More Projects and EHC

I've been working on a few projects lately that people may be interested in learning about! You may have noticed that I added a bead head sizing chart. The other projects will have to wait to be released until a later date. I thought I had better put the projects on hold for the night so I can tie up a few more flies for my upcoming fishing trip this weekend. I have started posting step-by-step instructions for the flies I have been tying. Tonight I was working on some additional Elk Hair Caddis and I figured since I didn't post details originally for this fly, I am posting them now in case anybody is interested.

Tonight I felt like listening to some live Grateful Dead. How do you choose -- there are so many great live shows!! When all else fails, picking a home town show always works. The Dead released their June 20, 1991 show at Pine Knob as part of their Download Series. This show was Volume 11 in the collection. Listening…I am thinking what a great show…I wish I would have been there! This show happened before I started really listening to the Dead but I do remember thinking to myself that I should get tickets and go. It wasn't until about a year later that one of my friends in college called me and asked if I wanted to go see the Dead at the Palace. I should have listened to my original instincts and gone to see this show.

Elk Hair Caddis

Elk Hair Caddis

Hook: Mustad 94840 #12-18

Thread: Uni 8/0 Color to Match Natural

Rib: Fine Copper Wire Counter Wrapped over Hackle

Hackle: Brown or Color to Match Natural Palmered Front to Back

Body: Super Fine Dubbing to Match Natural

Wing: Elk Hair

Step One

Start Thread

Step Two

Tie in Copper Wire

Step Three

Dub Body, Wrap Forward and Tie In Hackle

Step Four

Palmer Hackle to Hook Bend. Capture Hackle Tip with Copper Wire and Counter Wrap Rib Forward

Step Five

Tie in Elk Hair Wing

Step Six

Clip Elk Hair to Form Head 

Step Seven

Whip Finish

Now go catch a few fish with this nice fly!!

All Hail the Prince Nymph

Had a little bit of indecision on what to tie tonight. I knew I wanted to tie up some more nymphs since my nymph box looks a little light but what to tie. I was flipping through the Orvis Fly Pattern Index and narrowed my decision down to three: The Prince Nymph, The Zug Bug or The Brassie. At first I was going to tie up some Brassies but first I showed them to my daughter and my wife to get their input. My wife looked at the Prince Nymph and said "You can't tie that. It looks too nice." Gee Thanks!!  Challenge accepted.. I didn't tell her that they really are not that hard to tie. But she didn't need to know that. I personally think the Gold Ribbed Hares Ear is more difficult.

Still on my Dead kick. The Closing of Winterland should do the trick. Another smoking live album. I especially love this version of Miracle into the Terrapin Suite. The actual Terrapin Station always makes me think about sitting around a campfire looking up at the stars.  I am so glad that they Dead have put so many of their best concerts out on CD for everybody to enjoy. It makes it so much easier than trading tapes like in the old days. 

Prince Nymph

Prince Nymph

Hook: Mustad 3906 #8-18

Thread: Uni 8/0 Black

Weight: Lead Wire

Tail: Brown Goose Biots

Rib: Fine Gold Wire (Original calls for Silver Tinsel)

Body: Peacock Herl

Hackle: Brown Hen Hackle

Wing: White Goose Biots

If you are looking for a way to save a few dollars on materials check out the craft stores. Joann's is the only place to purchase goose biots in my opinion. They are so much cheaper that what you can purchase them in the fly shops. The quality is a little less but it really doesn't matter when it comes to the biots. However while the craft stores do sell peacock I will NOT buy it from there. The peacock sold in fly shops is much better in my opinion. Also if you check the Sunday paper there is almost always a 40% off coupon. It's a good way to get that Ott Light you have been craving.

A.P. Stands for All Purpose.....

Started filling up the fly boxes today. As of right now I am planning on carrying three main boxes in the chest pack along with another couple secondary boxes in boxes in my fanny pack. Box one will be my Mayfly dries. That one is pretty full already for the opener and beyond. I will use one of the secondaries for one time hatches like the Hex and Ephrons. Box two will be my Caddis dries. Like box one this one is full. Secondary One as mentioned before will be one time short hatches along with attractor patterns for brookies. Secondary Two will be terrestrials.  Which brings us to Main Box Three. You guessed it, Nymphs and Wet Flies. Looks like I am set on wet flies. Well at least I hope so. Which brings us to the nymphs. I have been very busy tying pheasant tails in various sizes and different colors. To me this pattern is the most versatile nymph pattern for just about any mayfly species and some caddis for that matter. However I noticed that I hadn't tied any nymphs for BWO's. Looking through the supplies I noticed I don't have any Pheasant Tails dyed olive. I don't plan on making a trip down to Ypsi any time soon so I guess another pattern is in order. Which brings us to the A.P. Nymph. A.P. stands for All Purpose Nymph and that is exactly what this pattern is. This pattern is VERY similar to the pheasant tail but it uses dubbing in place of the pheasant tail fibers.

