sirocco

I would also recommend taking a course. I took the troutfitters beginner course, and it's definitely tailored to the absolute beginner. I had been tying for a while and I knew a lot of the stuff but it helped me refine my technique, and if nothing else it forces you to find the time to crank out flies.

Just wanted to toss this question out to the more experienced fisherman out there... In general how long do you tie your trout streamers? From actual fishing situations, what lengths seem to be most effective for cutthroat, rainbows etc. (NOT bulls)? I'm trying to gauge the maximum size that, for example, a 16 or 18 inch cutt would at least attempt to eat. I've been tying some 3 inch flies and I'm wondering if that might be too big.

I saw the dude on man vs. wild take a chunk out of a live brookie and a live salmon. i think he's still alive.

Looking for a photo to post for this made me realize how few photos I actually took this year; I spent way more time fishing than shooting!

I would have liked to fish a bit more, but I'm sure that sentiment will never change. I met my goal of a 30" bull, and my most memorable days of the year were spent fishing. Here's to a swell 2009!

My first attempt at a Deceiver style fly. Let me know if the proportions look good. Hook: Daiichi Saltwater size 1 Thread: UNI 6/0 white and Danville 3/0 monocord for the head Tail: 3 gray Schlappen feathers; 2 grizzly saddle feathers for lateral lines Body: Silver mylar Wing: White bucktail for a base; White and gray Polar Aire over top Throat: Red marabou Flash: Blue Angel Hair

ABL Imaging is reportedly the best place in town. In fact, a few guys I know send their stuff in from out of province just to get it printed there. But they'll be the most expensive of your options. I'm pretty sure the Camera Store gets their stuff printed through Nova Photo, so you might want to price compare if you go with them. It might be cheaper if you go directly through Nova.

I'll have a load of time after the 10th to participate. I'm just stuck prioritizing right now!

I've been really impressed with a package of Hook & Hackle marabou that I got just recently. That opinion is only based on one package though. Have you been using Hareline? I've noticed that ratio with their marabou.

Oh, sorry that my mistake. Their numbers are on the rise as well.

It depends on the location of the mine. It sounds like it's on the Flathead side of the range, and if it remains there the Elk drainage bulls should be okay. However, the name of the mine implies that it's connected to Lodgepole Creek which is on the Elk drainage side of the range, and if so, then the Elk drainage bulls would be at a similar risk. That's all pure speculation on my part though. As a side note, the Flathead population of Bull Trout is one of the largest remaining populations in North America, and has been making a terrific comeback due to the isolation of their spawning grounds and largely due to protective measures that have been put in place in Montana to help them out. It would be a true shame if all of this hard work was quashed by this proposed mine. Yeah, so does anyone know who to write to?

Hi everyone, Has anyone ever tied with Spirit River's A-Lure beads? I bought some for use on egg-sucking patterns but the holes drilled in them are too small to slide onto a streamer hook, or actually any hook for that matter. Is there a tying technique to get around this, or am I just missing something? Also, can you use caribou as a substitute for deer hair in terms of spinning? Cheers Erik

I didn't think I would have time to contribute but I'm glad I made some time. I wanted to see if I could tie an entire fly from a single feather and I'm fairly pleased with the results. Hook: Mustad Size 4 Streamer Dubbing: aftershaft from Natural Grizzly chinchilla feather Wing: Natural Grizzly chinchilla Collar: Natural Grizzly chinchilla

thanks for the tips max. for simplicity's sake I think I'll just stick to the lead-free stuff.

Hi guys/gals, any suggestions on what to use to substitute for lead wire, other than the lead-free stuff? I know I could always use heavier cones or eyes but I'm specifically looking for wire. Thanks!

Springbrook makes a number of fly boxes that use slit foam, including one nearly identical to the C&F box in the link. They hold a ton of flies. Most of the shops in town carry Springbrook so it shouldn't be too hard to find one.

There's only a handful of us that I know of. It's definitely not a pastime for Calgary's youth.

Thorne's is pretty good to deal with: http://www.thornesmanufacturing.com/

Yetis just chillin in their native environment. Couldn't resist

Great job Clyde. Incredible tying.

Haha, no tub test yet. He just might work though.

Built a model of a glacier with some friends for a school project. Figured I'd tie up a yeti as a finishing touch. It was a fun little experiment!

I really like that first pic Harps. Good job.

Thanks for the replies everyone. I'll give those a try.

What's the best and/or easiest way to tie CDC loops for emerger style flies? Are there any good step by steps for this? I'm mainly having trouble figuring out the tying sequence and how to form the loop. I always end up needing that elusive third arm