Tying power bait

[rb608]

I'm getting ready for the annual trip w/ FB up to the Salmon River in a
couple weeks, and part of that preparation for me is the traditional
tying-more-flies-than-any-ten-humans could use ritual. One year, it was
little estaz eggs. Tied up a hundred or two, only to find out on the river
that they were so last year. Then there was the year of the Altmar
Sunrise. That one worked great, and I'm glad I had lots of 'em; so many,
in fact, that I may not tie any more this year. Which leads me to my
newest tying obsession, (gasp) glo bugs.

Ya know, I can't really get past the honest self-appraisal that I'm only
bait fishing when I use these things; but dammit, they work; and sometimes I
just *do* want to catch a big fish. I'm not proud of it; but I'm not
ashamed either. On last year's trip, I drifted eggs for a few hours with
great success. Oddly enough, I found that I simply had no egg patterns in
my box this year. Time to tie some.

Through the tip of one fellow and the resourcefulness of FB, I came into
posession of maybe the world's simplest tying tool, "The Amazing Glo Bug
Dispenser". Not much more than a short piece of plastic straw, it affords
good material control and allows a ten-thumber like me to tie eggs with
efficiency & speed. So after mastering a few subtleties of material
thickness, thread tension & hand positioning, I found I could crank out glo
bugs at a rate of about one every 45 seconds. They aren't sophisticated
flies, and they aren't much different than powerbait IMO, but there's
something kind of fun about amassing a pile of production in front of
yourself at that rate. Heck, I knocked out a dozen and a half during the
ninth inning of the BoSox game.

Like any obsession, you start to justify yourself. See, any color *might*
be *the* color for the day, so you need to be sure to have enough of every
color. Hmm. Is 10 enough? Maybe, but what the hell, tie 20. Aah, make
it an even two dozen. Of course, there are lots of available colors. Hmm.
I need to buy more hooks. The online tackle dealer backordered my last
order. By the time I reach Altmar, I'll probably have 300 or more glo bugs
in every conceivable color and combination. And I'll probably come home
with 290. I know this, but I can't stop tying.

Hello, my name is Joe; and I'm a yarn-a-holic.

Joe F.

[Wolfgang]

"rb608" > wrote in message
...
> .....any color *might* be *the* color for the day....

True.......as far as it goes. However, there are days when a simple
solid color simply will not do. No, you also MUST have a sufficient
supply of each color WITH a spot of another color. For example, a
yellow glo bug may work on a relatively unsophisticated fish on a good
day, but eventually it will become more discriminating and demand a
yellow bug with a red spot.......and there you sit with nothing but
solid yellow. See what I mean?

You'd best get busy........REAL busy!

Wolfgang
real soon!

[Scott Seidman]

(Greg Pavlov) wrote in news:3f83d828.7957762
@news.cis.dfn.de:

> I am going to hit a steelhead stream or two tomorrow
> and have been debating for the past day whether
> I should "allow" myself to use glo bugs. I avoided
> them last year for the most part, tho I often used
> egg-sucking leaches as a barrestarian substitute.
>
>

Why avoid them?? They really work well.

Scott

[Paul Goodwin]

"rb608" > wrote in message
...

> Heck, I knocked out a dozen and a half during the
> ninth inning of the BoSox game.
>

You obviously were too busy tying to watch the game.

Paul (who's heart rate is finally below 100)

[Ken Fortenberry]

Scott Seidman wrote:

> (Greg Pavlov) wrote in news:3f83d828.7957762
> @news.cis.dfn.de:
>
>> I am going to hit a steelhead stream or two tomorrow
>> and have been debating for the past day whether
>> I should "allow" myself to use glo bugs. I avoided
>> them last year for the most part, tho I often used
>> egg-sucking leaches as a barrestarian substitute.
>
> Why avoid them?? They really work well.

Asked and answered.

--
Ken Fortenberry

[rb608]

"Paul Goodwin" > wrote in message
> You obviously were too busy tying to watch the game.

Having a different baseball loyalty, I confess I wasn't glued to my seat and
risking an anyeurism. A few key moments and crucial pitches stopped me in
mid whip finish a time or two; but even at its best, baseball isn't so
action-packed to prevent concurrent mindless activity. :-)

Joe F.

[rb608]

"Wolfgang" > wrote in message
> but eventually it will become more discriminating and demand a
> yellow bug with a red spot.......and there you sit with nothing but
> solid yellow. See what I mean?

Ha! Way ahead of you. And of course, a red spot may be too dark, so I'll
need a few with orange spots, and pink spots, and.....omigod, I hope that
backorder comes through soon.

Joe F.

