New Member

[laurie]

Hi All
Well this is my first attempt to join a forum , so firstly i appologies if i am not introducing my correctly, secondly i have 2 left hands so that is my excuse for hitting the key board badly and making spelling mistakes.

My Name is Lawrence Finney and i come from a small village called Moira In county Armagh Northern Ireland. I am a qualified A.P.G.A.I. instructor in fly dressing and my three passions in life is:

1. Fly dressing traditional Irish Lough patterns

2. Fly fishing on the Irish loughs for Brown trout and Atlanic Salmon

3. teaching my 3 year old grand daughter the basics of fly tying which will be a big job but well rewarding.

I have carried out a few fly tying demonstrations in Ireland and at the British fly fair where i have met 2 off the finest gentlemen from the states
Ted Patlen from Long Island and Tom Travis from Montana.
If these guys are a taste of the friendship of you fellow anglers i am in for years of pleasure on this site:icon_bigg

 

[mikeo]

Hi All
Well this is my first attempt to join a forum , so firstly i appologies if i am not introducing my correctly, secondly i have 2 left hands so that is my excuse for hitting the key board badly and making spelling mistakes.

My Name is Lawrence Finney and i come from a small village called Moira In county Armagh Northern Ireland. I am a qualified A.P.G.A.I. instructor in fly dressing and my three passions in life is:

1. Fly dressing traditional Irish Lough patterns

2. Fly fishing on the Irish loughs for Brown trout and Atlanic Salmon

3. teaching my 3 year old grand daughter the basics of fly tying which will be a big job but well rewarding.

I have carried out a few fly tying demonstrations in Ireland and at the British fly fair where i have met 2 off the finest gentlemen from the states
Ted Patlen from Long Island and Tom Travis from Montana.
If these guys are a taste of the friendship of you fellow anglers i am in for years of pleasure on this site:icon_bigg

Welcome to the forum -- and I've got many great memories of Ireland (family is originally from Sligo -- generations ago though) -- the music, the pubs, the Guiness, the whisky AND the fishing -- met one of the better Irish fly fishermen (had been on Irish National Fly Fishing team I believe) here in Canada (he was a friend of the then co-owner of one of Toronto's best Irish pubs, Dora Keogh's) -- but can't remember his name -- but we exchanged great fishing memories

 

[Frank Whiton]

Hi Lawrence,

Welcome to the forum. Very glad to have you join. I will be looking forward to your post. I wonder if you can post some pictures of your flies. Here is a link to a FAQ on how to post pictures.

Frank

 

[laurie]

Re: welcome and fly photos

Hi Mikeo
great to hear from you Whiskey and Guiness are the key words here.


Hello Frank
thank you for your warm welcome, these are some of some of the patterns we use over here, sorry about the poor quality photos

 

[Frank Whiton]

Hi Lawrence,

Thanks for the pictures but they are too small to see well. Those are nice display cases.

Frank

 

[laurie]

Re: flies

Sorry about that
The framed flies are the ones i have been producing for visiting anglers, as they usually like to take back flies of the Loughs they have fisheD.
these are blow up photos of some of them
The Carra May

The Claret Octopus

The woven Damsel Nymph

The Melvin Muddler

The Woven mayfly nymph

I hope these are ok
Laurie

 

[Frank Whiton]

Hi Laurie,

Thanks for posting some close ups. Dang nice flies. I really like the color of the woven body on the Damsel Nymph. Great work.

Frank

 

[mikeo]

Totally agree -- DANG NICE FLIES!!!!! -- Laurie very nice indeed -- any chance you might pop across the pond and come and visit us North Americans -- I'm very sure your fly patterns would be winners over here too

Liked the display cases too -- but really liked the close-ups -- and yes, Whisky and Guiness -- is there any other way to finish off a good day's fishing but with a Guiness to whet your thirst and a Whisky to warm your heart

Just curious the chap I met from Ireland in Toronto at Dora Keogh's -- would you have any idea who that was?????

Finally an old Irish toast I learned while over there years back (first of several visits): "May the roof over our heads not fall in and the friends underneath it not fall out". Always liked that one especially if we were toasting new friends met on the river after a good day's angling.

