I have My good friend Marc Petitjean visiting today so we will be tying and fishing over the weekend. I will post the full story and some nice step by step tutorials from Marc next week. Have a good one.
Latest
Fly tying course # 15 Tying the parachute Leptophlebia
Hi, I am back again with # 15 in the fly tying course, this time its a small mayfly Dun.
Where I live in Southern Norway the Claret Dun (Leptophlebia vespertina) and Sepia Dun ( Leptophlebia marginata) are amongst the first and the most common mayflies to hatch. Because of their tolerance of acidic water they are to be found on most forest lakes and ponds along with slow flowing rivers. These two mayflies are on the trouts menu from as early as April until the end of July and no Norwegian fly fisherman should be without a good imitation. Because of their similar size, colour and habitat this one pattern covers both. If you are fishing these hatches with this pattern I can guarantee success!
Hook: Mustad R50 94840 # 12-14
Tying thread: Dyneema
Tail: Fibbets
Body: Moose mane hair
Abdomen: Peacock herl
Parachute post: Poly yarn
Hackle: Back cock
1
Secure your size 14 dry fly hook in the vice so that the hook shank is horizontal.
2
Run your tying thread along the whole length of the hook shank until your thread hangs vertical to the hook barb.
3
Although both Vespertina and Maginata have three tails I only use two long ones. This takes less time to tie, uses less tailing material and trout cant count! But if you feel the need to be more realistic use three. Tie these in on top of the hook shank, this is important! The body of the fly will then rest in the film and not on it.
4
Spin your Dyneema thread clockwise so the fibers open and the thread becomes flat.
6
Using the flat thread cover the whole body and build up a slight taper as shown. Choose a dark, almost black long moose mane hair. The best hair from the moose for this is from the back of the neck. Tie in the moose hair by the point at the tail base.
7
Make the first wrap of moose hair under the two tails. This will support them and keep them high.
8
Now, making tight even wraps of moose hair cover the whole rear body of the fly. Tie off. Although moose mane is surprisingly robust if you wish you can give the body a coat with varnish.
9
Cut a short length of Polypropylene yarn for the parachute post and tie in as shown.
10
Flip your hook in the vice, or if you have a fully rotational vice, give it a spin and wrap the base of the parachute post 2 or 3 mm up from the hook shank.
11
Prepare a black hackle and tie in as shown up the post base ready for wrapping later.
12
Select a small fibered peacock herl, these are best and the correct size just below the eye on the tail feather.
13
Spin the hook in the vice again and tie in the peacock herl at the rear of the parachute post.
14
Wrap the herl forward to the hook eye and secure.
15
Colour your Dyneema with a waterproof felt marker and spin the bobbin anti clockwise to twist the fibers together and make the thread smaller. Make one whip finish.
16
Spin your vice again. Wind your thread through the thorax and up the parachute post.
17
Wind your tying thread to the base of the post and then make a few wraps of hackle, going down towards the thorax with each wrap.
18
Now make two turns of tying thread one to the left of the excess hackle and then one to the right. This will hold the hackle securely while you trim off the excess.
19
Trim off the excess hackle, taking care not to cut any of the wrapped fibers.
20
Make a whip finish under the wrapped hackle and around the post. Just before your tighten the whip finish apply a drop of varnish to the tying thread, when you tighten the varnish will slide into place and secure the knot without you getting it everywhere.
21
The finished parachute Leptophlebia that will float deep in the film.
22
The fish eye view.
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Bound by a single thread!
In the latest issue of Fly Fishing & Fly Tying you can see my full tutorial with Dyneema tying thread. Spinning, splitting, colouring and much more.
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Nordic fly fair 2013
I will be tying on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 2013 at the Nordic fly fair in Elverum Norway. If you are around pop in and say hi. I look forward to seeing you there.
Mustad catalogue 2014
Hi, I must start again by apologizing for my absence lately (again) but I have been very busy tying and photographing flies for the new Mustad hook catalogue for 2014.
Heres a sneak preview of a few of the patterns. I hope to be back blogging over the weekend, have a good one.
Bee Cee Clapping crab tied on a Mustad C70SNP-DT
Kill Bill Salmon double Tied on a Mustad 80525-BL
Sølv Dokka Tied on a Mustad R70NP-BR
Vulturine Tarpon Tied on a Mustad C68SNP-ZS
Circle shrimp Tied on a Mustad C71SNP-SS
Streaking Caddis Tied on a Mustad R30NP-BR
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Friday’s fly
A new and improved melt glue caddis pupa pattern that you can see the full step by step for in a coming issue of the US magazine Fly Tyer.
