What have you been tying today?

[EXPATRIATE]

To be honest I'v been a bit embarrassed by the sloppy way I've been finishing some of my flies and now some of the guys want to buy a few I'm not about to send them with messy untidy heads, etc. Okay for me-not for my friends, Also getting practise on salmon/steelhead patterns as I've done a few just to get the idea' but will soon have to order new hooks-got a bulk set last year, but have used most of them on pike flies and trout zonkers. Tied up two dozen dry and wet flies last night for a friend in Lincolnshire and will stock up on anything I need for the Streamer/Wet Fly Tie-Along. Hey, Ard-is that stuff you ordered from Steve Cooper at Cookshill then?. He does probably the best natural materials I've ever ordered and quite reasonable prices who I met once at a fdg meeting here in Altrincham.

 

[kglissmeyer1]

Well, what with rehab on the newly fused ankle as well as getting ready for several spring expos and tying demos I've been at it at the vise for quite a while now. Here are some of what I've been tying over the past three months or so:

Scuds in olive, amber and white:

Damsels:

South Fork Specials:

Flashback, bead-head Pheasant-tail nymphs:

A variety of midge patterns:

Rainbow Warriors:

Improved Shop Vac:

Parasol Emergers:

Halfback/Foamback Emergers:

Big Ugly Rubberlegs:

Anyway, I've been busy. Now I'm just tweaking and perfecting a few recipes and flies for some workshops and tying theaters upcoming.

Kelly.

 

[Ard]

Glad to see these threads staying alive, I am putting up materials for making a bunch of Santiam Spectrum wets like the one below. This was the prize winner last year in all round performance here. The first one cast landed a big char and that fish was followed by many more char, trout, sockeye, and a few silvers. Incidentally all the fish were caught on just two of the flies. I needed to use a second one after the original began to come undone. My best guess is that the first fly landed about 25 fish before things got loose.

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This is the one that was used first;

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As the season moved along the Skykomish Sunrise, Thor, and Freight train along with my Bush Doctor pretty much finished out the duties of fish catching. I need to make a few of my Nine Three variant also because they get torn up on my local trout stream, so it's about time to get busy up here.

 

[lancer09]

Kellly, How do you make the body on the ugly rubberlegs fly? I love that.

 

[kelkay]

Nice flies Kelly and Ard!!!

 

[madjoni]

Excellent flies there guys
Kelly Damsels is stunner:thumbup:
Cant really comment on Ardis spey fly because I dont use or tie that type of flies but I like it

 

[wt bash]

While waiting for the mailman to bring me some wilson doubles I got antsy and tied these guys on a walleye wide gap from Gamikatsu size 1. Dont let the size # fool you these fit inside the diameter of a quarter. I really like the way they turned out on said hook and will definitly use them again after a proper swing test.
Bash's Popcorn Shrimp

Iced Teal (daiichi 2051)

Bunched wing amarillo

Buched wing verde

Hope you like'm

 

[kelkay]

Nice flies WT BASH. I missed them before.

 

[smallieman]

So be easy on me I had a quick 10 minutes and tied these fast. But the one orange one I could not get the cone all the way up but just seeing how the colors are. So what do you guys think

No Idea about this one just looking to make a small fly

So will they catch? I also made ones without cones

 

[kglissmeyer1]

Kellly, How do you make the body on the ugly rubberlegs fly? I love that.

This is one of the simplest flies to tie and catches a majority of fish for me during the year. I tie it on a size 4 or 6 curved nymph hook, tie in the rubberlegs material for the tails and then attach variegated chenille in the color you see in the pic. I then attach the legs up the body and the antennae. Wrap the chenille up the hook and tie it off behind the eye and you're done. I usually weight this with about 20 wraps of .030 non-lead wire. I also tie them in darker colors, but the color you see in the pic is the most productive.

Kelly.

 

[lancer09]

What kind of variegated chenille is it? Is it just yellow and brown or somethign flashier?

