HOLY MOLEY DICK, you got alot of supplies !!!!!!!!! No wonder you have to move the stuff for holidays etc. YOU COULD BE ON TV , "BURIED ALIVE " IS A SHOW ABOUT HOARDERS !!!!!!!! LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLOL OLD BUDDY thought I had alot of stuff till I saw yours !!!!!!!

HEY STEVE GREAT LOOKING CRICKET !!!!!!!! 

Tried out my Cricket flies yesterday.  They needed to be trimmed a little shorter on the rubber legs.  After that they worked just fine

Hey Tooty you guys got me started you and Greghopper. I'm like a jucky if it looks pretty or I just like how it looks I get it. I really think its a bad thing living this close to Janns Netcraft they got lots of neat stuff and lots of my money.

Steve when can we see them crickets.

Bottom of this page, Dick.  Wait a second, here tis.

Dick, I think there is a fine line between hoarding and just being prepared were you into scouting? Doesn't appear to be all that much after all it still fits neatly in the area, if you don't need it right now you might in the future.  What if the economy collapses and we have to live on the fish we catch?!!!! Why I have stuff in my fly tying cache that I can't even identify other than it's fur or feathers of some kind. My nemesis is EBAY, any one know what you can tie with buffalo fur? LOL!

Thanks Steve looks like the fish will have a hard time leaving it alone. Looks good and fishy for sure.

Mark I think I was fine till I brought it back in the house and had all that loose Foam so I got another container for that. I really think I might be done. If I wanted to tie the same things all the time I think I could get rid of a lot but when I do learn to tie these different things I want to know I have most of the stuff to do it with. Now all I have to do is increase and knowledge base and practice my tying of different things. Most everything I tie I give away anyway but if keeps me out of trouble and close to the wife and I enjoy both.

HHHHHA HHHHHHHA DICK you and Jann's on a first name basis now hey !!!!  I've been getting alot of stuff from Anglers in the past month and too busy to do experimental stuff now . GOt the bug and am going to try and get out tomorrow and see if Ice is all gone now ........

LOL, I don't know JANN personally but if'n I did I would have as many materials as DICK!!!!!!

I've been buying a lot of stuff from Netcraft over the past several weeks, but the bulk of that was for spinner baits.  Dick, you have WAY more tying stuff than I do right now.

Yea Allen I've been tying away. Netcraft use to have the beads like they use on mepps. I know many years ago we use to go to Canada and that was the go to artificial so I made up enough for our whole group.

OMG Dick Tabbert! I just saw your fly tying area!!! WELCOME TO THE BLACK HOLE!!!!!!!!

You got more STUFF than I do or ever seen! WOW

Yea Jen I think I may have went a little overboard but I guess if I need it I should have it, but then again maybe not. I tied about 8 hours yesterday and found out I'm not improving much in the speed department I really didn't get a whole lot tied I think its the eyes and my large fingers that continuously get in the way all the time but still plugging at it.

Dick - glad to here you have a black hole also . I'm finally setteling in , but we still have about 30 inches of ice on the lakes up here. I decided that after my problems with my van hitting a semi..and afford a cash vehical to pull the boat yet. I used the funds to purchase a kayak. However at my age I have decide to have backup power with a MinnKota  C2 30lb thurst trolling motor on it.

Glad your OK but sorry to hear your van and the semi. As far as the trolling motor I'm a true believer in more power I don't think we can ever have enough..

Thanks Dick - this Yak is rated for 500 lbs even though it is only 10ft. Yep did not want to put a hitch on the wifes car... well that is not totally true. But decided that foam blocks and a kayak was a better choice to keep peace and be able to use my wifes car.

Rick you gotta do what you gotta do and it sounds at any rate a win win situation. Good luck

JP I think they use BORAX to preserve them but you have to get all the meat off you can.

Its time to move to the next pattern in my bluegill fly repertoire - The Wooly Booger.

Once I decided to try my hand it fly tying, I was confronted with the nearly infinite variety of flies out there. My challenge went from HOW to tie a fly, to WHAT to tie? The aim of all angling is to get consistent results in catching fish, of course, yet keep the logistics under some control. In other words, there is no way I could tie every fly known - and I was pretty sure I didn't need to. What was needed was a PLAN for concentrating, .

