10th Fly

I tied my 10th fly tonight; the Klinkhammer Special. Still not quite like the picture in the book. I wonder when these will start looking better?

The Obligatory Flies

So whenever I can snatch a spare 20-30 minutes nowadays I try to sit down and tie a fly. I am getting steadily better but I still struggle with some fundamentals; in particular hackles, and occasionally the whip finish. This is a Blue-Winged Olive I tied the other day:



The first hackle looked great but when I went to tie the whip finish the thread slipped and everything unravelled, including the hackle. Well, rather than start over from scratch I tried to save what was there. It still isn't all that bad, but it did look better...honest!

Tonight I tied my first beaded fly as well:



I don't have any real fly tying beads. This is from my daughter's craft box. It is supposed to be a Peeping Caddis (a sinking nymph) but looks quite a bit different than the picture in the book. The body is supposed to have a gold wire wrapped around it to give more of a ribbed look but I decided to leave that part of it out due to lack of materials. I tried gold tinsel but it did not have the same effect. I still think it will catch a fish though!

A Couple More Flies

I tied a couple more flies this weekend. I had a go at an elk hair caddis:



It turned out alright. I added a bit of a tail to cover up a mistake, and after I took the photo I gave it a bit of a haircut. ;)

My second one turned out to be a completely original creation due to a failed experiment. It has a fairly convincing wing and body, but the head didn't turn out at all how I planned. I think I'll call it a ruby-throated whipper-snapper.



That's what I like about fly tying though. I take a fair amount of artistic license when I tie a fly, and that what makes it so exciting. Will the fish bite it? Maybe I have stumbled across a new killer combination of colours and materials.

That's why I enjoy cooking as well (when I get around to doing it). I like to experiment and see what tastes work and don't work. Sometimes my family might not enjoy that part of it though. ;)

Even More Fly Tying

I tied a couple more flys (flies?) over the weekend and tonight. The one I tied on the weekend didn't turn out again since I didn't have the proper materials. I figured I would fake it with some hair from the back of my dad's neck. ;) I call it "The Schweaty Redneck":



So tonight, fed up with never having elk hair or marabou - I went out and bought some and then took another crack at an F Fly. Admittedly it is the easiest one to tie, but it is definitely my best result to date. And my whip finishes are coming along nicely too!



I also went fly fishing on the weekend with my dad and brother. Unfortunately I didn't catch anything worth mentioning (again), but I think it is only a matter of time. I'm getting in lots of practice and I am quite proud of how quickly my casting is progressing (if I do say so myself)!

Getting Better...

Since Monday is a holiday due to Canada Day, I took today off for a 4 day weekend. I slept in because I was up so late tying the last fly. Today I had a go at my third fly. It is still quite bad, but is my best result to date.



I think a fish may even consider eating this one! Maybe I'll go out fishing this afternoon and see if I can catch my first trout. I am still dying to try cedar plank trout on the BBQ.

More Fly Tying

So tonight I bought a book and decided to try tying another fly. It was supposed to be an F Fly. I started out just fine:



Well, long story short I didn't have quite the right materials, so it morphed into a Griffith's Gnat. Unfortunately it doesn't look like either one. So, I guess I invented another new fly! It looks like a cross between a caterpillar and a really bad moustache.

Fly Fishing and LOLcats

I am completely obsessed with fly fishing. I was introduced to the sport by my uncle in Scotland and I had only ever been fly fishing twice in the same pond in Scotland - where I *snagged* a fish. Well, last weekend I went fishing in the Grand River with a friend and I enjoyed it so much I went out and bought some more gear and can't wait until I go again. I never realized just how many good spots there are in the Grand River around Waterloo, Elora, and Fergus!

The same uncle that took me fly fishing for the first time gave me a fly tying kit, which I have been avoiding because I have always been afraid of the results.

My fears were justified.

Tonight, since there was no chance of me actually getting out and going fishing, I figured I would break open the kit and give it a whirl. It was all looking good at the start:



And then all hell broke loose. Anyway, here is the end result:



It reminds me of an LOLcat I saw the other day:



Let's hope the fish think otherwise...