Various random observations (mostly on-topic)

[Conan the Librarian]

ROFFians,

I was ruminating on some of the things I've picked up from you
low-lifes since I got back into ff'ing this past year, and I thought
I'd toss out a few random observations. Some of these ideas were
stolen directly from youse, while others have been arrived at
independently or at least modified a bit. Hopefully some of this may
promote a bit of discussion, but if not, well, them's the breaks:

Those 7 or 14 days pill containers really do make nice flyboxes for
cheap, but they are probably even better as dubbing containers. Take
your handbrace and chuck a fluted drill bit of whatever size you think
appropriate (1/2" is a pretty good size). The brace's speed is
totally controllable, so you don't have to worry about shattering or
melting the plastic. Drill the holes on the side of the container
that does *not* open. If necessary, take a small file to smooth the
edges of the hole.

You can have a lifetime supply of hook hones by buying a package of
10 steel strips from Lee Valley tools for $3.50
(http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.asp?page=41708&category=1,43072&ccurrency=2&SID=)
Buy a couple of sheets of PSA-backed SiC wet-dry sandpaper and cut
into strips. Attach the sandpaper to the steel strips, front and
back, and you have handy hook hones that can be attached to your
zingers, stuffed into your vest pockets or lost in the piles of stuff
on your tying desk.

In tying some green drake paradrakes, I started by following
Harry's outstanding (as usual) tutorial, but I got to thinking,
wouldn't it make more sense to post the hackle before forming the
extended hair-body? Seems like the hackle would be more secure that
way, and the tie woulld be neater.

OK, I admit to having bought some of those leader link
contraptions. I figured I'd try them to see if they might be handy in
"emergency" situations on the stream (i.e., if I was too
fumble-fingered to tie a proper nail-knot). I've found that I
*really* like the way they slip through the guides with almost on
interference. Now if I could just get over the idea that they're
tacky as hell.

It's become part of my standard tying routine these days to treat
all dries with Watershed as the last step. That combined with using
Frog's Fanny when I'm on the water has really made an improvement in
how my dries ride. No Gink for me.

When tying partridge soft-hackles, I always strip (clip, actually)
the hackle from one side of the feather (expect for right at the
butt), and tie it in tip-first with the concave side facing me and the
stripped side on top. (I think I got this from Hughes, but I'm not
sure.) After wrapping the body and thorax, I wrap the hackle towards
the bend, secure it right in front of the thorax, and wrap it forward
through the hackle before tying off. It much more durable that way,
and it makes for a very neat (and small) head.

Those little test clips really do make outstanding hackle pliers.
I haven't used a standard plier since I picked one up.

Once you learn some basic mechanics of tying and familiarize
yourself with the characteristics of the materials, flytying is about
90% a matter of proportion. Or, better yet, proportion and
repeatability. (I now understand why Harry stresses those elements so
much.)

I didn't fish as much as I would have liked to this year, and I
probably tied a lot more than I needed to. But at least I wasn't in
danger of running out of flies.

And finally, for anyone desperate enough to make it this far,
here's my pico de gallo recipe:

1 onion, chopped medium fine

1 tomato, chopped medium fine

A handful of cilantro leaves, chopped medium fine

A couple of serrano peppers (more if you like it hotter), seeded,
de-veined and chopped medium fine

A couple of pinches of salt

A couple of squeezes of lime

Stir all the ingredients together in a non-reactive bowl.

Refrigerate to let the flavors blend.

Serve with fajitas, tacos al carbon, etc. and a good Mexican beer
(Negra Modelo or Bohemia for example; leave the Corona for the frat
boys)


Chuck Vance

[Tim J.]

"Conan the Librarian" wrote...
> ROFFians,
>
> I was ruminating on some of the things I've picked up from you
> low-lifes since I got back into ff'ing this past year, and I thought
> I'd toss out a few random observations. Some of these ideas were
> stolen directly from youse, while others have been arrived at
> independently or at least modified a bit. Hopefully some of this may
> promote a bit of discussion, but if not, well, them's the breaks:
<snip>
> Once you learn some basic mechanics of tying and familiarize
> yourself with the characteristics of the materials, flytying is about
> 90% a matter of proportion. Or, better yet, proportion and
> repeatability. (I now understand why Harry stresses those elements so
> much.)

