New ties

[nomolites]

28 minutes ago, Flysmallie said:

Sure you do. 

Takes a little practice, a good razor blade, and GSP.  It also helps to start with good spinning hair.

Mike

[kjackson]

1 hour ago, tjm said:

I thought "Hopping John" was a foam cricket.

Not according to an FFF pattern book I have, but then again there are probably more Hopping Johns out there.  The pattern the book shows is pretty much as I've tied it-- except it was all white on a standard, long-shank hook.  

I'm playing with the tie a little bit. I'm not sure that the orientation of the zonker strip makes a difference in the way the fly fishes on the strip.  If we get open water in the near future, I'll try checking that out.

[fishinwrench]

34 minutes ago, kjackson said:

I'm not sure that the orientation of the zonker strip makes a difference in the way the fly fishes on the strip

Oddly enough it does.   I learned that while experimenting with Henry Cowen's "Coyote" fly.  

The hide, when soaked, has more mass and wants to ride FUR UP.   

 Not even the metal blade underneath will keep a Coyote fly oriented correctly if the fur strip is tied in the way you THINK it should be.    I had to scrap 10 of the friggin things and retie them.....so I'm convinced now.  

[tjm]

I'm just an old amateur tyer, but I believe orientation and location of materials makes or breaks any fly.  

Did a web search for "FFF pattern book", it should be a good resource. Al & Gretchen Beatty have illustrated and written about nearly every tying technique known to man. Oddly though, in the 9' or 10' shelf of fly fishing and tying books I own, not one of theirs.

I also did a web search for the "Hopping John fly pattern" which showed a lot of food recipes and a single entry for "Hoppin' John"   fly, which must be what I saw some years ago- https://frontrangeanglers.com/hoppin-john-cricket-version/

Yours will catch a fish.

[kjackson]

Without checking the book as I'm lazy (but will do tomorrow)... I think the FFF pattern book was written by the Beattys.  It was an Amato publication.  I'll give you song and dance tomorrow...

Interesting about the orientation of the fur... I've tied a small number of zonker flies but never looked at the way they fished. Most were used for chum salmon where I just swung 'em through the schools.

[fishinwrench]

The Beatty's were incredible tyers, but I get the feeling that they spent way more time tying than they did fishing what they tyed.  

The list of creative fly tyers that actually do much fishing is shorter than you might think. 

Davy McPhail is a perfect example.

[kjackson]

Decided I needed to see if the Beattys did do the book, so I shook off the laziness and brought it downstairs.

[tjm]

26 minutes ago, kjackson said:

the Beattys did do the book,

Yeah, I found that in the  web is why I mentioned them. I had no idea what "FFF pattern book" even meant. I had forgotten there was an "FFF".

 

31 minutes ago, fishinwrench said:

 I get the feeling that they spent way more time tying than they did fishing what they tyed.  

With writing  and publishing 12-20 books running three or four businesses  including selling the flies they tie, I think she sells embroidery  work and he does photography, I don't when they'd have much time to fish.  You are right I think,  about  creative fly tyers not doing a lot of fishing, but if I had days of labor in a fly I might not want to get it wet either. I seldom spend five minutes tying a fly that will either be lost or destroyed by the fish. There are fly tyers that don't fly fish at all but sell or gift their creations as works of art. Especially in the traditional salmon fly category.

[kjackson]

Two of my favorite fly-fishing writers/tyers were fishermen first and creative fly tyers second. Roderick Haig-Brown is an excellent writer who created flies for his trout/steelhead/salmon fishing. His "fisherman's Fall/Winter/Spring/Summer" series is superb.  

Polly Rosborough was the other. His book on tying fuzzy nymphs did more to popularize the dubbing loop--if he didn't come up with it-- than any other writer I can think of. He was a commercial tyer and responsible for me having several lifetime supplies of Nymo thread.

[Flysmallie]

Whoa, Black Betty Bam-ba-lam