O'Neill's Fly Fishing
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Store
  • Presentations
  • Instruction
  • Schedule and Events
  • Local River Conditions
  • Blog
  • Media

Winter Tying Project, Installment #1 

11/16/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
I was in the my local Cabelas shop the other day. I was poking around the fly fishing section and aside from the usual lines, leaders, and fly tying materials a new product caught my eye. Unless you have been living under a rock for the past six or 8 months you must have seen the phenomenon that is sweeping the fly fishing industry. (that last sentence got your attention didn't it)? Now, having worked in the outdoor sales industry off and on for the past 3 decades I have come to be aware of the "latest and greatest" Often times these products touted as the greatest thing since sliced bread wind up on the discount rack before they fade off into obscurity. 

The product I am speaking of are the new Tacky Fly Boxes www.tackyflyfishing.com. These boxes are taking the industry by storm, and for good reason. These boxes have all of the features a fly fisherman is looking for in a premium fly box. Best of all they don't carry a premium price tag. As I looked at the box I got an idea. I have been wanting to add a "winter" box to my arsenal for a while now. I was looking for a small box I could fill with smaller Nymph patterns we typically use during the winter months.  

Picture
Measuring 5" X 3" X 1/2" the Tacky Day Pack The perfect size for a project like this. Here are some features of this box.

 Small, light, sleek, compact
Clear lid for visible access to flies
New bi-directional slit design holds up to 180 flies
Latch-less magnetic closure system 
Long lasting durability
Extremely durable poly-carbonate box
Double sided lanyard hook system
New hinge stop

The next time you are in your local fly shop give these boxes a look, you will be glad you did. 

The first pattern I decided to fill my new Tacky box with is the Al's Rat. The Rat is a great pattern I have been using for several years now. Here is the recipe...
​
Al's Rat
Hook: TMC 3761 #18
Abdomen: UTC Watery Olive or Brown Olive tying thread. 
Thorax: Senyo's laser dub, color to match

​
Picture
Picture
 Each color will get a full row as I go through quite a few of these each winter. 

The second fly I tied for my winter box is a micro Pheasant Tail. I truly believe you can't have too many Pheasant Tails. My standard Nymph box is stuffed full of PT's in sizes from 12 to 16 and colors ranging from black to tan. My PFN is a version of a Pheasant Tail with a hot orange thorax I have been doing well since I designed the pattern. (For a step by step of the PFN click here). For the winter box I used the same base design as the PFN only I left the black wing case off. This fly is tied on a #18 hook. When tying smaller flies some things just are not necessary to make an effective pattern. Here is the recipe for my micro hot spot PT...

Hook: TMC 2499SP-BL
Bead: Copper Tungsten
Tail: Coq De Leon light
Abdomen: Spirit River UV PT
Rib: Copper Brassie wire
Thorax: Senyo's Laser Dub; orange
Picture
Picture
These also will get a full row as many of these will be donated to the riverbed this winter. 

Stay tuned in the coming weeks as I fill this box with some of my favorite winter patterns. Some are old classics, some are newer designs, all have proven themselves. In the meantime check out some of the great products from Tacky Fly Fishing. To visit their website here.  If you are a Facebook type of person check out their page here and give them a "like" while you are there. You will be glad you did. Till next time...

                                                                                                                  Tight lines

If you are interested in any custom fly orders please use the links at the bottom of this page to contact me. 
0 Comments

PFN Step by Step

12/17/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
It has been a couple of weeks since my last post. Both myself and my computer caught a virus and we were both down for a while. Well, we are back up and running and I thought I would share a step by step of one of my Nymph patterns, the PFN. The idea of Pheasant Tail Nymphs with a "hot" thorax is by no means a new concept. Although the color combo of this fly happens to be the same combination of my favorite hockey team, The Philadelphia Flyers (PFN = Philadelphia Flyers Nymph) the choice of colors goes much deeper than that. Everybody has their favorite color for trout. Read any Charlie Meck book and you will quickly realize Mr Meck is quite fond of blue. Well, I feel the same way about orange. Trout seem to key in on orange and that is why I chose Senyo's laser dub in orange for the thorax of this fly. The black wing case was chosen to make the wing case "pop" against the thorax and to simulate the darkening of the nymphs wing case prior to it emerging. At home on a wild river and deadly on stocked fish (especially Rainbows) this nymph is sure to become a go to. 


Hook; TMC 5262 #14
Bead; 1/8 inch gold Brass or Tungsten 
Thread; Brown flat waxed 140 denure
Tail; Medium Speckled Coq de Leon
Wire; Brassie Uni Wire, Hot Orange
Abdomen; Natural Pheasant Tail
Thorax; Senyo's Laser Dub, Orange
Wing Case; Black Scud Back or Thin Skin