It's that "repeatability" thingy I'm still working out. . .

> I didn't fish as much as I would have liked to this year, and I
> probably tied a lot more than I needed to. But at least I wasn't in
> danger of running out of flies.

I, thankfully, had the opposite problem last year.

> And finally, for anyone desperate enough to make it this far,
> here's my pico de gallo recipe:
>
> 1 onion, chopped medium fine
> 1 tomato, chopped medium fine
> A handful of cilantro leaves, chopped medium fine

The bigger the hand, the better, sez I.

> A couple of serrano peppers (more if you like it hotter), seeded,
> de-veined and chopped medium fine
> A couple of pinches of salt
> A couple of squeezes of lime
> Stir all the ingredients together in a non-reactive bowl.
> Refrigerate to let the flavors blend.
>
> Serve with fajitas, tacos al carbon, etc. . . .

Slathered on a nice steak ain't half bad, either. :)

> . . . and a good Mexican beer
> (Negra Modelo or Bohemia for example; leave the Corona for the frat
> boys)

I like Corona on a hot day, but also prefer Bohemia while dining.

Good post. Many would agree. ;-)
--
TL,
Tim
------------------------
http://css.sbcma.com/timj

[Willi]

Conan the Librarian wrote:

> Those 7 or 14 days pill containers really do make nice flyboxes for
> cheap, but they are probably even better as dubbing containers. Take
> your handbrace and chuck a fluted drill bit of whatever size you think
> appropriate (1/2" is a pretty good size). The brace's speed is
> totally controllable, so you don't have to worry about shattering or
> melting the plastic. Drill the holes on the side of the container
> that does *not* open. If necessary, take a small file to smooth the
> edges of the hole.

You can do the same with plastic storage boxes you can get at a hardware
store. More and bigger compartments.


> It's become part of my standard tying routine these days to treat
> all dries with Watershed as the last step. That combined with using
> Frog's Fanny when I'm on the water has really made an improvement in
> how my dries ride. No Gink for me.

I still use Gink when fishing conventionally hackled flies on heavy water.

Frog's Fanny is great stuff. Its use has caused me to use many more CDC
patterns instead of just saving them for a tough fish like I used to do.


>
> Once you learn some basic mechanics of tying and familiarize
> yourself with the characteristics of the materials, flytying is about
> 90% a matter of proportion. Or, better yet, proportion and
> repeatability. (I now understand why Harry stresses those elements so
> much.)


Proportion is important and its something I still have some problems
with. However, I also think it's good to vary some of your ties from the
"conventional" proportions. These flies are going to both look and act
differently. For example, I tie one of my favorite flies with an
undersized hackle with a couple of extra wraps of hackle and I tie the
downwing elk hair wing extra long. This makes for a fly that's great to
skitter across the surface.

A couple different things I'm been doing this past year:

Using foam for the posts of parachutes. It really grabs the hackle when
wrapping making it much easier. It's also very visible and adds flotation.

Tying and fishing wet hackles for specific hatches instead of just using
them as attractor patterns.


Willi

[Conan the Librarian]

"Tim J." > wrote in message >...

> It's that "repeatability" thingy I'm still working out. . .

I finally started to get a hang of it when tying for the FS. I
looked at some of the first flies I tied and compared them to the
later ones. Then I got the razor blade out ... :-)

> > I didn't fish as much as I would have liked to this year, and I
> > probably tied a lot more than I needed to. But at least I wasn't in
> > danger of running out of flies.
>
> I, thankfully, had the opposite problem last year.

What, you started running out of flies? ;-)

> > And finally, for anyone desperate enough to make it this far,
> > here's my pico de gallo recipe:
> >
> > 1 onion, chopped medium fine
> > 1 tomato, chopped medium fine
> > A handful of cilantro leaves, chopped medium fine
>
> The bigger the hand, the better, sez I.

Ah hah ... someone who knows their pico. Lots of people can't
stand cilantro, but I consider it to be what makes a really good pico.

> Slathered on a nice steak ain't half bad, either. :)

To be honest, I've never eaten it on a "regular" steak. I tend not
to add extra sauces, etc. to a good steak. A little bit of salt and
pepper, and that's about it.

