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