The Ol' One Two Fly (HD)

A simple two material fly that floats like a cork in any color & size!

Trout Scout(ing)

I decided today that 30 degrees was definitely warm enough to give fishing a try. I forgot briefly that the past week of sub 10 degree nights froze all but my hopes.
  At my first stream; a usual honey hole, all but a few peep-holes were frozen over. I tried anyways with a Mats Midge, and within 3 casts, my tip guide was a frozen wreck.
  Next up, a recently acquired town/open spaces acquisition that looked promising on the map, ended up being a flop.
  Last on my daily list... a grist mill site (maybe late 1700's)    
     This looked VERY promising, but like my honey hole..... Frozen.   At least I got some sweet photos. There's a few waterfalls that were totally frozen, and many many pools that made my mouth water.  Maybe after a good thaw I will go back. I might be disappointed, ... maybe there's no trout, but who knows

Sz 26 black CDC knat

Inspired to take detached bodies to smaller hooks by  Mats at: http://tyingandfishingtinyflies.blogspot.com/ I have been practicing.  With a very small sewing needle, some wax, very fine antron blend, micro-fibbets, and hard as hull, the bodies pass my test... Its the fish that I'm worried about. maybe this weekend? A 30 ' F heatwave is expected!   Maybe I will be able to get one or two casts in before my furled leader and guides freeze.

Sz 26 Gamakatsu Barbless Midge

 As a side note, I somehow got my Tumblr account back after maybe a year of a lost password.   If anyone is on Tumblr, please follow me at : http://ct-swampyankee.tumblr.com/        I post some photos there that never make it to my blog.

Smallest Ausable Wulff

I got some Flies and hooks in the mail today from a friend in Sweden; Mats Olssen.  His small flies really amazed me in their simplicity, size, and my own wonder on all the fish i could catch on them. His blog is : http://tyingandfishingtinyflies.blogspot.com/
 Some of the dang-est small hooks i've ever seen. Right away I wanted to bust out the 17/0 and whip up a quickie; the Fran Betters Ausable Wulff. I followed closely the steps on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xG9Cz-hg-9o
dang that guy is fast, perfect every wrap!

Killer Kaddis

Ok, I toyed around today with yesterdays pattern, (which should have all had curved hooks)

       Get Ready.....
    This is gonna Destroy all other caddis patterns.     It will search out live caddis flies and kill them!!


                 A photo Step-by-Step:   Kaddis Killer

The Johnny Trout Seed Caddis

At the Fly Fishing Show this last weekend, I had a list of shit I wanted to get, and while I didn't find it all, I did come home with something else.
I was picking out some tungsten beads for the Pickett Finn, when some dude, about as obnoxiously drunk as I was told me not to buy them.  Apparently, he had a bead guy with the best beads ... cream o' da crop kinda beads, the Bees knees beads.  whatever, I was drunk enough to listen.
   Dude said his name was Johnny Trout Seed, and he went on to describe a good caddis pattern, that somehow short of a miracle, I remembered.
  I never did find or buy beads this weekend, but I tried tying his pattern, after a skunked afternoon trip.
     I took liberties in defining the ingredients, use what you want
     It's basically an Elkhair Caddis With a CDC underwing and a parachute

Hook: Dry of your choice. I went with Dai Riki 1100 in 14 & 16
Body: yellow camel
Legs: Larva lace hollow midge
Wing: CDC & Antelope
Hackle: Grizzly

1) Make yourself an Elkhair, I'm guessing anyone reading this can list off the ingredients faster than their Wives birthday/anniversary.
2) Just under the elk hair (I used a whiter Antelope) put some CDC
3) Wrap the hackle under the wing & CDC, using the cut butts as something to grab the hackle, It's pretty easy, and the CDC seems to not only look like a great underwing, but I'm hoping that it helps it float too.

   Mix up the ingredients yourself to match the local hatch.
Thanks for taking the time to talk to me Johnny, this seems like it's going to be a good twist to my usual bland Elkhair pattern. 

 some of my 16's didn't get CDC, I wanted to try the parachute out solo first.  Legs look cool though, right?