> > . . . and a good Mexican beer
> > (Negra Modelo or Bohemia for example; leave the Corona for the frat
> > boys)
>
> I like Corona on a hot day, but also prefer Bohemia while dining.

I can't do the standard Corona. Now if you can find Corona de
Barril, that's a good beer for a hot day. (But I've only seen it in
Mexico.)

> Good post. Many would agree. ;-)

Hmmmm ... either everyone agrees or most didn't bother to read it.
Oh well, maybe I should post something on Dubya or Howard Dean. Maybe
they have some cool recipes. :-)


Chuck Vance

[Conan the Librarian]

Willi > wrote in message >...

> [making dubbing storage from plastic pill boxes]
>
> You can do the same with plastic storage boxes you can get at a hardware
> store. More and bigger compartments.

In the future I'll probably need to have more storage, but I like
the locking feature on the pill boxes for storing dubbing. And they
are a nice compact size that's easy to store in the drawer of my tying
station. They also fit the contents of those little dubbing packs
almost perfectly.

> Frog's Fanny is great stuff. Its use has caused me to use many more CDC
> patterns instead of just saving them for a tough fish like I used to do.

It was because of your recommendation that I first tried the stuff.
I had played around with various products before I gave it a try, and
it is truly outstanding. (Anybody need a jar of Albolene? :-)

> Proportion is important and its something I still have some problems
> with. However, I also think it's good to vary some of your ties from the
> "conventional" proportions. These flies are going to both look and act
> differently. For example, I tie one of my favorite flies with an
> undersized hackle with a couple of extra wraps of hackle and I tie the
> downwing elk hair wing extra long. This makes for a fly that's great to
> skitter across the surface.

Certainly. But you are doing those things consciously. And that's
partially why I added the caveat, "repeatability". If you make the
decision to vary the proportions of the fly, it would be nice to be
able to consistently tie it that way.

> A couple different things I'm been doing this past year:
>
> Using foam for the posts of parachutes. It really grabs the hackle when
> wrapping making it much easier. It's also very visible and adds flotation.

After reading the recent thread about foam, I've been tying some
that way too. It has raised a question for me. You talk about it
grabbing the hackle; are you not wrapping up the post with your tying
thread when using foam? I'm accustomed to tying the hackle off on the
post itself when tying paras with calf or poly yarn. But I worry
about foam compressing too much and weakening the foam in the process.

> Tying and fishing wet hackles for specific hatches instead of just using
> them as attractor patterns.

After reading that thread you started on soft hackles, I tried
using CDC as the hackle on a few flies. I substituted it on the
Stewart's Spider, and a few other ties (i.e., soft-hackle hare's ears
of various colors, and some standard partidge and ... ties) and it
looks like it has possibilities. I haven't had a chance to try them
out yet, but they sure look "buggy" in the vise. I'm thinking that
the Spider in particular will be a good fly for sunfish.


Chuck Vance

[rb608]

"Conan the Librarian" > wrote in message
> I finally started to get a hang of it when tying for the FS. I
> looked at some of the first flies I tied and compared them to the
> later ones. Then I got the razor blade out ... :-)

That aspect is one of the big reasons I always try to participate in the
swaps.

Joe F.

[Tim J.]

"Conan the Librarian" wrote...
> "Tim J." wrote...
>
<snip>
> > Slathered on a nice steak ain't half bad, either. :)
>
> To be honest, I've never eaten it on a "regular" steak. I tend not
> to add extra sauces, etc. to a good steak. A little bit of salt and
> pepper, and that's about it.

Pico brings out the flavors of the steak much better than salt and pepper, IMHO.
--
TL,
Tim
Try it; you'll liiiiike it!
------------------------
http://css.sbcma.com/timj

[slenon]

>Pico brings out the flavors of the steak much better than salt and pepper,
IMHO.
>Tim

For good steaks, salt, pepper, olive oil, and the grill. For the tougher
cuts, Pico is a welcome addition and should always include cilantro.

--
Stev Lenon 91B20 '68-'69
Drowning flies to Darkstar

http://web.tampabay.rr.com/stevglo/index.html/slhomepage92kword.htm

[Sandy]

slenon wrote:
>> Pico brings out the flavors of the steak much better than salt and
>> pepper, IMHO. Tim
>
> For good steaks, salt, pepper, olive oil, and the grill. For the
> tougher cuts, Pico is a welcome addition and should always include
> cilantro.