Fly tying course # 14 The ribbon shrimp
Sorry for taking so long for my next installment for the tying course but I am very busy right now photographing sea trout fishing as the season is underway. This is a simple but extremely realistic salt water shrimp pattern I designed for salt water sea trout fishing in Northern Europe.
Ribbon Shrimp
Hook Mustad Shrimp C47SNP-DT http://www.mustad.no/productcatalog/na/product.php?id=189
Eyes: Easy shrimp eyes http://www.easyshrimpeyes.dk/
Feelers/Body: Organdie decretive ribbon If you’re looking for pre-dyed “organdie” it’s available in the UK from http://www.ribbonoasis.co.uk in a good range of colours and widths, just go to the site and search for “organza”, different name same product.
Shell back Bug Bond http://www.bug-bond.moonfruit.com/
From late autumn until early spring the majority of bait fish around the coastline of Northern Europe leave the shallows and head out for deeper water where they will be protected from the bitter cold of winter. Many of the species of shrimp that can be found on the other hand move into deeper tidal pools and onto shelves were the coastline is steeper and falls abruptly away into deeper water.
Therefor shrimps are on the coastal sea trout’s menu the whole year round, and can be found in great numbers. These are particularly important to fly fishermen because they mature in the shallows where we do most of our fishing, and all sea trout fishermen should have at least a couple of good shrimp patterns in there fly box at all times.
Where, When & Why ?
You may think that a perfect small translucent shrimp pattern fished blind, may not be the easiest prey for a sea trout to notice in a large body of water! and if you fish something that “ stands out in a crowd ” a little colour and movement, it may increase the chances of it being noticed and picked-up.
The most rewarding colours for shrimp patterns, in my experience are red, pink, orange and olive. Occasionally, it can be worthwhile, tying some very small shrimp flies in sizes 12-14-16 and in more neutral mundane colours, such as grey and white. Shrimps of all shapes and varying sizes are without doubt the most important all year round food sources for salt water sea trout. Unlike other seasonal foods like rag worms, sand eels and small bait fish, that the sea trout feed on throughout their first years in salt water.
Natural selection takes a favorable view of effective and adaptable feeding, a proficient predatory fish when feeding will maximize energy intake and minimize energy consumption. Predators quickly learn to avoid areas where there is little or no food. These rules also apply to the fish familiarizing themselves with the best feeding locations and habits that coincide to the different seasons. So its paramount that the effective fly fisherman is aware of this and adapts his techniques, flies and strategy to that of the sea trouts feeding habits. This is especially important during the winter months when food is few and far between. Look for the signs, deeper bays with vegetation and structure, or the classic leopard bottom, with dark spotted patches of vegetation on a lighter backdrop of sand, where prey can have accessibility to sufficient food and cover from predators. The natural collection points of wind lanes of all shapes and sizes are also worth working. These collect plankton and other small forage that attract shrimps and bait fish. If there is ice on the surface, which is quite a common occurrence in the winter months, on Scandinavian coastal waters, pockets of open water generally indicate warmer water or flow. Both these elements will attract prey and predators alike.
Fast or Slow ?
Most species of shrimp have three very different ways of locomotion. When foraging for food or resting on the bottom they use their front walking legs for moving short distances on vegetation and other structure. When migrating or moving over larger distances they use their swimming legs. These are located under the abdomen and undulate when swimming, and can be used to propel the crustacean in all directions slowly. But when alarmed or fleeing from a predator they use a contraction of their strong abdomen muscle which results in a powerful rapid snap of the tail plates propelling the shrimp quickly backwards away from danger.
With this in mind one has a better understanding of the type of retrieve required to imitate a swimming or fleeing shrimp. Your retrieve will not only decide the speed of your fly but also its action in the water. If you know your prey and choose the correct retrieve, your overall chances of connecting will increase. If you choose the incorrect retrieve even the right pattern may not result in a take or even a follow.
Organdie ribbon can be bought at most craft or sewing stores.
Whilst tying flies at one of the large European fairs, I saw a similar material as Organdie being used for nymph gills, When I returned home it wasent difficult to find at my local sewing shop just for a couple of pounds, and as far as I can see its exactly the same material as the one marketed by a large fly tying supplier but for just a third of the price. I have also experimented with colouring the ribbon with waterproof markers but the colour washes out for some reason in salt water, but dying may be an option, that I have yet to try.
This is an extremely quick and easy pattern, that only takes a few minutes to tie if you use Bug Bond as the shell back, if you use epoxy it does take a little longer in curing time.
1
Secure your shrimp hook in the vise with the shank horizontal.
2
Cut a length of Organdie ribbon approximately 15 cm long, depending on the size of hook you are tying on. With a pair of long sharp scissors make a cut along the edging of the ribbon as shown.
3
Now repeat this on the other edge of the ribbon. You will now be able to pull out the short woven lengths of Organza.