My Tying Area... (in 41 short photos)

I've seen a bunch of posts the last few months showing peoples tying areas, so I thought I'd share my little corner of the world;

My M.I.L. gave me this old dresser/desk thing, It displays some of my antique tackle, and manages to hold an unbelievable amount of shit. I have a little bit of artwork fishing/nature related on the wall to set the theme.The corner cabinet holds all my old reels and antique lure boxes, itself is made from a local 300 yr old barn (chestnut) which is appropriate, my house is a chestnut post/beam colonial.

Kinda looks inconspicuous, right. ...

one of the top drawers holds some of my fly boxes, I happen to have all my full 'daily fishing' boxes in my fishing bag. (I don't like showing those off, there private.)

The secret unleashed! It's not a drawer, a hidden lever, when depressed, releases the door, which folds down to a desktop work area!

Most of my regular tying supplies are kept on this surface, rather sloppy. after I'm done tying, I kinda just shove it all back in and close the door.

Pull out the vise, plug it in, and most stuff is in reach. Having a spotlight is a must! My bead mat is ready-there, the Hex bucket is for trash/scraps.

Two small drawers up top hold first, my special hooks, and second, my other tools.  many other tools.

Stuffed into the rear enclave is my small threads (8/0 down to 17/0) I also keep my glues, epoxies, hair stackers, and other bobbins here.

To the left, I have my box of beads, all seperated by size, color, etc. In the back, various dubbing containers, and 3 full sets of wing cutters.

The vise area all tucks away nicely, keeping this area of the house 'wife approved'

Nice n' neat

Big drawer number 1.   My long feathers, and Some hair. Not fur, that's later. Also, there is my lazy-susan of thread holding another 30 spools or so, and some extra vises for my friends.  the smaller tupperware holds all my rabbit strips.

Under my ling feathers, there's another box of hair (not fur)

many different hair

The bottom drawer is three layers deep. mostly these neat stackable tupperware containers I got at Mall Wart.  But first layer is hook trays

Everything seems to fit perfectly in these drawers with the right tupperware, and it's neat looking.

Hook layer removed, the first 5 containers.

Brightly colored deerhair for attractors

Chuck full of Foam, and bug skins, and thin skins, wing sheets, foils, etc. This container is hard to shut it's so full

this container is all my different color/type biots, and my marabou.

All types, sizes, and colors of yarn. Lots of yarn

This one's kinda mix. all colors of mayfly tails, bug legs, CDC, CDL, and flanks. and more marabou.

Second layer removed, and 3 more tupperwares.

lots of Larva Lace. I love this shit. Theres more up in my tying area because i was using the fine stuff lately. Makes great leg, ribbing, whatever.

Many faces. kinda creepy all these cute bunny rabbits looking at you. also, snowshoe, mink, and muskrat pelts

The best tupperware is last. DUB!!!!!!!    lots of DUB!!!! all colors, all blends, like the cookie monster, I Love Dub!!! YUMYUMYUM

there's more in this box than you think

More long feathers in one of my wooden hex bamboo tubes, and a full Pheasant skin hanging on the wall. Does your wife let you hang a dead animal on the wall like art?   It's actually pretty cool looking!

I call this the wig. Its a bunch of different flash's etc stuck on a holder, like you might see in a George Clinton wig shop!

the creel is from the 1930's, and is my dump-all. the basket has 3 FULL antique Richard Wheatley's The platter is from a Ct Streamer tyer, The 3 reels in the backround are all Ct made cage reels from 1909-1917. There's actually 7 or 8 rod tubes hidden behind this cabinet. The rod is my current 'daily' its a Naked 5'8" blonde

Drawer 1... Grizzly

Gingers, JC, Pheasant, and tan grizz,  There's prolly 15 capes in the first 2 drawers.

Partridge in maybe 6 colors, assorted other capes

Lower drawers are all hen

I love old Lures. wood, unique, glass eyes, They're all cool to me.

More antique reels

3 sweet Artsy-craftsy decoys

I love Decoys. Handmade Americana. The more used they look, the better! This platter is also fly-related. suspended within the glass-mirror is a dozen or so catskill flies. Probably 1950's