The past day or two I churned out a half dozen size 8 beadchain clousers with congo hair instead of bucktail, a pair of crappie looking flies I saw on another forum I regularly troll and Killy I tried some of those damsels, they are awesome and fun to tie. I knocked out seven.

I couldn't tell what all was on there so i just kinda did my take on them. I used black bead chain instead of what looks like melted mono, tied in on the bottom side of the hook. Then attached the marabou about the tail, twisted it and then wrapped thread up and back down it. For the back i just used a shinyish tinsel... I like my flies to have a little pizazz. Then I dubbed up and around the eyes. I tied three in olive, black and one in brown... I'm out of brown marabou.

They are awesome flies and think they will produce great for me this summer.

 

[ausablebrown]

I'm working up a new pattern for night-time browns. Big articulated fly still in the works; I have some tweeking to do on it. I'd name it the Lady-Gaga just because it's so crass yet so beautiful at the same time, but I really don't want to; I just can't seem to think of a more suitable name. Once I finish it and finally learn how to put a picture up on here maybe Ill have to take suggestions for the name.

 

[lancer09]

ausable, just call it Steve. everyone will tthink your talking about a person when you pull out this huge awesome fly... called Steve.

 

[kglissmeyer1]

What kind of variegated chenille is it? Is it just yellow and brown or somethign flashier?

The past day or two I churned out a half dozen size 8 beadchain clousers with congo hair instead of bucktail, a pair of crappie looking flies I saw on another forum I regularly troll and Killy I tried some of those damsels, they are awesome and fun to tie. I knocked out seven.

I couldn't tell what all was on there so i just kinda did my take on them. I used black bead chain instead of what looks like melted mono, tied in on the bottom side of the hook. Then attached the marabou about the tail, twisted it and then wrapped thread up and back down it. For the back i just used a shinyish tinsel... I like my flies to have a little pizazz. Then I dubbed up and around the eyes. I tied three in olive, black and one in brown... I'm out of brown marabou.

They are awesome flies and think they will produce great for me this summer.

Lancer, glad you tried out some of those patterns. The damsel really is a fun fly to tie since its a bit different than what we normally tie. The chenille I use on the Big Ugly fly is a Brown/yellowish-olive with sparkle flash integrated in the material. Unfortunately the packaging doesn't give the color, so I have to shop a little blind until I find what looks like the right stuff. Fortunately the material doesn't change color much when wet, so what you see is what you get.

Here is the recipe for the damsel (but it sounds like you figured it out fairly well from your description :biggrin:

KG’s Killer Damsel

Hook: DaiRiki 125 size 14
Thread: 8/0 Olive
Ext. Body: Olive Marabou, 8-10 strands wrapped with tying thread down & back
Shellback: Olive Thinskin
Thorax: Palmered marabou
Eyes: Melted red mono

Good luck.

Kelly.

 

[ausablebrown]

KG’s Killer Damsel

Hook: DaiRiki 125 size 14
Thread: 8/0 Olive
Ext. Body: Olive Marabou, 8-10 strands wrapped with tying thread down & back
Shellback: Olive Thinskin
Thorax: Palmered marabou
Eyes: Melted red mono

Good luck.

Kelly.

Just wanted to say I'm impressed with your tying. Everything you post on here looks perfect and delicious! Wish I had the time to get that good at it.

Curious, how often and when do you fish damselflies? I've fished plenty of places that have damselfly nymphs in the water, but I have never bother fishing with them. What time of year/conditions do you go to the Damsel? I've never really read anything about them; do they have a routine hatch?

 

[kglissmeyer1]

Just wanted to say I'm impressed with your tying. Everything you post on here looks perfect and delicious! Wish I had the time to get that good at it.

Curious, how often and when do you fish damselflies? I've fished plenty of places that have damselfly nymphs in the water, but I have never bother fishing with them. What time of year/conditions do you go to the Damsel? I've never really read anything about them; do they have a routine hatch?

