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.a...rency=2&S ID=)
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