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Post by trent on Feb 4, 2009 1:09:05 GMT -5
I started on the fly around 9 or so with a little TV watching thrown in. After 4 hours, I have something resembling a preschool art project
Things were looking good. The tail end of the bug looked awesome, still does. I had a nice spun skirt and then an alternating color pattern. I even tied in red for gills!!! Ideally, the hair would probably have been more tightly packed, but not a bad first attempt.
Things started to go south in a hurry once the trimming began. It was sort of like watching a train wreck in slow motion. I could see what was going to happen, but there was nothing I could do to stop it.
The nice skirt is gone. The robust, full-bodied fly has been reduced to a width slightly larger than a jumbo crayon. It is kind of like what I imagine the difference is between a well groomed show dog and then seeing that dog after it has gone feral for a few months and gotten a nasty case of mange. The potential was there, but is gone now.
Oh well. I guess I've spent 4 hours of my life in less noble pursuits. Not sure the ego can take another round of this.
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Post by flyfishingpastor on Feb 4, 2009 9:01:10 GMT -5
Hang in there buddy! You can do it. I hope that was really encouraging for you. Get back in there and don't give up (I NEED those deer hair poppers)! Pat
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Post by krebsie on Feb 4, 2009 9:13:25 GMT -5
Trent Just a bit of advise. Practice spinning without trying to create a work of art!!!!!!! Just simply spin deer hair on a hook and then trim it and then cut the whole thing off the hook and start over. When you start to understand how and what and where to do this and that and WHY, then move forward and try the art work. That way you wont be so discouraged when you make a mistake, your going to cut it off the hook any way. And when you make a mistake stop and ask yourself why did this or that happen and then correct it on the next spin!! Keep trying!! That's the secret to success with deer hair. Krebsie
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Post by trent on Feb 4, 2009 9:22:34 GMT -5
Pat:
I guffaw at your mention of "poppers", emphasis on the "s" as in multiple. Not that we keep score (I certainly don't want to start that), but at 4 hours per fly, that would theoretically mean that I get about 57 nymphs/midges/soft hackles from you for each popper I deliver. Now if we start looking at it from the perspective that I will be lucky if 1 in 4 is actually fishable, that means you need to get busy tying brotha!
Krebsie:
once time has repaired my fragile ego and broken heart, I will probably get back on that horse. It is good advice to try to get comfortable with the material and how it works before trying to master a finished product. I don't drink much these days, but I could see the deer hair driving a man to the sauce!
Stay warm out there!
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Post by flyfishingpastor on Feb 4, 2009 9:58:21 GMT -5
T-
You may have something there - but remember, there are trade-offs between different genres of flies. To this point, you tie deer hair bass bugs at the rate of 1 every, what, 3 or 4 months? The tying is probably more difficult on one hand than tying midges, BUT at least you can SEE the danged things! After a couple hours tying midges, my wife has to tamp my eyeballs back into my head from the strain of just trying to see 'em.
Now quit yer danged whinin' and get back to the vise - spring's a comin'. Hopefully, my vision will have recovered sufficiently to actually fish with them!
Pat
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Post by reelteacher on Feb 4, 2009 18:06:30 GMT -5
Trent, You bring up some good points about small vs. large flies. But you must consider fishing quality when you are on the stream. Sure you can catch loads of great fish on those tiny insects, but NOTHING is better than watching a Bass, Big or Small, explode on a surface popper. It's not so much the fight of the fish I like, It's the STRIKE of the fish that gets my heart racing! One Visual Surface strike is worth 10 blind strikes. And there's just something about the sound of a deerhair bug that I love to hear, when I'm fishing it. That alone compels me to tie these crazy things.
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Post by trent on Feb 4, 2009 20:47:17 GMT -5
I'm still sticking with the Spawn of Satan assessment.
After taking a second look at the fly tonight, it may not be as bad as previously described. It clearly has some deep seeded issues that it will need to address via years of counseling, but if it takes the rehabilitation program seriously and really focuses, it stands a chance of someday being a productive part of fly civilization.
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Post by trent on Feb 4, 2009 20:49:54 GMT -5
I wonder it I could get a little deer hair toupee for a foam hopper. The foam would be so much easier, but I could get the deer hair experience on the stream.
Maybe Radio could come up with some prototypes in Photoshop???
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Post by krebsie on Feb 4, 2009 23:00:02 GMT -5
OH NO! You didn't invoke the name of the photoshop guru, DID YOU?
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Post by trent on Feb 6, 2009 9:03:33 GMT -5
I invokethed.
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Post by radioflyer on Feb 6, 2009 11:56:20 GMT -5
When tying deer hair poppers, be sure to use the entire deer. We don't want any waste here. rf
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Post by radioflyer on Feb 6, 2009 11:58:47 GMT -5
...by the way...it's techniques like the above that's helped me win the '09 Bass Master Open this year! rf
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Post by trent on Feb 6, 2009 12:27:50 GMT -5
Use everything but the grunt, right?
Congrats on the big win. If only I had known I was in the presence of greatness!
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Post by radioflyer on Feb 6, 2009 12:27:59 GMT -5
I AM surprised no one's come up with some Jackalope hair flies. Guess I'll have to post a couple...
I did come up with a neat way to get by without flies. All you need is old stinky dogfood. Just put an ole stinky piece of meat or dogfood on a light tippet, slowly cast back and forth and you'll nab an actual FLY. Now put that fly on a #14 dryfly hook and cast that for the fishes. Yes, it's baitfishing in a way but I view it as true 'fly fishing'. Let's try it guys! We can put the video on YouTube! Maybe even begin marketing our own brand/type of rods, line, accessories, etc. Make bazillions of moolah!
rf
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Post by trent on Feb 6, 2009 13:36:18 GMT -5
Market the flies to Umpqua as the RF Killer Kibble or the RF Rancid Roast. I smell a winner.
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