Since the aim is to catch bluegill, first and foremost, I came up with the idea of tying the patterns shown in Terry and Roxanne Wilson's book, "Bluegill... Fly Fishing ad Flies." These good people have done all the heavy lifting for us; their reputation and success is known and they've made all their lessons available in the book. I could see no better place to start. Only later did I learn that Terry Wilson is a member here at BBG.

So, the first fly I gave serious effort to is their own creation, "Bully's Bluegill Spider." This made sense, since they make much of its simplicity in the book and it is a consistent producer for them. Because I initially lacked the lead wire called for in the Bully's materials list, I had to make a substitution in the form of lead solder. This worked, but gave different results than what was wanted.

Fortunately, about the same time, I found a similar pattern called the "Humbug." By combining the best features of the Bully Spider and the Humbug, I ended up with a hybrid design that I like. Eventually, I will follow the Bully Spider instructions to the letter. But for now, I gained the skill needed to allow me to move to the next pattern in my line up: The Wooly Bugger

Terry Wilson says in the book that this fly has only been around since the 70's, but has become so popular that it is rightly considered a classic today. The Wilsons tie it in two colors, Olive and White (the latter being a bit heavier and called "the Wooly Worm"). So, I've been collecting the materials needed to get started.

Along with the needed "staples," I am getting a couple pair of hackle pliers. These tools have not been needed until now, but they are coming up for the Wolly Bugger. Aside from haitr stackers, these are the only tools I lack in the standard kit.

Wooly Bugger, here I come!

Wooly Buggers are great! You can tie them in any size you want. In any color/color combination that you want. As simple or as complex as you want. Put dumbell eyes on, rubber legs, just a thread head or a bead/cone head, heck tie them on a lead jig head! They can be tied to mimic a minnow, crayfish, shrimp, or even dragon fly nymphs. They have caught all kinds of fish- all over the world. They are a very versiltle patern!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxtjgFNnVPw  I am not a fly tier but I sure would like to give the black ant a try as it is now my favorite fly for catching  Red Breasted Sunfish in small rivers.

I tie one that works pretty well on white bass in lakes with a good shad population.  It has brass cone up front and about 5-7 wraps of lead wire. White maraboo tail with a thin layer of grey maraboo on top but do not tim the grey maraboo off. Grizzly hackle, copper wire and white chenille.  Wrap the chenille up to the cone and tie off. Twist the grey maraboo into a loose rope and lay along the top, tie off at the cone.  Palmer the grizzly hackle and tie off at the cone. Counter wrap the copper wire and tie off at the cone. Whip finish and go fishing!  I usually fish this in muddier still water lakes and have found that the copper or gold colors work much better that silver in these lakes.  My 8 year old son loves to fish this fly when the whites are hitting!

Kenneth do you have a picture of your fly. Thanks for the instruction a picture at least for me helps to understand the instruction better I'm a little slow like that. Good stuff and thanks for sharing.

John, black ant resembled pretty much 80% of the crawling and flying insects, just in a dark shade. It's a powerful fly to have in your arsenal. Let us boys know if you want a few to play with, based on sizes and hooks, to match your toothy friends over there in the water. I need to get my tying practice time in again, since wife wants to hit the water hard during winter time for trout.

Hey Leo ,I've really only used the black or the  Red ant on the small river RBS .It works a charm and I would like to get more in the 10 and 8 hook size for the sized fish I catch in small rivers .I agree, it is powerful for at least the RBS .You catch Trout on them ? I imagine they would be a great summer fly for Trout but summer is a tough time around here to catch trout . However, spring and fall ,when they're stocked, I will have to try the black AND red Ants for Trout ! Hey ,if you tie me some black ants I can compensate with feathers from pet 'Jesse', the African Grey. His dropped feathers have found their way into jigs I've tied and they catch fish. He drops Red tail feathers and Grey wing feathers .

John, will do. A few on 10 and few on 8. Any particular hook types you want (regular/circle/sickle)?

