Fly Tying Stand

I cranked this out of a chunk of butcher block a couple of days ago for a friends Xmas present.

I added some tools just for a visual effect.

New Year Flies

Now with-in reason...
Everyone who is identified as a follower of my blog and sends me their address in the next week or so will get a spankin new fly for the new year. Please share with your friends as well.
Now you may think this is just a shallow way to promote my site and get more followers.
...I guess you would be correct.

jamesodurbinii@gmail.com

Merry Christmas

Picked up one of the new William Joseph magnetic series for Xmas.

Also received a new pike taper and a box of misc. goodies. Only four more months to wait.

Step by step instructions.

Tie a chunk of white hair to the hook. This is the most important step. This chunk of hair must be solid to the hook or the fly will try to spin on the hook shaft. Trim off excess after each step. Do not worry about the head being flat as we will correct that with the peacock herl.


Add a bundle of sparkle. This is tied with holographic tinsel.


Add a second bunch of white calf hair.


Add a small bunch of white super hair. A couple loops around all the hair at this point will pull the gaps in the hair together.


Add the white super hair.


Add the white Peglusi fiber.


Add the blue Peglusi fiber.


Tie in a chunk of blue super hair.


Add your blue calf hair.


Add some blue crystal flash.


Tie on the top calf hair.


Add the side flash. Blue tinsel and silver holographic scales.


Finish off with some peacock hurl. This completes the top of the fly and makes the head triangular. This was why we did not worry about the fur being cut flat.


Put on a rubber band to control the body and add eyes.


Add epoxy and spin.


Trim the body as long as you want. I prefer a nice taper from the end of the calf hair to the end of the tail. The super hair only needs to be a couple inches longer than the calf hair. It is only added to give the body a transition from the Peglusi fiber to the calf hair.

The finished fly.

BIG BIG BIG

These flies were more of an experiment to try and find out how big I could tie a fly and keep the proportions with the materials I have. The bottom is the best of the two in my mind. They are almost thirteen inches long.

More big flies

This green fly is tied from a new material from me called Yack Hair. It is long and pliable, but has very little bulk. I will have to fish it and see if it makes a difference in the water. The blue is tied with Peglusi fiber.

Winter is really here

Tonight we are expecting our first winter storm and around 10 inches of snow. Four more months before I can look forward to throwing some flies, but I am not daunted. Another batch is turning on the dryer as we speak. I have added some yellow, black over red and some blue flies to the list.

Realistic minnow patterns

I find the concept of the hard realistic head and the moving rear of the fly as an interesting concept. I will have to try and incorperate it into some new flies.

Fly storage

I have started storing my flies in these seal able plastic bags. They are just like the ones you find in retail fly shops. It keeps the fly's flat and display nicely for selling.

Barbless hooks

In my search for some more hooks to use, I came across these. I have been using octopus or bait hooks for a few years now. These will be my new hooks of choice. I already use Gamakatsu's exclusively, and the barbless fit the bill. They come in nickle, red and green.

Looking back...

Fall is fading fast as chances of snow are being talked about in the news. It has been another good year of fly fishing. We always hope for just one more fish or just a few pounds bigger, but honestly it has been all good. Even the worst days fishing are enjoyed by me lately. I am getting older and I have started to see the world for what it really is. Time to enjoy the little things in life. My daughters joy at the butterflies hatching in our cages, the crickets she finds under the logs in the backyard. She is growing up fast and will soon be 11. It has gone by so fast. I relish every day with her as a child. Soon she will be too old to think bugs are cool and enjoys hanging with dad. I know boys and other things will take her from me. I can only hope I have instilled the joy of the world like my dad did to me. My father is a big bird watcher and bug collector and my daughter loves to look at his collection of insects. I hope she never looses these things. Too much today we are caught up in the fast paced world and forget that many things were here before us, but unfortunately will not be here after we are done. I find it sad that with all our technology and intelligence we are so quick to destroy the world we live in. I only hope my daughter has the chance to fish with her old man and her children i na world that still has the little things I find enjoyable.

Random big fish

I am a big fly guy. I want to pursue fish that smash big stuff. Giant trevally, cuda's and false albacore are known for crushing flies. I am interested!

Fly collection

Thought it would be kind cool to post a pile of my newly tied flies. These are all flies tied since May/June and have never seen the water.

Large Arbor Freak

I only own Greys reels but I just love them. When I win the lottery I will have a shelf full of these.

Fall pictures of my favorite haunt

This is my favorite place to fish. Although I have spots with more fish, this is my most bueatiful spot. The bluffs are about 75 feet high and run for about a mile.

New fishing car

2007 Mini S, 6 speed manual. 175 horse turbo 4, top speed 148 MPH. Now I can get to the fish faster.

Getting cold

Hit the water tonight for a few hours. The rivers are running clearer and look nicer than any other time of the year. The water temp is rapidly falling though and the river refused to give up any fish. Better luck next time.

Red Herring

Cold rainy weather spawned this little school of Red Herring over the weekend. The flies are around seven inches long.

Wolf spiders

These spiders are all over the rocks where we fish. Most are the size of a nickle, but once in a while we get some big ones. This was about 3.5 inches across. About the diameters of a Pringles can or the palm of your hand.

Streamers with tails

The End of Summer

One of the signs summer is closing is the last of my daughter's and mine's monarchs. We find great joy in raising them each year and setting them free. It's one of the ways we like to help nature.