As an avid steelheader I have tried them all. Insulated boot foot breathables from Cabela's waterfowl selection are hands down the best. Yes, a tad less ankle support but the trade off for all day warmth is more than worth it. For about $200 you can't go wrong.
Thank you, really really helpful.
Correct proportion information and where to tie in specific parts of the fly is so relevant. I have also searched many times for what I may call 'hints & tips' or 'tricks of the trade', as there are several techniques used in salmon fly tying that are not obvious to the new comer to fly tying.
For example, I have often doubled a hackle and pulled the barbs back as the hackle is wound. But it was not until I watched Ally Gowan's video on tying his Ally's Shrimp that I saw how easy it was to double a hackle by running the blade of a pair of scissors down the hackle shaft! To me sheer genius.
There's a book to be written (or video to be made) that could be a 'good little earner' by someone who has the gift, in compiling Salmon Flytying - Hints & Tips and Tricks of the Trade.
Beautifully filmed, with nice scenes. However, this film could benefit from severe editing, as we saw multiple repeat scenes of the same thing. A 10-15 minute film could have been more powerful than the repetitious 24 minute epic. Less would have been more, in this atmospheric homage to autumnal fishing for Grayling.
I appreciate your kind words Pete. Your own contributions has helped lift the site, so don't be too humble! ;-)
I know the publishing pace has been slow lately, but as you say: why is it the young who have all the youth? I could use a dose of 25 year old Martin now and then, but for some reason he doesn't really appear when I need him.
Such is life...
Martin
Time Phlies...! and Youth is WASTED on the young...! Martin, your globalflyfisher continues to be beacon of light that keeps me off the rocks... Cheeerz!
Keith was a friend of mine. The reviewer is correct that the original manuscript was done on a dot matrix printer, it was all typed by Keith on a word processor, if any remember what that was. It was sort of in between what a typewriter was and a PC is now. It took him many years of research, much of it through talking to individual tyers, many of whom were well known pros from the classic era of the 40s, 50s and 60s. It was his labor of love and bid for immortality. The drawings we're indeed hand drawn, by him, on to pages he'd printed out. The thin paper stock is a result of his investors pulling out at the last minute and was a disappointment to him. He faced the choice of changing to lightweight paper or publishing in paperback form. He chose the more substantial appearance of a hardbound edition. He continued to collect newer patterns by modern tyers to be included in a hoped for second edition which was never published. Keith hawked his books in person, to flyshops and individuals. He completed and self-pollinated his life's work while living in Orlando, FL then moved to Ennis, MT to be where the trout are. He died in Ennis on August 3 2006 at the age of 83. He was a good man and was very giving of his time and knowledge to any interested in taking up fly-fishing and/or tying. One of my prized possessions, along with an inscribed copy of this book, is a bamboo flyrod he built from scratch and gave me for Christmas in 1985. His last name is pronounced "per-row".
Giovanni,
The article on Raising chickens also talks about preserving full skins, necks and saddles. I have used the simple method described, and have skins that are more than 15 years old, prepared with this method and still good looking.
Martin
I would like to preserve as a whole with feathers attached to pelt, what method would you suggest
I made slinkies on the commercial level back in the late 80s and early 90s. I produced tens of thousands over the years; here are some tips I learned through trial and error:
Steel BB shot can be bought at Walmart (Daisy Premium Plated) in the ammo department. I stopped using lead for environmental reasons and actually prefer the drift rate in my home river (Salmon River, NY) using steel.
BB Shot Counts:
Steel: 5 shot = 1/16 oz.
Lead: 3 shot = 1/16 oz.
Cut and seal nylon paracute cord in one step with a soldering iron.
Cut/seal double lengths of cord, then a single scissor cut gets you two finished lengths.
Use a brass feeder tube and brass rod plunger to insert shot.
Melted attachment hole with needle type soldering iron tip.
You can skip the hole and just pierce the nylon coed with snap.
Attached slinky to leader using small micro-snap.
For low-flow nymphing for trout, micro-slinkies using 1, 2, 0r 3 shot work well.
Any other questions just email me at medusatackleco@gmail.com
I made it last week and am very pleased that a such a simple recipe gave a real tacky dubbing wax. Many people do not use it but i do. The wax that i had was too soft as i compare it to the one i made when using the self made. It helped me a lot and am able to dubb very good flies.