[Scott Seidman]

Ken Fortenberry > wrote in
y.com:

> Scott Seidman wrote:
>
>> (Greg Pavlov) wrote in news:3f83d828.7957762
>> @news.cis.dfn.de:
>>
>>> I am going to hit a steelhead stream or two tomorrow
>>> and have been debating for the past day whether
>>> I should "allow" myself to use glo bugs. I avoided
>>> them last year for the most part, tho I often used
>>> egg-sucking leaches as a barrestarian substitute.
>>
>> Why avoid them?? They really work well.
>
> Asked and answered.
>

Catching steelhead can be a ton tougher than catching trout. If you're
gonna be standing in frigid water that's warmer than the air around you,
you might as well be giving yourself the best chance of catching fish, and
even glo bugs can't guarantee you that, but they're a move in the right
direction.

Scott

[Tim J.]

"rb608" wrote...
<snip>
> Hello, my name is Joe; and I'm a yarn-a-holic.

CRIPES! We've nearly lost another one! Give me the paddles, nurse, stat! And
hurry with the EKG and the chest film. Do we have a pulse? DO WE HAVE A PULSE,
DAMMIT!


-----^-----^-----^-----------------------------------

Hmmmm, looks like he's passed over to the other side.
--
TL,
Tim
(Joe, can I have your fly rods?)
------------------------
http://css.sbcma.com/timj

[Ken Fortenberry]

Scott Seidman wrote:
> Ken Fortenberry wrote:
>>Scott Seidman wrote:
>>>
>>>Why avoid them?? They really work well.
>>
>>Asked and answered.
>
> Catching steelhead can be a ton tougher than catching trout. If you're
> gonna be standing in frigid water that's warmer than the air around you,
> you might as well be giving yourself the best chance of catching fish, and
> even glo bugs can't guarantee you that, but they're a move in the right
> direction.

Glo bugs are a move in some direction, whether it's right or not is
personal taste. I went steelheading with Peter Charles in Michigan
a couple of years ago, we had hired a guide and when we got to the
river he pulled out a half dozen huge plastic boxes with thousands
and thousands of glo bugs in every imaginable size and color. When
we told him we didn't use them he looked like somebody had hit him
between the eyes with a ball bat. He made a hell of a recovery though,
and turned out to be a great guide. Peter wrote up a trip report
at the time.

--
Ken Fortenberry

[rb608]

"Greg Pavlov" > wrote in message
> Welcome, brother. There is hope; you will be
> cured. But just out of curiosity, did you tie some
> really small ones ?

I'm trying for between 1/4" & 5/16" diameter, though I'm much more
consistent at the 5/16" end. They just about cover Lincoln's head on a
penny.

Joe F.

[Scott Seidman]

(Greg Pavlov) wrote in news:3f87f9e6.16595342
@news.cis.dfn.de:

> On 7 Oct 2003 15:24:47 GMT, Scott Seidman
> > wrote:
>
>>
>>Why avoid them?? They really work well.
>
> I'm not sure. It started when I saw people tie
> a bit of yarn on a hook, trim the excess, and
> catch salmon, steelhead, and lake trout with
> that. I've caught a very small number of steelhead
> overall, and I may step back over to the dark
> side if my luck/skill don't change/evolve this fall.
> Heck, my old motorcycle had both an electric
> and kick starter.
>
>

Don't think of it as a non-immitation. Think of it as "minimalist"

Scott

[Scott Seidman]

Ken Fortenberry > wrote in
y.com:

> Scott Seidman wrote:
>> Ken Fortenberry wrote:
>>>Scott Seidman wrote:
>>>>
>>>>Why avoid them?? They really work well.
>>>
>>>Asked and answered.
>>
>> Catching steelhead can be a ton tougher than catching trout. If
>> you're gonna be standing in frigid water that's warmer than the air
>> around you, you might as well be giving yourself the best chance of
>> catching fish, and even glo bugs can't guarantee you that, but
>> they're a move in the right direction.
>
> Glo bugs are a move in some direction, whether it's right or not is
> personal taste. I went steelheading with Peter Charles in Michigan
> a couple of years ago, we had hired a guide and when we got to the
> river he pulled out a half dozen huge plastic boxes with thousands
> and thousands of glo bugs in every imaginable size and color. When
> we told him we didn't use them he looked like somebody had hit him
> between the eyes with a ball bat. He made a hell of a recovery though,
> and turned out to be a great guide. Peter wrote up a trip report
> at the time.
>

That guide went up to the steelhead, and started showing him dozens of
8x10 color glossies of globugs...
He looked at the 8x10 color glossies, then he looked on the dark glasses
of that Steelhead, then back at the color glossies, then back at the dark
glasses, then he threw the 8x10 color glossies up in the air...