We've used the black ants along the slow flow streams during late falls, targeting under the shady area, and during moderate flows in winter near the rocks and fallen woods. This is where flood and drowning victims occur, and the rainbow/browns love to hunt in school for the victims.

Wow how cool of you to offer this . I want to release the RBS without tearing their lips but I'd be keeping and eating the trout so I would love various combos of  hook styles and use the circles on the RBS I guess and the regulars on the Trout .

Understood. Will start the tying process on Wednesday, a rare day off.

Save some for yourself now ,they are necessary to have ! Very nice of you pal!

Ive read that when all else fails, and the trout ( at least) wont take your "hatch matching" - go with an ant fly. As Leo, says they are found along all BOW's and often "accidentally" get into the water. The fish are always on the lookout for an easy meal, of course.

Some people speculate that fish especially like them for their "acid" taste, the result of the formic acid they are known to exude. The same is also said of bees. The thinking is that the fish like this extra "zing" in their food; kinda like how we put hot sauce on ours.

I dont know of any studies that support this, however.

Another near universal fly is the "Black Gnat." Ants and gnats, while looking nothing like any ONE thing, mimic a whole host of insect foods that fish like. Its been said that by adding the "McGinty/Improved McGinty" pattern to these two, you would have the Perfect Trio of dry flies.

Great analytical approach David. I wish Bob Lusk and Bruce Condello can share more of their knowledge of fisher biological data when it comes to dietary consumption and adaptation. However, I'll share mine what I've learned from theoretical discussion, and inconclusive studies:

You got the easy meals down pack. You also got the acid down. But it's not the taste that they're going after. The biological makeup of any species is to adapt, or die. Little do we know, but we as human also consume like every other species out there. We purposely ingest and digest, then assimilate different level of toxins/poisons to adjust to variety of consumable food sources. Too much concentration of a single source can mean death. Adjustment to micro doses will allow the tolerance in larger quantity later. Thus, insects of all calibers readily for consumption.

It was noted that a tagged rainbow or brown trout had eaten one or two beetles/ants/spider in 5% of the total daily consumption weight, while the remaining gut load was of the familiar aquatic insects, even though the areas were known for constant sudden flooding that create an abundant source of drown land based insects.

So, it's no longer is about available food sources vs opportunistic feeding. It's now focused on food sources vs adaptive strategies.

You got it! Interesting thing about vitamins is that I do the same for my kids. I give them kids multivitamins every other day (based on overall activity level), and at the end of the week, as we have lots of activities, I shock their systems with an adult multivitamins. This boosts their appetites to increase caloric intakes, fulfill their nutritional needs, and maintain their systematic functions at above optimal range.

Human, animal, or aquatic species, we're all in that adaptation mode.

Kids as science experiment - I love it!

I did the same thing. I still do it to myself.

I am in no way sponsoring these guys… BUT… The deal is incredible.
For those of you that tie your own flies, Jigs etc, You have to check these guys out. Rip Lips Fishing.
I use Tungsten Bead heads a lot especially for tying Chironomids, amongst other things.
For your comparison: 
Cabela's 20 Bead heads (depending on size) around $8 plus shipping… 100 of the Exact same bead heads $18 plus $3 shipping… No brainer… Just wanted to share, hope I haven't broken any protocols… but take it from a tier… this is a great deal...

Got me a new foam bug cutter today. This is my effort at Don's Foam cutter bug. Thanks Don for the instructions. I ties some in Chartreuse. I used a small sparkle chenille for the under side.

Thanks to Don's instructions I now have some small #10 streamers. 

You done some nice bugs there Bill.

Bill-- your doing a good job on them!!  keep it up!!

I cut out some white bodies and colored them. Added some Denyo's Laser Dub for the underbody and a little red hackle. I seem to be obsessed with ants. I'm going to give them a try Monday.

Nice ant Bill. Them are the best kind they don't get in your picnic basket and catch fish.

I took Don Schmotzer"s cartridge foam cutter idea and made one for Oval shapes. If you didn't know, Don uses empty shell cartridges to cut foam circles. I took one cartridge and after sharpening it, mashed into a oval shape. Like a little water bug. Don, has made me a better fly tier. McSccruff, I'll check out that web site.

yes they make nice cutters