NC Angler Forums banner

Any winter tying?

10K views 103 replies 11 participants last post by  sekod 
#1 ·
With Temps like these anyone spending time behind the vice? Post up some pics, get some inspiration, pass the time until we feel the warm!
 

Attachments

See less See more
3
#5 ·
Here's a couple more. Picked up some new spinning deer colors at Carolina Mountain Sports after the Hot Hole on Saturday, as well as an original Sage Largemouth (330 grain) rod ☺. The new reel I got at BPS with Christmas gift cards from the family, and I practically stole the rod from Richard. It's a sweetie- you could catch Moby bass or red with it AND beat him into submission with it. ☺
When I'm not messing around with bass/big game flies, I've been stocking the trout box. Stimulators on the menu this week. ☺
 

Attachments

#8 ·
I carry a single flip-open Styrofoam insert plastic box crammed full when trouting. A big Booger Box holds the big daddies; I can slip it in the boat bag. I wish there was a better style box for holding big fat deer hair bugs...
 
#10 ·
Nice work Sekod. Commercially available boxes for streamers or big bass bugs are expensive and hard to find. A good DIY hack is to buy pencil boxes at Wally World, Target or $ store. Glue some blocks of closed cell foam in the bottom as hook holders. They aren't super durable, but they work, they're cheap & easy to replace. Choice of glue is important, because some won't hold to some plastics. I can't remember what I used, but so far no problems. I'll try to post a pic later
 
#11 ·
My Booger Box was rather pricy, but nearly all good boxes nowadays are pricey. So far I've been using extra Plano Stowaways to hold the bass bugs and swap them out as wanted/needed with the small stow away I got that's about the size of a small fold open box. The small stow away fits in the backpack or front pack on my fishing pack. (An old Orvis backpack/chest pack I use while flyfishing on foot). The pencil box idea sounds like it'd work much better. I suppose I could probably make my own split foam out of some closed cell foam. The Booger box has split foam, and I've found it holds large hooks a little better. ☺
 
#13 ·
Snow day tying, day 2

Today is day 2 of Snowmaggedon 2018. Hope everybody is safe and warm! Prayers for those who aren't...
Trimming deer hair bugs from yesterday and tying up some nymphs today. The deer hair bug is my first attempt at stippling/mixing hair colors in the stacker. Red, blue, and green to match the flash colors in the tail. Black and white in the nose to match the overall scheme.
The nymph is a Guide Fly- size 16 2x long. Love swinging these heavy things for trout- bream like them too, but they'll eat the soft shackle right off, so I stopped using them for bream. ☺ They work well dead drifted, I just like swinging wets and soft-hackles old-school style.
 

Attachments

#16 ·
Nice work on the bass bug Sekod. A guy by the name of Ken Abrames up in Little Rhody taught me how to blend bucktails for streamers a while back when I was stationed up there. The effects are pretty remarkable, and it's not hard to do. It just requires patience. Same technique works for deer hair. Try to get different color hairs about the same length. Blend them by the tips, trim the butts to the same length, then throw 'em in the stacker butts down.
 
#23 ·
View attachment 174906
I just got started tying and have really been enjoying it. I've got bass worms for every situation now.
Are you using the twist drill method to spin your worms? You can mix chenille colors too. ☺ I've found using the twist drill method that sometimes the worm will unravel enough to start fouling the hook; I've done 2 things to counteract this (if you find you have this problem); one is to clamp bodkin or nail in the vise and whip tie segments in the worm, or simply superglue where you would tie off segments. Both worked to cure the problem.
These things get heavy when wet. ☺ It sure is a chuck and duck when you're fishing them. (Speaking from experience. ☺). Definitely not for a 5 wt. when wet.
 
#19 ·
I was busy yesterday! Tied up about a half dozen of each of these. Soft hackles, thread nymphs, Tellicos, and North Country spiders. Sizes 14 and 16. Watch out, trout! ☺
 

Attachments

#24 ·
Still at it. ☺
Actually kind of nice to work on small stuff (#14-18) for a change after all the bass bugs and streamers I've been tying.
Another North Country spider, this one brown with a gold wire rib. One way I fish these is counterintuitive- fish them weighted, but slick them up good with Frogs Fannie. This traps air bubbles in the wings, like the real deal (caddis headed for the surface). Swing them like a normal wet, and when they're in the strike zone, do a lift to get them rising in the water column. Slight twitches don't hurt.
The second is the good old Gold Ribbed Hares Ear in a size #18. (The smallest I'll tie- I either swap for or buy my zebras, wd-40's, etc. A man's got to have his limits! ☺ Mine is a size 18). These, Tellicos, and green caddis pupae flies are my personal go-to nymphs.
 

Attachments

#26 ·
You guys definitely have some talent. Keep the pictures coming. I have a hard time spending much time tying, older eyes give me a headache in short order. My vice is at my other house, so spent time yesterday putting together tarpon leaders for this spring. Will be tying up some toads, bunnies and roaches soon enough.

Would be willing to trade some boat time at the coast for some of these creations.
 
  • Like
Reactions: sekod
#27 ·
Reading up on the Metolius River and big bull trout brought me around to this- the Dolly Lama in bluegill colors. Hoping a bass might take it. 🙂
The wife and I are planning a PNW trip next year to visit and stay with some friends in Seattle. The Metolius is only a 5 hour drive from Vashon Island- hmmm....
 

Attachments

#28 ·
Nice looking fly. Never fished the Metolius, but have fished lower Deschutes for summer steelies and the John Day for smallies years ago. Pretty country. Problem you're going to have is picking which direction you'll go because there are just so many possibilities up there. Might be some chinook or silvers in the rivers closer than that or sea run cutthroats in Puget Sound depending on the timing of your trip.
 
#29 ·
It'll be the Metolius, for sure. I want to see what a BIG spring creek looks like. That technical trout fishing won't be what I'm after- it'll be the big Bulls. Big streamers and big Bulls...
 
#31 ·
This work thing is way overrated, let me tell you! Gets in the way of fishing AND tying! 🙂 Here's an articulated double bunny with a palmered hackle collar. Still building up a good bass streamer box. Heaven knows that I have plenty of topwater bugs already! (And any bass fisherman worth his salt knows that it may be fun to catch em on topwater, but more big ones are caught subsurface).
I'd like to see more from you other guys, especially the experienced tyers. Pull some out of the box that you know work and let us tying noobies see some secrets. 🙂
Tight lines, guys...
(Side note- I keep poking myself with the upright stinger hooks on these things- the final vise I end up with will definitely be rotary, with material clips and bobbin rests, I don't care how much overtime I have to work to save the money). 🙂
 

Attachments

#34 ·
Beaut! Love the JC eyes. I said I'd post a pic of my DIY box. A bit crude, but cheap & effective. Barely fits in my sling, but it does. Good for bigger flies.
View attachment 175546
I like those JC eyes, too. I'm sure one day I'll get around to tying some salmon flies and get myself a cape to tie those eyes with. Salmon flies are some of the prettiest flies there are, in my eyes.
BMAC, is that a minimalist fly box or are you hiding the good stuff? 🙂 (I wouldn't hold it against you if you did...)
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top