3 Dollar Flybox

I know many of you have seen the TV adds for the card organizer wallet. I got one as a gift awhile back. They are good for business cards. I kept looking at it though thinking it was the perfect size for a small stream flybox. Well I couldn't repurpose the gift. Despite wanting to :)

Today at the little grocery store they had a plastic knock off. Just $3.00 US. I got two.

Great size

Self sticking closed cell foam sheet cut to fit.

A small box for a select few small stream flies. Shirt pocket sized.

Feedback appreciated. Comment I dare you :)

 Dedicated to my son. I love you.

Dubbing dispenser on the cheap

OK. You have sunken further than some in the realm of fly tying than you likely want admit. Your making your own dubbing correct? Blending fur and fiber or lord knows what. You want to use your bounty but you haven't a good way to store or dispense it at the vise. Well here's your answer.

Simply get a small beaders container at the craft sore or 'Wal Mart'. Costs $1.75 per.

Drill a hole in the bottom of each cell. Drill to size that suits you. Maybe 1/4"?

Load her up and to the bench you go. Simple as that.

Dedicate to my son. I love you.

Glass Bead Caddis Pupae

This is about as easy a Caddis Pupae as you can make. Glass Caddis,

String 4 or 5 glass beads from the craft or jewelry supply store on a hook.

Put a few wraps of thread behind the beads and a drop of Super glue.

It catches fish like no other. Don't take them out of the fishes mouth rough or you'll break the beads.

Dedicate to my son. I love you.

Fly Tying Weekend in Townsend Tn.

I had a great time at the show and spending the weekend there with my son. Got to catch up with a lot of friends and spend time observing some great tyers.

I demonstrated: The Church Lady, The Hair Band Scud, and several versions of the Potato Chip bag nymphs.

My helper

Dedicated to my son I love you.

Place dry retired flies

Amazon.com has loads of military style hats for sale. Relatively cheap. Under $10 US. They have Velcro patch mounting points on the front, back, and often the top. This lead me to think why not buy one in my favorite camo pattern and maybe modify to use when I'm hiking in to back country streams as well as paddling on the lakes.

So here's what I did:

Bought the hat.

Piece of thick closed cell foam. Cut to the size of the Velcro.

Attach a piece of  like sized Velcro.

Now to field test it. I believe it would also do well to carry a minimal arsenal of flies for quick adventures when less is more.

Opinions?

Dedicated to my son, I love you.

Howdy Folks

I've been on a brief hiadus. It time to start back into the trash pile agian.

Secondary pattern to reclaim the waste.

Okay I was tying some Woolly Buggers. Was able to get three per hackle. After a few I notice a little pile of short tips developing on the bench. Now we do not waste at Trashflies! So what to do?

After a sip and a slouch in my tying chair I remembered a conversation I was having with one of my students about local and regional flies. And one of those to the Appalachian Mountains here in Western north Carolina the Palmer.  A very basic but oh so effective pattern.

The Palmer is simply:

Recipe

Hook: #18 Dry Fly Hook

Thread: 14/0 Olive

Dubbed body: PMD Yellow Fine and Dry

Hackle: Olive dyed Grizzly tip

Thread the hook.

Dub the body.

Tie in hackle.

Palmer wrap hackle. 

Tie down.

Whip finish.

Catch lots of fish :)

Yes it does have two cones. Experiment :)

Dedicated to my son. I Love You.

Furled Leaders Question Answer

Several folks have ask me about making furled leaders. I would like to provide you with th website I got all my information from. LINK

Great resource. Thanks

Mike McGuire