks...
It starts off with vertically oriented hackles tied in near the bend then progresses with high/low tied splayed buck tail and culminates with flat and tented hackles tied in without the classic "pillow"...
I mix and match basic techniques to create the desired size and profile... and enjoy playing around with material management to achieve a balanced and pleasing result... the hook is a canvass and the pheatherz 'n phur my pallet... being able to share the results is part of the challenge and pleasure... phlatwing... sort'a...

great information, o

great information, on line care, as a guide myself, too often i see clients equipment brought on board may be relatively new but in questionable working order, drag, lube neglect, and line neglect, thanks for driving home the importance of equipment care. capt. brian moran

Glenn, Mike,

Glenn, Mike,

The thing about tubes is not to consider it as a "better" way to tie the flies you usually tie, but to use tubes where it really makes sense.

I personally tie and use tubes for large, light flies where hook weight might be a problem, and for flies where the hook will typically last a lot longer than the materials or the other way round - pike fishing shreds a lot of flies, deep salmon fishing dulls a lot of hooks.

Last but not least, the new compact metal tubes makes it possible to tie a small and heavy fly, where the weight is concentrated exactly in the place you want it.

You might have noticed the large tube fly section here on GFF, where I go much more into depth with this issue:
http://globalflyfisher.com/tiebetter/tube-flies/

PS: regarding movement in the fly: that depends on the materials used, not on a tube or hook choice! I have plenty very enticing flies tied on tubes using zonker strips, marabou or Arctic fox or Finn raccoon hair wings. That works equally well on a tube.

Martin