So, here we are... 2015! The past week has come and gone. And I have to admit, I'm glad to be back at work. Family gatherings, parties, and dinners are fun, but they are a lot of work too. So, it was nice to get out the dusty vise this past week and get back into fly tying. Kind of like the words go in "Auld Lang Syne", I cannot forget my old friend, the vise. I've neglected it badly, I must admit. Every time I think that I have a few minutes to sit down and tie up a few bugs for the next outing, I get sidetracked... and then I end up at Sportsmen's Warehouse to buy them at a dollar each! Haha.
Well, all it took was a little competition on Facebook to get me motivated with those size 18's and 20's for the winter. I had to post up a fly each day. So, I embellished upon a few old patterns and tried a few new ones. So, here is what I came up with in a hurry. The picture above is my disco midge. Made with black tinsel, peacock herl and a clear plastic bead. Simple.
Then, I got a little crazy and put on a pink bead. That was going the extra mile. Haha.
Next, we have the pink hot head sow. A little different than my other sows and scuds that I have made. I was pretty happy with it. Can't wait to see if it will catch fish. Easy peasy too.
And the last one that I will share with you, so not to bore you to tears... (Because I know that all of you are way better fly tiers than me!) Here is my Crystal Dip... the hot fly of the Madison River in Montana...
Well... I just can't help myself... I did tie up a favorite of mine. Let's say it is the "encore" presentation... The one fly that catches on any tailwater and especially those rivers around the West...
Mr. Rainbow Sow
Ha! The Christmas card envelope makes a bad background... but, I like red!
So there you have it... the vise has come out of the rafters. It won't be forgotten. And next time you see it, you might notice a bit of....well, should we say, "facelift"??? =)
RD
ReplyDeleteA nice variety of midge type patterns, I have a feeling that Crystal Dip might be your favorite---good job at the vice. Glad to back with you guys---thanks for sharing
Bill ~ It's good to hear from you again my friend! We missed you these last few months. Hope all is well... Looking forward to reading your blog again. =)
DeleteYou may not think you do a good job at tying, but compared to what I do, you're professional. Nice work.
ReplyDeleteMark ~ Not quite at the pro level yet. Haha. But, we are having fun tying up what works around here to catch fish. Hope you had a nice holiday season with the family. And I am halfway through the book! Really enjoying it. Thx!
DeleteGreat little flies there Emily.
ReplyDeleteThat midge with the pink bead would work well on my brookie streams.
Alan ~ I didn't know brookies would like pink to know... I wish we had brookies to catch right now, but they are all up too high in the mountains with that white stuff. And probably a lot of ice too. Come Spring!!!
DeleteI think you are doing really well in the fly tying arena. Tie what works for you and don't worry about tying up things that you will never use..........
ReplyDeleteI really like the Disco Midge and the Sowbugs. Do you tie the midge just in real small sizes? What size are you tying the Sowbugs in?
Mel ~ Thank you my friend. In the winter, the disco midge needs to stay size 20-22. And the sows can be anywhere from 16-20. I have been tying a lot of 18's in the sows. If the fish won't take those this weekend, then I will have to resort to a 20... but, usually sow bugs are 16-18.
DeleteMel ~ Added thought. Sows and scuds work at size 14 too, but in the winter I just usually go smaller.
DeleteI really like that Disco Midge with the pink head. Looks very fishy indeed, I have begun tying my Zebra midges with a pink head and fishing them when I go into areas with high traffic. The pink head seems to be enough to attract that extra finicky bite. Tight lines and wishing you all the best this year.
ReplyDeleteAhhh... Atlas, you should see what is on the tying table in front of me right now. Ha. Lots of pink thread heads on sows and pink beads on midges. We will see what happens... You are right, the winter brings on finickiness with fish and even me sometimes!
DeleteEither I forgot to comment or ...? Your flies are looking excellent Em. Pretty soon you'll have to be sending me flies. Well done!
ReplyDeleteThanks Howard... It's taken me two years to get to this point. Hahahahaha. Finally serious about it. Bought a new vise, so now I have to stick to it!
ReplyDelete