 

[laurie]

Re: woven flies

Hi Frank
Sorry i am late getting back to you, i got a phone call at 4.30 AM local time from one of the guys from the river Mourne to say that there was a big run of Atlantic Salmon coming though.
Needless to say i was late coming in to work today. coneected with 2 beauties around 8lb but did not beach them i used barbless hooks so i managed to release them untouched.
Thanks for the compliments on the tyings, i am at the moment finishing off a series of new patterns, a cross between the Irish Dabbler and a Muddler.
I will be trying them out on Saturday as we have a big competition on Lough Melvin.Once i get the photos took i will put them on a post for you to see
All the best
Laurie

 

[laurie]

Hi Mikeo
I would dearly love to come over to the states.
a friend of mine came over to fish north of yelowstone this year and it was that good he went back a month later.
I have the chance to go to chille in February so i am looking into that.
Regarding your aquaintance at Dora Keoghs, i know a few of the Irish internationals so it could be any one og them.
Last year at the British fly fair i met 2 of your countrymen Tom Travis and Ted Patlen. i don,t know if you have heard of them but they are a great bunch of lads , and i look forward to seeing them again this year.
Another person who i have corresponded with is Steve Burke of salmonfly.net he is a reallypleasant person.
You never know i might just be able to make it over next year.
I would like to try out my detached may flies and snatchers
Laurie

 

[yatahey]

Laurie,
Those flies are works of art! In your display cases they would be a treasure for any fly fishers den.

 

[Troutwhisperer]

Hi laurie,

First i'll start out with welcome aboard,
Second, i was wonderin if you could PM me or post the recipes for the claret octopus, the cara may, woven damselfly nymph, melvin muddle, and the woven mayfly nymph.

They look like great patterns and ide like to try them on the mossouri this falll for browns if i get the chance.

 

[WANTONJ]

Hi Lawrence,welcome aboard,your flies are very nice and I can tell were made with a lot of care and Patience,very nice work.

have a good and safe day.
Captain Wayne Valley Fire Service,Valley Springs Calif.

 

[mikeo]

If you do plan on coming North to Canada too -- would love to get out on the water with you -- we'll raise a glass or two afterwards
Not sure who that lad at Dora Keogh's was -- must be old age setting in I guess

 

[laurie]

Hi Trout whisperer
I am just back from Lough Melvin where we have the 29th Annual competition, unfortunatley i did not qualify for the final.
Big waves and storms on Saturday so i have a sore rear at the monent, and a raging hangover as the guinness was too good to miss.
I will get the recipies for the flies done tomorrow and post them on here for you.
all the best
Laurie

 

[laurie]

Hi Yatahey
thanks for your comments.
I am doing up sets of frames at the moment for the British Fly fair,i am trying to keep up with the orders as visitors have been keeping busy with requests.
They certainly do look good on the wall as displays.I did a set for Lord Morrow over here and it has paid off for future orders.
I just need to keep on tying
All the best
Laurie

 

[laurie]

Hi Mikeo
As you can see from the last 2 posts i have been away for a couple of days on Lough Melvin.
arrived at the lodge on Friday night and straight away i had to set up for the fly tying exhibition.
Brilliant craic, the guiness was flowing like water and i ended up tying up the craziest patterns i have ever seen.
I have been dying materials in Picric acid(OH DEAR!) the local fishermen go mad for the patterns with this stuff.
I know what a few fellows anglers will say "is he crazy using that stuff"
believe me, it really works well.
I have dyed Hen Pheasant wings and used it on the green peters i tied, they sold like hot cakes as some of the guys went out to try them on the lake and rose fisdh galore.
If i do get a chance to come over i definetly contact you.
All i need to do now is start saving
All the best
Laurie

 

[mikeo]

Laurie
Sounds like a great time indeed -- especially the craic and the guiness flowing like water -- and the crazy flies and all -- hope you can definitely find your way over here one day -- and it would be my privilege to show you some of my favourite trout waters
Cheers,
Mike