Picture
Bead the hook and place the hook in the vise. 
Picture
Tough to see here, but select a small clump of Coq de Leon fibers and tie in the tail as long as the hook shank. 
Picture
Tie in a length of Uni Wire on the near side of the hook shank. The reason I tie it on the near side is when you counter wrap the wire the first wrap will be pulling up on the bottom of the hook shank. This way you can pull the wire tight and not worry about moving the tails with the tension of the wire. 
Picture
Tie in a clump of natural Pheasant tail and wrap forward. be sure to cover at least 2/3 of the hook shank. Taper the abdomen small to large as you move up the hook. 
Picture
Counter wrap the wire forward through the abdomen. 
Picture
Tie in the Scud back for the wing case. You can substitute Thin Skin or Ploy Yarn for this step. Be sure the wing case is centered on top of the hook and is tied back far enough to create a smooth transition from the abdomen to the thorax. 
Picture
Dub a "buggy" thorax with Orange Senyo's Laser Dub 
Picture
Fold the wing case forward, tie off and clip the excess. See how the Black "pops" against the Orange. 
Picture
This is something I have started doing recently. I dubbed a little Brown Hares Ear Plus to take up the  space between the top of the thorax and the bead. I really don't think this has anything to do with how the fly fishes, I just think it looks better. 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Next time you are at the bench tie a few of these up. Better yet, take your "confidence color" and incorporate it into your favorite Nymph pattern. You may just come up with the new "hot" fly! 


                                                                                                                          Tight Lines...
0 Comments

    Archives

    May 2017
    March 2017
    July 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014

    Categories

    All
    Al's Rat
    American Shad
    Articulated Flies
    Articulated Green Weenie
    Attractor Nymph
    Beastmaster General
    Blane Chocklett
    Bluefish
    Boogle Bug
    Brandywine River
    Brookie
    Brook Trout Fishing
    Brown Trout
    Cabelas
    Cabelas Captains Weekend
    Camp Honey Creek
    CDC Puff
    Central Pennsylvania
    Christiana Cabelas
    Cinnamon Toast
    ClakaCraft
    Clawdad
    Clouser Swimming Nymph
    Cortland 444 Classic
    Crittermite
    C Spey
    Dame Juliana League
    Deer Creek
    Delco Manning Trout Unlimited
    Delco Manning TU
    DHALO
    DHALO Rule Changes
    Dohiku #302
    Dohiku Hooks
    Double Spey
    Dry And Dropper
    DT-4-F
    Dynamic Nymphing
    Eastern Trophy Fly Fishing
    Eric Stroup
    Face Time Fly Fishing
    Fishpond Nomad Net
    Fly Color Beads
    Flymen Fishing Company
    Fly Tying Classes
    Fly Tying World Record
    Fractured Weenie
    Frostbite Midge
    Game Changer
    George Daniel
    George Harvey
    G Loomis NRX
    G Loomis Roaring River GLX
    GoPro
    Gorge View Lodge
    Green Weenie
    Griffiths Gnat
    Gunpowder
    Gunpowder State Park
    Hareline Dubbin
    Hero 4
    Hickory Shad
    Hot Thorax Pheasant Tail
    Indicator Nymphing
    Irish Cross
    Irish Flies Shad School
    Jake Villwock
    Jon Strand
    Juniata River
    KF Flasher
    Lamson ARX
    Lance Egan
    Lefty Kreh
    Light Spey For Local Waters
    Limestone Waters
    Little J
    Loon Outdoors
    Loon Rigging Foam's
    Masked Avanger
    Matt Zudweg
    Maxima Ultragreen
    Micro Clouser
    Midge Magic
    Mike Schultz
    Modern Midges
    New Zealand Strike Indicator
    Norvise
    Nymph Fishing 101
    Nymph Head Beads
    Nymphing
    O'Neill"s Fly Fishing
    O'Neill's Irish Flies
    O"Neill's Irish Flies
    Outcast Fat Cat
    Outcast Fishcat IR 10
    Outcast Fishcat IR-10
    Penns Creek
    Pennsylvania Fish And Boat Commission
    Performance Flies
    PFN
    Pheasant Tail Nymph
    Philadelphia Flyers Nymph
    Rainbow Warrior
    Rakes Dock Lights Special
    Ray Neirle
    Redington Butterstik
    Rehoboth Beach
    Rio Powerflex
    Rite Bobbin
    Ross Momentum 5
    Schultz Outfitters
    Senyo's A.I.
    Senyo's Laser Dub
    Shad Dart
    Shad Fishing
    Simms
    Simms Waypoints Sling Pack
    Smallmouth Bass
    Smith Creek
    South Jersey Chapter Of Trout Unlimited
    South Jersey Coastal Fly Anglers
    Spey Cast
    Sprout Midge
    Steelhead
    Steelhead Alley Outfitters
    Stimulator
    Striper
    Sussex County Fly Fishermen
    Synthetic Quill Body Wrap
    Tacky Day Pack
    Tacky Fly Fishing
    T-Bone
    TCO
    TCO Flyshop
    TCO Reading
    TFO Esox
    The Harvey Leader
    Troy Pennsylvania
    Umpqua Indicator Tippet
    Umpqua Overlook 500 Chest Pack
    Valley Creek
    Valley Forge State Park
    Water Works / Lamson
    White Clay Creek
    White Clay Fly Fishers
    White Wulff
    You Tube
    Zebra Midge

Services

Fly Tying Lessons
Casting Instruction
On The Water Workshops

    SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER

Subscribe

Contact Me
About
Affiliations

© COPYRIGHT 2016. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Store
  • Presentations
  • Instruction
  • Schedule and Events
  • Local River Conditions
  • Blog
  • Media