I followed the recipe but add a little biet more oil to it because i was afraid that it would be too hard. When hardened, i tried it immediatly and was surprised about the tackinees of it.
Ok i have now plenty enough and will give some to my friends. Of course you can buy it, but making your own is so much fun as tying your own flies.
At first, the price of nearly 70 € seems too much, but the book is fabulous and it's worth every cent.
Good pictures, some stories, great patterns and really good instructions and descreptions.
BUY IT (Y)
Great article thanks. Check out my blog fly-fishing the world.blogspot.com for similar NZ stories! I live in Christchurch New Zealand
I use armor-all, it cleans great and the line really zips when casted.
Popsical = fly patthern.
”...resembles a wooly bugger” :) Now, Now, Now! Not with a wolly bugger. May be with a Popsical, as I said.
Not sure what you mean by a popsicle, but if you mean that its a tasty sweet snack for trout, then you are absolutely right! LOL. And it is not a wooly bugger your right. I said its "better than a wooly bugger" not that it is a variation of a wooly bugger or one in itself. The man who created it called it a brahma bugger, I guess because it resembles a wooly bugger? Not sure. I didn't name the fly. HAHA.
Katrine, Eric and Noe,
Thank you all for your kind comments. I'm glad you enjoyed my little piece. I hope my writing will enable you as well as others to look at fishing in a perspective, which isn't just trophy hunting and pursuing the next and bigger fish or longer cast, but also remember to stop and enjoy life, nature, company, sights and smells. I have certainly learned to do so - the hard way, but still.
And Noe, regarding a cure for my disease, I surely live in the hope, but have long ago learned not to live my life expecting to be cured. It might happen, but then again it might not. I prepare for the worst and hope for the best - but remember to live while doing it.
Martin
Dear Martin:
I am a new fly fisherman (if I can say that, as I am by no means good at it...). After my wife's Dad died several years ago, I inherited some conventional fishing gear and my wife (who fished with her Dad as a little girl) started teaching me what she had learnt. Two years ago I took a fly casting lesson and was hooked. Now I fly fish exclusively (and just recently started tying my own flies) and have found the poetic allure of the art of fly fishing.
I am also a Lab Animal Medicine Veterinarian specialized in research animal health and welfare and every day I read about exciting research looking into the disease mechanisms of many ailments that affect people (and pets). Obesity, cardiovascular disease, cancer...and I am hopeful that some day patients around the world will have a cure for so many devastating diseases including MS.
I sympathize with you and hope that these cures will be available to all sooner rather than later so everyone can fish, run, play their favorite instrument, see their daughters get married...
With admiration and much hope for you and all those who step up to the challenges that life brings and live to the fullest extent.
Noe
Martin - I have been lurking on this site for quite a while and it is my first post. I want to thank you for this beautiful odd to "being out there". I see way too many fishermen complaining about the quality of the fishing or the size of the prize. I just came back from 2 weeks in the northwest US and been catching an releasing 6 to 10" rainbows as the steelheads were not really cooperating due to low water levels and extreme heat. I am a saltwater fly fisher on the Texas and Louisiana coast used to larger fish. What an exhilarating experience just to be on the water and enjoying the moment. I can not recall a better fishing trip with family around ... thanks to reminding us that it is not all about fishing but "connecting" with everything and everyone around us. As Katrine said, touched .....
I also make them with 6/0 tying thread for dry fly fishing. I use a micro ring at the end and an integrated loop at the butt. Mostly olive, sometimes with brown for more "camo",haha. With a long tippet the trout don't seem to mind. These leaders turn over beautifully and float all day when treated with Mucillin. And zero memory.
Martin,
I was very touched by this blog post. I know that you inspire thousands and thousands of people with your site and your knowledgable, but also personal writings on all things fly fishing. I so admire the way you accept your physical limitations but still make the most of what is possible. And don't we all have days where something we actually love to do is just too much effort? I know I do. I love reading your thoughts, so thank you for sharing.
… I have a small favor to ask.
Support the Global FlyFisher through several different channels, including PayPal.
The Global FlyFisher has been online since the mid-90's and has been free to access for everybody since day one – and will stay free for as long as I run it.
But that doesn't mean that it's free to run.
It costs money to drive a large site like this.
See more details about what you can do to help in this blog post.