On Thu, 9 Mar 2006 14:50:35 -0500, "Tim J."
wrote:

According to my calculations, I'll have to live to 128 years old to break
even on the tying stuff. It's the tying itself that rewards now, especially
since I rarely follow a recipe these days. I just see something in my mind's
eye I'd like to tie and get busy.

If I used the money I have tied up in vises, tools, hooks, materials,
hackles/feathers, dubbing boxes, lights, magazines/books on the
subject, etc, etc, etc, I'd have enough money to buy flies for
everyone in this thread for ten years. I imagine every fly I tie
costs me about $100. d;o(

But, like Sandy, I enjoy experimenting with different ties. About ten
years ago I tied a green rock worm caddis larva patterned after one
that was pumped out of the stomach of a land locked salmon. There was
no tie like it (as far as I know), and my first iteration of it caught
more fish on the Rapid than any other fly I've ever fished. The next
iteration used v rib, then stretchy tubing, then yarn, then green
goose biots. They all took fish, but the first two are the best. Some
will say I was foolish to share it, but I did with folks I didn't even
know. Now the guides use the GRW and Lakewood Camps have them for
sale in their fly shop. I am now experimenting with CDC rope after
finding the perfect color CDC feathers.

Bruce Hopper (found occasionally on roff) introduced me to very small
(20 - 26) nymphs. I experiment all the time with these ties, made
simply out of tying thread for the body and ribbing and a bit of
dubbing for the head.

I once tied a caddis emerger (can't remember what recipe I used), but
I modified it by "hiding" a small cylindrical clear glass bead on the
bottom of the fly (hook) to mimic the air bubble caddis use when going
to the surface. It was meant to be a fly used primarily with the
Leisenring Lift, and it worked like a charm, but ONLY with the L.
Lift. I still use it occasionally, but hate to tie it. I think I have
two left.

I've babbled on..... sorry. Interesting subject, Sandy.

Dave