Help from fly fishermen

[Ron Eagle Elk]

Birdguy,

I've been tying flies for close to 45 years.  I tie at some of the Washington, Oregon and Idaho Fly Fishing Expos.  I've got more material than I will ever use in a life time.  Shoot me a PM and I'll send along some stuff that may prove useful.  If your somewhere close to Yelm (on the west side) I'd be happy to be a tutor to both you and your son.

[boneaddict]

Nice offers fellas.   


Be careful Birdguy, he'll start eyeballing capes on some of your fowl. LOL

[Birdguy]

Thanks to all who have replied and PMs have been sent to those that requested them. There truely are some great folks on this forum  . I asked for a few scraps of information and a little direction and it looks as though the boy will have enough to really get started having fun at this.
   One of his little Buddies was over early this week and they were trying to catch bugs in the yard to start looking them over for colors and size. It was fun to watch.

Bone you are right, I have thrown out more bird feathers over the years as we cleaned pens, I almost feel bad. Now the boy is looking in the pens for that feather (or 500) that he might need  . We are really cutting down on birds, I am getting out of gamebirds except a few chukar (personal use) and my mountain quail, we have impyeans and brown ears, and some chickens. With the kids in spring sports and the Mrs. working part time there is no time for a hobby that is getting that expensive. Now we will spend the time and money fishing  . Atleast fishing will not always feel like "work" like the birds do to the kids  .

[boneaddict]

I could almost quote that last paragraph and just change the names around and throw some soccer or basketball in there.    Interesting enough, thats the hobby that really led me into keeping birds, from chickens to exotics.  I have alwyas loved feathers.    It might make him look at them in a different light now.   

I pulled my website last month.  I guess I am officially done other than some hobby birds I like.   I still have a few, but the numbers are extremely cut.   Most will be just pets until they die of old age.    I'll be taking out a whole row of pens this spring.  Feed is just TOO CRAZY! 

I'll see fi I can come up with some pointers for some nice easy flies for him to feel successful with.

[Hyde]

Start with the Gold Ribbed Hare's Ear.  Learn that one and then move on to others.  I think the classic mistake many make is to try and do dry flies right away.  Nymphs are way easier, and actually will catch you more fish.  The GRHE is a great fly, tie it in different colors, and then work up bead eye variables. 

[erk444]

A good book to get is called "Curtis Creek Manifesto". Its a great starter book and its set up kinda like a comic book so it might be good for a kid his age.

[Birdguy]

An update to the request for info. There are a bunch of fantastic folks on this site as most of us who actually use the site for something other than a dispute forum already know. But just so you all know Mr. Ron Eagle Elk and Button Nubbs came through BIG for my son  . Thank you does not quite fit the feeling nor the excitement he had when he picked up the boxes of goodies you guys sent him at the post office. He had no idea, and to see his name on the boxes man was he happy to get home and open them, it was just like Christmas! Ron the book is amazing and he is actually reading it, it was so cool the other night when he was talking the the Mrs. and I about the names of the tools he needed and when we started looking them up he even remembered what brand name to book recommended (Dr. Slick). He has now tied his first four flies, with a big thank you to Button Nubbs for the vice and more books and material. You guys are AWESOME. I will post pics as soon as we get out to catch a few fish hopefully this fall between pheasant and deer hunting we will get out after a few. Ron the letter you included was an excellent touch and made him fell really special. Thanks again.

[Button Nubbs]

The pleasure is truly mine. I love helping youngsters get hooked on the outdoors. I hope he catches some big fish on those bugs he tied. If he ever wants to get into tying salmon/steelhead stuff let me know, I have probably 3x the amount of stuff I sent you that's all his! good luck and I can't wait to see some pics of his work and fish!

[boneaddict]

THATS AWESOME! 

[Heredoggydoggy]

I took a fly-tying class over 30 years ago, and one of the tricks I loved was how to make Bug Eyes.  You take a short piece of monofilament fishing line, 1/2" or so, clamp it in the middle in a pair of forceps, and using the BOTTOM of a match flame, melt the monofilament down to a round ball on each side of the forceps.  The result is a really cool and durable pair of Bug Eyes with a short section of monofilament between them that can be tied into the head of the fly.  I quit flyfishing years ago when people turned my favorite fly fishing creek into a dump.  Gave all my fly tying stuff to the son of a friend, so I'm no help there.  It's still helping a youngster, so I don't feel too bad. 

[Birdguy]

Well the boy has been hard at it. I kept the first 10 flies for a memento for my desk (besides that it will remind him of how good he was when he started  ). He is really enjoying it and each fly is a little better than the last  . I owe another BIG thanks to Ron Eagle Elk and Button Nubbs for their very generous donations to his latest endeavour. I hope to attach a few pictures of his work if I can. The first picture is of his first flies. The second picture is of his latest flies. The third picture is of him and his work. and the final picture is his chum assortment that he made himself of his own imagination. Can not wait to see him catch something with them. Those pictures to follow in a few weeks hopefully  .

PS Don't mind the date I was messing with the camera 

[boneaddict]

SWEET!

are you guys going after chum?

[Birdguy]

Bone, he is certain we are, so I am guessing in the next couple weeks we will out after them somewhere. We would be going this weekend but I am headed to our place in Okanogan for a few days of bird hunting, coyote scaring (maybe we will hit a few) and REST. We will also be working on the electrical and finishing up the painting hopefully.

Doug one of these days we still need to meet, we can discuss the woes of bird raising, and the wonders at the same time  .

[Heredoggydoggy]

Nice looking flies!  Fly tying is one place where the saying "Less is More" is really true.  I've had fish hammer a fly so bad that all was left was the straggling hackle, and the fish were still hitting it! 

[Gobble Doc]

Awesome!  I still have some of the first flies that I tied.  Definitely less can be more with flies.  My all time favorite for lake fishing is a black marabou leach and when it is sparse it is killer.