4
Pull out enough to make a bunch of strands long enough for the shrimps beard.
5
Attach your tying thread to the hook shank and run back so that it hangs between the hook point and barb.
6
Tie in approximately one third of the length of fibers that you prepared for the beard.
7
Trim off and tie in the full length of the remaining fibers on top of the shorter.
8
Trim these off to form a tapered beard.
9
Now use the two edge strips that you cut from the ribbon and tie these in for the feelers, one each side of the beard.
10
Take the length of ribbon and with long straight scissors divide the ribbon diagonally from one corner to the other. Then you should have two strips of ribbon from the one cut for two flies.
11
Pull out all the fibers that run the length of the ribbon.
12
Tie in the ribbon hackle at the widest end just behind the beard. This will create a tapered body, large at the front and smaller at the tail.
13
Position and secure both your shrimp eyes, these should be quite long. After tying down secure with a little super glue or varnish.
14
Now you can wind on your ribbon hackle forward to the hook eye forming a christmas tree like effect on the shrimps body. Tie off and whip finish just behind the hook eye.
15
Coat the back of the shrimp with Bug Bond and cure with the UV light. You may have to make two or three coats to build up the shell back.
16
The very easy but life like result ready for the salt.
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Wine for fly tyers. Barbera D’Alba 2012
My first photograph for a wine label, fly tying inspired of course…
Proppen-Without doubt my most productive sea trout fly….
Proppen, over a thousand sea trout can’t be wrong!!
This is my variant of one of the best salmon flies in recent years. It is, without doubt my most productive fly for salt water sea trout fishing. There is something about this pattern that sea trout just can’t resist.
On many occasions when there are sea trout feeding or on the move, and they just follow the fly and won’t take, this small fly works most of the time. Fished on a long fine leader and floating line just under the surface with a very slow figure of eight retrieve, the takes are savage and powerful, driving the tiny hook home immediately. Many fishermen are skeptical to fishing such small patterns, but if you give this one a try, I promise, you won’t be disappointed.
When nothing else will work, proppen saves the day…
Proppen
Hook: Mustad 60329NBLN # 10 Carp Power
Thread: Dyneema
Feelers: 4 Stripped cock hackles
Beard: Deer hair summer coat
Body: Moose hair coated with Bug Bond and coloured with waterproof felt pen
1
Secure your hook in the vice as shown.
2
Select four stiff light coloured cock hackles
3
Strip off all the fibers.
4
Attach your tying thread to the hook shank
5
Tie in the four stripped cock hackles evenly spaced around the hook shank.
6
Cut a small bunch of deer hair from a summer coat, this wont flare as much as the winter coat hair. And even the points in a hair stacker.
7
Tie in the deer hair as a beard over and around the cock hackles.
8
Trim off the surplus deer hair and tie down.
9
Tie in two long moose mane hairs, one black, one white.
10
Wrap the moose hairs around the body simultaneously and tie off behind the hook eye.
11
Whip finish and remove the tying thread.
12
Give the body a coat with Bug Bond.
13
Give the body a quick zap with the UV light to cure the Bug Bond.
14
Colour the body with a waterproof felt pen and give it another coat with Bug Bond.
15
The finished fly ready for the salt.
Four feelers in all directions.
Hope to see you in Sweden, The feather benders tying room
I will be leaving for Sweden in the morning, so I wont be posting until I return on Monday 8 April, hopefully with lots of new ideas and inspiration from the fair.
Now that the blog has become established and I have just reached 75,000 visitors and over 3500 followers I thought it only correct to take you on a little tour of the tying room. If you are visiting the Sportsfiskemessan in Sweden I look forward to seeing you there.
This is where it all the tying and photography happens. It may look like its a bit chaotic but everything I use on a regular basis is close at hand.
Trying to keep order in the hook department is always testing, without order, everything falls apart, I can spend more time looking for hooks that actually tying the pattern it was intended for! But I have gone for a simple filing system. Plastic boxes, each containing a different type of hook but many sizes.
My wife is so glad I dont have all this gear around the house!
I have a similar set up for materials. All the natural materials in air tight containers to keep the bugs off and larger materials in plastic containers. This room here also has no heating so is always cold this also helps keep the bugs at bay.
I have about 50 of these plastic boxes stacked in the materials room, but it doesn’t guarantee I will find what I am looking for.
Its here I also keep all my fly boxes, reels and lines.
Oh and waders… and float tubes and other gear.
And the rods, well some of them…
Most of my tying books are also in the tying room for reference.
The tools. These I have collected and been given from friends over three decades of tying. Everything I use all the time is kept here except for Bug Bond, thats kept in the cold room and only brought out when needed.
The fly stand that I use for demos was made for me by my good friend Kjell Karlsen.