Well time to get to work. I'm still on my Grateful Dead kick. The Furthur concert cannot get here soon enough. With so many great live albums it's hard to choose which one to listen to. OK here we go Ennie, Meenie, Minnie, Mo. AH YEAH Scarlet, White and Indigo.... What an absolutely fantastic album! This show recorded on July 7th 1989, it started out hot with Hell in a Bucket and just kept getting hotter and hotter until the ending with Knocking on Heavens Door. As I am writing this I keep going back to listen to the version of Iko. Great tune!

A.P. Nymph Olive

A.P. Nymph 

Hook: Mustad 3906 #10-20

Weight: Lead Wire

Rib: Fine Gold Wire

Tail: Mallard Flank Color to Match Natural

Body: Muskrat Dubbing to Match Natural

Wing Case: Mallard Flank Color to Match Natural

Legs: Mallard Flank Color to Match Natural from Wing Case

Going a Little Furthur with the Adams Parachute

Looks like I am going to be going to see Furthur in July at the Meadow Brook Music Festival. I forgot to log on to the computer today right at 10:00 to get tickets.  When I finally remembered at 1:30 I was afraid they were going to be sold out. I got lucky and there were a few tickets left. I cannot wait.  I have been a Dead Head ever since my college roommate introduced me to them back in 1989. This will be my first time to see Furthur. Now I'm in the mood to hear some Dead music. So into the CD play goes the Grateful Dead's Dozin' at the Knick. This is one of my favorite Grateful Dead albums. I would have loved to be at the shows when this was recorded.

What to tie tonight? It looks like my boxes a light on Adams Parachutes so I better get working on them. This is a great pattern if you cannot figure out what is hatching. The trout seem to take this fly for any number of different hatches. It seems they clue in on the size instead of the color when it comes to an Adams.  Everybody should have several in their box. This fly can save the day and has for me several times.

Adams Parachute

Adams Parachute

Hook: Mustad 94840 #10-20

Thread: Uni 8/0 Gray

Tail: Grizzly and Brown Hackle Fibers

Body: Gray Superfine Dubbing

Wing: White Z-Lon

Hackle: Grizzly and Brown Hackle

One note I should make. While the original calls for Grizzly and Brown hackle I tied these with Cree hackle. This is a great substitute for the mixing of grizzly and brown. If you are ever lucky enough to find on pick one up. It will be well worth the price. 

More Pheasant Tales and Some Great Jerky

First snow storm of the season passed through last night and into today.  Perfect time to use a vacation day in my opinion.  Well that is until I saw that MDOT actually kept the roads clear the whole time.  My hats off to the men and women who kept the roads clear and safe for everybody.  Well I was planning on going to the Michigan Outdoorama Show after work anyways so why not go a little early while the crowds are still thin. Another great show as usual.  Thanks MUCC for putting on the show each year.  The biggest highlight of the show for me every year is the Deering's Jerky booth.  This place has in my opinion the best jerky on the planet and I consider myself a jerky snob. To my amazement this year they had Corned Beef Jerky.  Oly Wah this stuff is amazing. Who would have thought my favorite deli meat and jerky all in one!! I also picked myself some of their Cherry, Garlic and some Chicken Jerky for my wife. She would have killed me if I didn't get her the Chicken Jerky. They do ship their jerky anywhere so order some up.  You won't be disappointed.

Once home I had to check some of the forums I had posted on.  On the Flyfisherman.com board I had asked a question about everybodys favorite searching pattern.  One of the posters had said the Pheasant Tail Soft Hackle was their favorite. Since I plan on fishing a lot of soft hackles this summer I though why not tie up a few. Back goes in the Grateful Dead's Dick's Picks #24 again and off I go.

Pheasant Tail Soft Hackle

Pheasant Tail Soft Hackle

Hook: Mustad 3906B #12-16

Thread: Uni 8/0 Brown

Body: Pheasant Tail

Rib: Fine Gold Wire

Thorax: Peacock Herl

Hackle: Hungarian Partridge

Dead on With The Pheasant Tail

When I was wondering around the Flyfisherman.com Fly Tying Board earlier I ran across a posting about someone trying to tie a Pheasant Tail Nymph in under 2 minutes.  Here is a video of somebody actually doing it.  Talk about efficiency. So how close could I come? So I pulled out some Grateful Dead, Dick's Picks Number 24 to be precise, for some creative inspiration. What a great show! I envy my fellow Heads that were there that night. I played most of my favorite Dead songs that night and Donna Jean was on but not over the top. I have seen the Dead several times and they always put on a great show.

So can I do the two minute Pheasant Tail Nymph?  I tied up a few for practice and gave myself one shot and one shot only.  Materials are at the ready hook in vise and thread in hand. Start the stop watch and off I go.  Things go pretty smoothly and I'm not rushing just tying quickly. OOPs fumbled picking up the whip finisher. There done, stop watch stopped...  How did I do?  Not under two minutes but a very respectable 2:40.  Not to shabby if I say so myself. Well that was a fun little experiment.  I may have to try again someday to see if I can do better.

Pheasant Tail Nymph

Hook: Mustad 3906 #12-20

Thread: Uni 8/0 Brown

Tail: Pheasant Tail

Body: Pheasant Tail from Tail

Rib: Fine Gold Wire

Wing Case: Pheasant Tail From Body

Legs: Pheasant Tail from Wing Case