Recent comments

GeWE Wet Flies

I have and love this little book by my friend Geert. He is a special person and his flies show that on all levels. Great stuff and his work inspires one to remember tying is supposed to be fun!!

I have tried

Sal,

I have tried to get a hold of one myself, but failed. It's made by US tyer Joe Libeu, but I haven't had success in ordering one. I will follow up on it.

Martin

where to buy

Can you tell me where I might purchase one of these?

Realistic Legs for Terrestrials

Japanese Nymph Legs is a product very similar to the synthetic bristles from a broom that the Author uses. They are very similiar in size but are made of a slightly different material that makes shaping them a bit easier. I use an adjustable heat soldering tool and have through trial and error figured out the best temperature for melting the bends in the legs without melting through the material. The JNLs are available at retail from a few shops, mostly those that have a section for realistic fly tying.

porpoise protection

Porpoises are impossible to avoid, and released sea trout released in their presence suffer a 100% mortality rate. I have quite a few old, rusty fly hooks [NOT stainless steel]. in size 12 or smaller. Before I release a trout I pin one of these small, rusty hooks (no line attached) lightly in the corner of the trout's mouth. Porpoises have a very sensitive sonar system. I have watched them veer away from sea trout with a hook in its mouth.

Small mouth flies

Enjoyed reading your article on Susquehanna small mouth flies, I lived in Pa. most of my life and small mouths were my favoite spiecies to fish for , first with spinning gear and then with the fly rod , I would visit clousers fly shop in the winter to get next seasons fishing license, and just talk with Bob and his wife Joan, and sometims Bobby jr. if he was there , floated the Susquehanna with my buddy at the Fabridam in Sunbury Pa. the PP+L dam just outside of Sunbury, catching smallies all summer and an occasional Walleye and in October the Walleyes would turn on , also a gem of mine Mahantango creek on Northumberland side near its confluence with the Susquehanna , and my go to fly was a bass Clouser minnow, in size 4 , lost and landed many a nice smallmouth with my personal best being 18 1/2", I ve since move to North Carolina and ive put the rod up for now, closest bass water for smallies is 2 hr drive one way now , good luck with future articles ,great job

River Snook Fishing in Southwest Florida

As always, check with a reliable source about local conditions before you finalize your plans and pay your money. Freshwater lakes, rivers, and lagoons in Florida have been increasingly plagued by toxic algae blooms and widespread fish kills. Southwest Florida has not escaped the pollution expanding through Florida waters.

fishing at night

Fish species with the largest eyes in relation to their body mass are most likely to feed at night.

Wayne's Tying Tips Mini-Clips

Martin your series of tying tips with Wayne is a perfect addition to all the recipe vids. Each one of these clips is specific and useful. Wayne is of course such an outstanding talent. Thanks for making them available.

Cheers, Ken

Consevation

Hats Off To You Guys For Doing A Great Job,I'me From Newfoundland , Canada, I Loved All Off The Video, Again Great Job And Keep Up The Good Work.

You can solve this issue

You can solve this issue easily by using two full-sinking fly lines, connected end-to-end. To prevent tangling, you will want to have the boat drifting or moving slightly after the first line is casted and paid out, then when you have the line straightened out, you feed out the second line, sinking portion first, then running line. Both lines will hang down in the water, if they are each 100ft lines, and there is no current, the fly will get to 200ft depth, eventually. More likely, there is some current, and the extra line will allow you to control how deep the fly gets and the angle of presentation. Secondarily, the running line sinks slower and responds to current more than the sinking sections - this may pose a risk of tangles if you pay out too much line all at once, but it also provides for a unique motion to the fly, because the fly will follow the pattern of the line though the water if the line is slack and not straightened out - it will follow a curve, or even an s-curve, if that is the shape of the line in the water. There is no water too deep to fish with a fly line, unless there is wind and current. In high winds and current, you may find that a double sinking line of 200ft length only gets the fly 30-40ft down on a fast drift. A double line set-up also allows for normal casting, as the second line acts as backing when not in use. Using gel-spun backing under the second line is advisable as it uses up less space on the reel. This type of set-up can be used in any line weight for any deep water fish.

great option for inexpensive photo tools

This is a great option to the Nikon/Canon light rings which are quite expensive. Probably if is fixed in a soft box ( simple made of cardboard with white paper ) will provide very good photos.

Streamer Conversions

I've done this for years and it's a lot of fun to convert flies from one usage to another. One of my favorite sources of inspiration was the book "Fly Patterns of Alaska" , a compilation of the Alaska Fly Fishers from Amato Publications. Many of those salmon ad saltwater patterns can be tweaked into wonderful, down-sized largemouth bass streamer patterns for Pennsylvania lakes.

It works nicely here

Jill,

I have no problems seeing the video, and it plays as it should on my computer as well as on my phone. You can try the source on Vimeo as an alternative: https://vimeo.com/188550829

I have also mailed you.

Martin

1938 dedication

My father found this video and is trying to share it with me. My grandfather Lewis Lionvale is in the video. I am unable to view it. Lewis was President of the Club twice. I would love to see him. Is it possible for you to send me the video? Thank you,
Jill Lionvale Vink
mobile: 805/459-1093

Invented...???

@Daniel D Holm: To change the colour of the tying materials is not an "INVETION". Inovation ...mmmm, may be.

LAW stuff

Graham,

I don't sell any of the things I have made for my vise. I don't have access to the laser cutter on a regular basis, and don't want to start a production as such. online services do offer to cut on demand from a PDF. That was how I made my first laser cut parts. You might want to look into that. They typically charge per mm cut, and small parts like these will typically be very inexpensive.

The black thing is a small hair clip (for holding human hair on the head) bought in the women's accessories department in a large store. I use it to hold stray materials on larger flies when I want them out of the way. They are cheap and very useful. Like these found on eBay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/12-Pcs-Black-Plastic-Mini-Hairpin-6-Claws-Hair…

Martin

Law vice accessories

Hi Martin,
I have a law vice but not an acrylic cutter to make the material clip based on your design, do you sell the parts? Also on your photos above whats that black thing in front of the material clip.
Cheers
Graham

Bobbin holder

Thank you! Realy interesting decision with construction.

Not propable

Eugene,

I don't think it's likely that Tom will sell any of his tools. He makes them for himself, and people have asked before and been kindly turned down.
I will convey your question to Tom.

Martin

Bobbin holder

Hello! Nice bobbin holder! is it possible to buy that one?

accessories

Details are critical. A discreetly displayed $120.00 line clipper is a compulsory accessory, discreetly displayed but brightly enameled so it does not escape notice altogether.

Pick a moonless night, stand

Pick a moonless night, stand in one spot, measure out the length of line you want to cast, tie on a fat streamer, wait an hour after the sun goes down, and have at 'em.

Spot-On!

Thoroughly enjoyable article and—as a beginner flyfisher of three, loooong/pricey years—I can say that you are perceptively accurate in the fickle philosophies that drive all things consumerist in American, flyfishing gear and apparel in particular. But ain’t life grand? Anyone can play. Wear your father’s hand-me-down gear! You’ll stick out from those less endowed but probably fish better if only for the genetic urges and fate that put a rod in his hand, originally, too. If you can afford to dress head-to-toe Simm’s, you won’t likely fish as well but you’ll be the cool kid that you might not have been in youth. It’s just a great sport, regardless, and I wish that I’d read this article before flailing around with various retail staffs’ notion of “necessity@. Martin’s second article in this series is even better.