As my gran used to say about sauce.

"Good meat doesn't need it, bad meat doesn't deserve it"

A little bit of flavouring wouldn't go amiss though :)


--
Don`t Worry, Be Happy

Sandy
--

E-Mail:-
Website:- http://www.ftscotland.co.uk
IRC:- Sandyb in #rabble uk3.arcnet.vapor.com Port:6667
#Rabble Channel Website:- http://www.ftscotland.co.uk/rabbled
ICQ : 41266150

[Scott Seidman]

(Conan the Librarian) wrote in
om:

> I finally started to get a hang of it when tying for the FS. I
> looked at some of the first flies I tied and compared them to the
> later ones. Then I got the razor blade out ... :-)
>
>

Careful Chuck. The flies might not come out good, but that's hardly reason
to do yourself harm :-)

Scott

[riverman]

"Sandy" > wrote in message
...
> slenon wrote:
> >> Pico brings out the flavors of the steak much better than salt and
> >> pepper, IMHO. Tim
> >
> > For good steaks, salt, pepper, olive oil, and the grill. For the
> > tougher cuts, Pico is a welcome addition and should always include
> > cilantro.
>
> As my gran used to say about sauce.
>
> "Good meat doesn't need it, bad meat doesn't deserve it"
>
>

Funny how our grandparents had those cozy little sayings about stuff. Where
did that talent go to?

--riverman

[Sandy]

riverman wrote:
> "Sandy" > wrote in message
> ...
> Funny how our grandparents had those cozy little sayings about stuff.
> Where did that talent go to?
>
> --riverman

These sites should keep you amused for a while :)

http://www.wiseoldsayings.com/

http://www.rootsweb.com/~genepool/sayings.htm





--
Don`t Worry, Be Happy

Sandy
--

E-Mail:-
Website:- http://www.ftscotland.co.uk
IRC:- Sandyb in #rabble uk3.arcnet.vapor.com Port:6667
#Rabble Channel Website:- http://www.ftscotland.co.uk/rabbled
ICQ : 41266150

[Conan the Librarian]

Scott Seidman > wrote in message >...

> (Conan the Librarian) wrote in
> om:
>
> > I finally started to get a hang of it when tying for the FS. I
> > looked at some of the first flies I tied and compared them to the
> > later ones. Then I got the razor blade out ... :-)
> >
> >
>
> Careful Chuck. The flies might not come out good, but that's hardly reason
> to do yourself harm :-)

Heh. I never thought about how that could be interpreted. :-)

Looking back at my tying for the swap, I'd say it took me about
45-50 flies to get 37 that I'm fairly happy with. Some of the "bad"
ones went directly into my flybox, and I wouldn't be surprised if they
work just fine.

But they aren't pretty enough to stand up to close-up photography.
(As it is, I'm gonna ask Joe to make sure to pick out the nicest one
for pics.) :-}


Chuck Vance

[Willi]

Conan the Librarian wrote:


>>A couple different things I'm been doing this past year:
>>
>>Using foam for the posts of parachutes. It really grabs the hackle when
>>wrapping making it much easier. It's also very visible and adds flotation.
>
>
> After reading the recent thread about foam, I've been tying some
> that way too. It has raised a question for me. You talk about it
> grabbing the hackle; are you not wrapping up the post with your tying
> thread when using foam? I'm accustomed to tying the hackle off on the
> post itself when tying paras with calf or poly yarn. But I worry
> about foam compressing too much and weakening the foam in the process.

I use foam that is pretty firm. It does compress but after the tension
is released, it has a tendency to hold the hackles in place. I usually
cut off the foam when finished, leaving just a small nub. I then press
down on that nub which flattens it. This helps hold the hackle and
compresses it. Works good for me.

Willi

[riverman]

"Sandy" > wrote in message
...
> riverman wrote:
> > "Sandy" > wrote in message
> > ...
> > Funny how our grandparents had those cozy little sayings about stuff.
> > Where did that talent go to?
> >
> > --riverman
>
> These sites should keep you amused for a while :)
>
> http://www.wiseoldsayings.com/
>
> http://www.rootsweb.com/~genepool/sayings.htm
>
>

And they did. :-) Thanks.

--riverman