Great question! I wish I could say I use damsels often, but I don't. It seems their emergence is about as predictable as the weather. A stillwater I know of in southeast Idaho enjoyed a damsel emergence last year that lasted May through August, which is highly unusual. Henry's Lake experiences an annual damsel event beginning sometime in July. When those bugs start to move the fish pay attention, but it's hard to hit it just right. On my favorite spring creek there are some damsels that emerge each year, yet, even though I fish that water quite often during the year, I've never once been able to pinpoint the emergence. I do remember one memorable July day when it was hot, no breeze and you could see fish lazing all over the place. I tied on a damsel nymph and was actively moving it through the water and I watched as a trout nowhere near the nymph came charging from more than 12 feet away to hammer that bug, while there were numerous closer fish who never even budged as the fly passed them - go figure.

We discovered a new stillwater destination last summer and tried many damselfly offerings with no luck, even though the conditions and timing seemed to be perfect. Therefore, even though I've come up with a pretty decent pattern, I don't often have the opportunity to fish it. I guess when they say that timing is everything they must be correct when it comes to damsel emergences. I'll keep trying though, and perhaps I'll hit it just right someday .

Kelly.

 

[lancer09]

I'm going to give it ago for some bass and bluegill in ponds and lakes this summer, there are always damsels and dragon flies flying around. From what i've read they fish well along weed beds and moss flats and these places just get killed with moss every year which makes fishing hard.

I also tried the south fork special and a midge or two, i forget the name of it, the one with the foam back.. or maybe you mentioned it in another thread?

anyway. the big ugly rubber legs really looks awesome and i've got some brownish goldish variegate chenille but nothing with any shimmer to it so i'll have to keep looking, also what kind of rubber legs are those?

 

[kglissmeyer1]

I'm going to give it ago for some bass and bluegill in ponds and lakes this summer, there are always damsels and dragon flies flying around. From what i've read they fish well along weed beds and moss flats and these places just get killed with moss every year which makes fishing hard.

I also tried the south fork special and a midge or two, i forget the name of it, the one with the foam back.. or maybe you mentioned it in another thread?

anyway. the big ugly rubber legs really looks awesome and i've got some brownish goldish variegate chenille but nothing with any shimmer to it so i'll have to keep looking, also what kind of rubber legs are those?

I think the legs are called Flexi-floss or some such. There are a few different brands, but I don't usually use the round stuff. As for the foam backed flies, I have a couple I like. One is the Deep Purple Peril and the other is an emerger which I call the halfback or fullback/foamback emerger. Here are the pics and recipes:

KG's Fullback/Foamback Emerger:

KG's Halfback/Foamback Emerger:
PMD:

BWO:

Hook: DaiRiki 125 sizes 20-22
Thread: Black 70 Ultra
Tail: Amber dubbing tied as shuck
Abdomen: Tying thread
Rib: Chartreuse Uni wire - x/small
Thorax: Black dubbing - picked out
Wingcase: Electronics packing foam

Here's a YouTube video of me tying the foamback emerger:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCwVN64SFes]YouTube - Half-Back Foam PMD Emerger[/ame]

KG's Deep Purple Peril Midge:

Hook: DaiRiki 125 size 14
Thread: 8/0 Black
Abdomen: Black Thread - opt. epoxy
Rib: Holographic Purple Mylar - small
Thorax: Black dubbing
Wing: 2mm white foam

Hope this info helps.

Here's to good tying and having fun doing it!

Kelly.

 

[lancer09]

Ah, it was the deep purple peril midge... but I tied it in red... because I don't have purple.

 

[kglissmeyer1]

Ah, it was the deep purple peril midge... but I tied it in red... because I don't have purple.

I've tied it in purple, red, and blue, but purple seems to be the best - although I've caught fish on all of them

Kelly.