Wingnut Posted September 2, 2011 Report Share Posted September 2, 2011 Just thought I'd pop these pictures on of one of my hobbies. I don't do fly fishing, it's too much like hard work nowadays. I do it more as an art form. One of the best people I ever watched fly dressing was almost totally blind. It was funny to see him with his eyes half an inch away from his vice as he turned and spun the silk, but he was a perfectionist and used to compete regularly in the tyeing competitions at a national level. The middle fly , (Invicta) takes seven different materials to complete if I remember correctly. But once you have mastered this one, you can tye anything. An hour or so is spent in the shed making frames And the end result makes a nice christmas pressy. In fact I might wrap this one up and send it to meself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted September 2, 2011 Report Share Posted September 2, 2011 So did he make these or are they your creations? My only question is why are the hooks black because I would have thought the fish might be attracted to something shiny? Caught a nice trout once with no bait while just checking I'd got enough lead shot on the line for the float. Took me right by surprise when the float looked like it had a brick tied to it. It was the quickest fish I ever caught and clearly it was attracted to the glistening new hook. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted September 2, 2011 Report Share Posted September 2, 2011 Know a bloke that I used to work?? with called Billy Wainwright who was into making flies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingnut Posted September 2, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2011 All me own work Bill. Sometimes a shiny hook works, but I think the trend today is to go for camoflaged hooks. The Black Peacock Spider has a tinsel rib cage to add a bit of flash, I think you can just about see a bit of it near the head in the photo. Black and Red were allways the best colours for catching with. They are called killing colours. I think most other colours and patterns are there to catch the angler. The best fly I ever used was something that resembled a pinch of scrumpled up wool, it had caught that many trout. I have no idea why the trout fancied it so much as it didn't imitate or look like anything. Not to me anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted September 4, 2011 Report Share Posted September 4, 2011 Nice flies Wingy Sort of takes me back to my childhood days and even beyond into my very late teens. Mmmm... the sight of a skinned squirrel pegged out on a wooden board on the washing line still gives me the jitters:shock: Ok so dad swore blind it was already dead when he found it and mum said not to be so squeamish as she skinned it and staked out to dry in the sun for it's fur.... for dad's flies It looked like it had doen a Rambo swing down out of the trees but had not got the angle quite right and SPLAT Kept dad quiet for months though and I remember many more wonderful and beautifully artistic lures being made. I tried a few times myself but it was harder than it looked. Rather nice if they were not sucessful though as it meant no trout from Appleton res. for tea HURRAH !! Do people still fish there these days ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted September 4, 2011 Report Share Posted September 4, 2011 Yes they do. I thought you walked your mutt round there occasionally? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Posted September 4, 2011 Report Share Posted September 4, 2011 Beautiful - I haven't made a fly like that for at least 10 yrs. Haven't really been fishing for that long as well. If I come over will you take me fishing?? :mrgreen: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Sid Posted September 5, 2011 Report Share Posted September 5, 2011 get your coat lad you've pulled :mrgreen: Suppose it makes a chamge from "etchings" As for tying flies I have no chance. The little rotters keep flying away before I can get a bit of cotton near em. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingnut Posted September 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 5, 2011 They still fish the res Dizzy, but only for coarse fish. They stopped stocking trout years ago, as the gypo's were beating everybody else to them. Great idea Mary. Me and all the other lads could do with somebody to clean our mess up after us. And while yer at it, a bit of home cooking wouldn't go amiss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victor Posted September 6, 2011 Report Share Posted September 6, 2011 I used to tie flies when I fished Appleton reservoir in the late 70's/early 80's. I must have made thousands from tiny little nymphs to flashy lures. I collected feather, wool, dog hair, tinsel, in fact anything that could be made into an imitation fly. It became an obsession rather than a hobby. It was very satisfying to catch a trout on a home made fly. Peter, I fished with a chap named Billy Wainwright. He lived off Chester Road, by the swing bridge. His favourite method was to cast a large lure as far as he could then strip it back in at incredible speed. We nicknamed him "The Stripper" and he had this name on the back of his fishing jacket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted September 6, 2011 Report Share Posted September 6, 2011 Victor, that's the guy. Saw him the other day,(3 wks ago) now working for a funeral company. Left Solvay some years back.Mind you, he'd probably talk the fish to sleep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Posted September 7, 2011 Report Share Posted September 7, 2011 I will make a deal - the one that catches the least does the cleaning up and cooking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingnut Posted September 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 8, 2011 I don't think that's a fair offer Mary. Seeing that it is a wench, Georgina Ballantyne who holds the British record caught salmon from the Tay, and has never been bettered since 1922. Something in wench's genes I think, That puts us blokes at an unfair disadvantge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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