Bug collecting tip

I had a class on macroinvertibrates and the stream with Mark Van
Patten. I mentioned that I like to collect bugs for later fly tying.
He said that he doesn't use pure alcohol or "bug juice" anymore.
They've found out that a combination of water, alcohol and glycerin
makes the best mixture for your bug jar.
When they went out to try to find a source of glycerin, one google
search came back with hand sanitizer (Purel). It contains, guess
what, alcohol, water and glycerin. So that's what they now use. One
of the advantages is that you can push the (dead) bug down into the
Purel and it will stay right where you put it. You can arrange it so
you can see all sides of the bug.
Mark says that they have a jar with alcohol that they dip the bug in
til its dead, then they put it in the Purel. Keeps the color well
too.
Frank Reid

On Oct 10, 5:58*pm, Frank Reid © 2008 wrote:
I had a class on macroinvertibrates and the stream with Mark Van
Patten.
Frank Reid

I first met Mark about 15 years ago at one of the Southern Conclaves
and I watched as he was tying a Royal Coachman for a fly plate. While
doing this he showed me his Royal Coachman tatoo. We visited for a
while and said that he and a friend got drunk one night and took one
of his flies to a local tatoo artist and had the tattos done. He also
mentioned who the tatoo artist was and the folowing Monday, I visited
his tatoo artist and got my Royal Coachman tatoo and thus became the
third member of the Royal Coachman Society. After he tied that Royal
Coachman he put away the vise and tied the rest of the afternoon
holding the hooks in his hand rather than using a vise. He really
knows his bugs and there is no telling how many kids he has introduced
to the wonderful world of bugs in streams...probably more than a
thousand at this point. Thanks for reminding me of a hell of a guy.

Big Dale

Thanks for reminding me of a hell of a guy.

I'm going to have him as our guest speaker at our club's big spring
event.
You still get down to the Southern Conclave?
Frank Reid

Big Dale


Oh, and welcome back. :-)
Frank Reid

On Oct 21, 7:35*am, Frank Reid © 2008 wrote:
Big Dale

Oh, and welcome back. *:-)
Frank Reid

Ditto.

g.