Thanks for the comments, Sean, and I actually live in Pennsylvania. The shirt I am wearing in this video is from a great shop in Maine, so good eyes! Congrats on tying so small already; that's very impressive. This version is a variant; normally, the pattern has a floss body, hackle wings, and jungle cock for the eyes. I like this variation bc of the speed to tie it, plus the marabou movement in the water. Good luck tying, Sean...
Hey Tim, I noticed you have a Maine sweatshirt on. Do you live in Maine or just a visitor? I am from Massachusetts but have lived in Maine nearly thirty years and believe it or not am just learning to fly fish. I started tying in February and I love it. I am already tying on 22 hooks but I was a watch repair man so I am used to tiny. I liked the ghost, but I am sure something is missing from this pattern. Just not sure what. I guess to tie under two minutes it has to be a variant right? Sean
Thanks, Pierre; I really enjoy fishing this pattern, and am glad to know it works in Canada, too. I believe I fished it @ the Grand River in Ontario, and had success. Tim
I went to a fabric store and found embroidery floss on sale, 3 for a $1.00 It's DMC Floss is a 6 stranded divisible floss that is colorfast and fade resistant, ensuring that your handmade projects will look great for generations to come. MORE DETAILS * 100% cotton * Double mercerized for added sheen * 100% colorfast keeping colors consistent for years * Skein Length: 8m (8.7yd) So this is what I found. I used it on a fly but have not fished it. I'm sure as a nymph it would be fine. What do you think. Certainly a good price but I don't know enough to comment about the down side of cotton. Also I would think you don't have to use all 6 strands.. Your thoughts?
Thanks for the information, and I think that would work perfectly on a nymph or streamer. For a dry fly, I would use one or two strands, with my major concern being that it may absorb a lot of water and sink the fly. With fewer strands, that's less likely to occur. Thanks for checking, and let me know how they fish! Tim
Gail Culp Sure, Gail; the general type and size is listed in the first few seconds of the video. In more detail, I prefer a 3xl curved nymph hook, in sizes 6 - 12. In the video, it's a size 10, and I believe the hook is a N201 from Allen Fly Fishing. TC
Good fly, and I get a lot of value from watching your videos. Thanks. :) One thing, though, in regards to calling this a 2 minute tie... I move right along, and tie part time commercially pumping out 5 to 20 dozen/week, and look for efficiencies. Last week I tied up 110 of these exact pattern, following this excellent recipe on the same size 10 hook, and after keeping track and doing the math I averaged 4.6 minutes each. I can't fathom someone putting a bare hook in a vise and properly tying one of these in anything close to 2 minutes. It's 40 seconds just getting the leadfree wire in position and covered with wraps of thread. Not trying to be "one of those guys", but... :)
+Chris Miller Ha ha, no problem, Chris, and the wire is definitely the longest part of this (and one occasionally omitted). Don't worry about being "one of those guys," as I've never timed myself tying this one (nor most). In short, it's a faster pattern in the world of fly tying. I can tell you that when I'm moving, these do come off the vise quickly, as I have all of my materials prepared accordingly ahead of time. This includes the tail/throat sections stripped, marabou in clumps, and two long pieces of body and ribbing. With all of that said, I appreciate the comment, and glad you find value in the videos...and this fly specifically is one I turn to often. Thanks again. TC
When you get outside the world of fly tying, different manufacturers may call similar products different names, thus keep that in mind. Your best bet is to talk to someone in a fabric store and gather their thoughts. If you do, please let me know the results! Thanks, and I hope all is well! Tim
That's a great question, and I typically keep my in an airtight container or fly box. The key is to allow the wings to sit upright. Before fishing each season, it's also smart to boil some water and let the steam go over those styles of wings...it will insert new life in them! Good luck. Tim