You can catch anything you want
On Michigan Steelhead tribs
dah-dah da da dah
On Michigan..... Steelhead tribs!!

[Scott Seidman]

Ken Fortenberry > wrote in
y.com:

> Scott Seidman wrote:
>> Ken Fortenberry wrote:
>>>Scott Seidman wrote:
>>>>
>>>>Why avoid them?? They really work well.
>>>
>>>Asked and answered.
>>
>> Catching steelhead can be a ton tougher than catching trout. If
>> you're gonna be standing in frigid water that's warmer than the air
>> around you, you might as well be giving yourself the best chance of
>> catching fish, and even glo bugs can't guarantee you that, but
>> they're a move in the right direction.
>
> Glo bugs are a move in some direction, whether it's right or not is
> personal taste. I went steelheading with Peter Charles in Michigan
> a couple of years ago, we had hired a guide and when we got to the
> river he pulled out a half dozen huge plastic boxes with thousands
> and thousands of glo bugs in every imaginable size and color. When
> we told him we didn't use them he looked like somebody had hit him
> between the eyes with a ball bat. He made a hell of a recovery though,
> and turned out to be a great guide. Peter wrote up a trip report
> at the time.
>

You didn't insist on dry flies, did you? :-)

Scott

[Scott Seidman]

Ken Fortenberry > wrote in
y.com:

> Scott Seidman wrote:
>
>> (Greg Pavlov) wrote in news:3f83d828.7957762
>> @news.cis.dfn.de:
>>
>>> I am going to hit a steelhead stream or two tomorrow
>>> and have been debating for the past day whether
>>> I should "allow" myself to use glo bugs. I avoided
>>> them last year for the most part, tho I often used
>>> egg-sucking leaches as a barrestarian substitute.
>>
>> Why avoid them?? They really work well.
>
> Asked and answered.
>

Some people go way out of their way to avoid calling a globug a globug

For example:
http://www.theflybench.com/steelhead/fly0248.htm

The creator would be the first to tell you its a globug, though. He just
has a little too much pride to fish em basic--he dresses em up some.

Scott

[rb608]

"Ken Fortenberry" > wrote in message
> and thousands of glo bugs in every imaginable size and color. When
> we told him we didn't use them

Just one more example of how you & Mr. Charles have more class than me. He
wouldn't drink single malt out of a styrofoam cup either. :-)

Joe F.

[Tim J.]

"rb608" wrote...
> "Ken Fortenberry" > wrote in message
> > and thousands of glo bugs in every imaginable size and color. When
> > we told him we didn't use them
>
> Just one more example of how you & Mr. Charles have more class than me. He
> wouldn't drink single malt out of a styrofoam cup either. :-)

That's not class; that's common decency.
--
TL,
Tim
------------------------
http://css.sbcma.com/timj

[Ken Fortenberry]

Scott Seidman wrote:
> ...
> You didn't insist on dry flies, did you? :-)

;-)

Caught most of the steelies on a size 14 black stonefly nymph held
down with 8 or 9 pounds of lead and chucked with a 7wt. But we did
break out the 4wts and fish dries for a little while when we saw
some little stockers busting something on the surface. Nice change
of pace after all that chucking and ducking.

--
Ken Fortenberry

[Wolfgang]

"Greg Pavlov" > wrote in message
...
> On Tue, 07 Oct 2003 18:50:45 GMT, "rb608"
> > wrote:
>
> >
> >Just one more example of how you & Mr. Charles have more class than me.
He
> >wouldn't drink single malt out of a styrofoam cup either. :-)
>
> My guess is that he tried once, using some Canadian
> imitation of styrofoam, and the single malt melted it.

Or perhaps some Canadian imitation of whiskey? :)

Wolfgang

[bruiser]

> "rb608" wrote...
> <snip>
> > Hello, my name is Joe; and I'm a yarn-a-holic.
>

Warren showed me the stuff called "McFly Foam" and it's the greatest for
tying eggs. It's far superior to normal egg yarn imo. Go ahead and get
some and tie another 200 of those in all sizes, colors and blends ;-)

bruce h

[Tim Carter]

Did the freeloaders leave yet?!?!?


"Tim J." > wrote in message
...
>
> "rb608" wrote...
> > "Ken Fortenberry" > wrote in message
> > > and thousands of glo bugs in every imaginable size and color. When
> > > we told him we didn't use them
> >
> > Just one more example of how you & Mr. Charles have more class than me.
He
> > wouldn't drink single malt out of a styrofoam cup either. :-)
>
> That's not class; that's common decency.
> --
> TL,
> Tim
> ------------------------
> http://css.sbcma.com/timj
>
>