Welcome to the Castaway Fly Tying Club.  The club meets every Thursday night at 7:00p.m. from the first week of January until the time would be better spent on the water in the spring.  Each week there will be two flies selected to tie.  These flies will be posted every Monday, along with their recipe so that club members can prepare for Thursday's meeting. Also, for anyone visiting the site to tie along or just to see what's going on the vise from week to week.  Go to the fly selection link for information on purchasing any of the flies posted here.

What's going on the vise? Apr.10,2008

This is the week I always spend tying tandem streamers for catching BIG browns on Lake Ontario.  I have been trying, for the past 6 years, to tie streamers that would be effective trolling the shallows for ice out browns.

I started with traditional trout flies tied large and...nothing. Then I tried traditional salmon flies tied large and...nothing.  Last year I tied modern day salt water flies tied with glue on eyes, a ton of synthetic material and even larger and....Success! This year I'm going to try to incorporate some feather and fur back into them to establish which way to go in the future and get some pictures of some final versions.

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What's going on the vise? Apr. 3, 2008

This week is parachute week. The Para Adams, like the catskill style Adams is a very versatile fly.  For some reason this fly will catch trout during most mayfly hatches, and spinner falls, particularly Hendrickson's and Isonychia. When I first started fly fishing, I couldn't afford to match every hatch.  My good friend Tim Ziegler, told me " all you need are Adams in different sizes". He was right!  I caught a bunch of fish, during all kinds of hatches. Parachutes sit lower on the water, or in the surface film. The Para Olive is an important variation to have to imitate adults and spinners of BWO's because they ride the current very close to the surface which can be critical to selective fish.

Para Adams

Hook:Mustad 94833 Size #12 & #14

Thread: Black

Tail: Stiff Grizzly and Brown Hackle fibers

Body: Grey Muskrat under fur

Post: White Poly Yarn

Hackle: Grizzly, Parachute style

Para Olive

Hook: Mustad 94833 sizes #14,16,18

Thread: Olive

Tail: Light Dunn

Body: olive antron

Post: light grey poly yarn

Hackle: light dunn, parachute style

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What's going on the vise? Mar 27, 2008

Now that the Top 12 are completed we can start thinking about specific hatches that we can attempt to match. This week we will attempt to tie imitations of the the 1st mayfly that have the trout looking up for there food. The Hendrickson is the 1st real morsel that will bring fish to the surface, a Catskill style dry and a pheasant tail nymph will serve you well during this hatch.

Pheasant Tail nymph

Hook: Mustad 3906b sizes #12,14,16,18

Thread: Brown

Tail: Pheasant Tail fibers

Body: Pheasant tail fibers

Wing case/legs: pheasant tail fibers

Thorax: Peacock herl

Rib: fine gold wire

Bead: optional

Hendrickson

Hook: Mustad size12 - 14

Thread: Brown

Tail: stiff dun hackle fibers

Abdomen: Pinkish tan dubbing

Wing: 1 wood duck flank feather

Hackle: Dun neck hackle

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What's going on the vise? Mar 20, 2008

I received an order from a Middlebury fellow that needed 6 Fox Holes. This made my mind up on which flies we are going to tie this week. The "Fox Hole" is a great salmon, steelhead streamer, particularly in the spring. Marabou is the major material in this fly. The "Clyde River Ghost" is is a feather wing streamer that is particularly good in the fall, as young of the year rainbows begin to venture out from the rocks to forage for larger morsels. They in turn become more available to fish.This pattern is a sufficient offering.

Fox Hole

Hook: any 4X long hook size 4 or 6

Thread:Black

Body: black floss down and back

Rib   : med. silver tinsel

Throat: Yellow buck tail

Under wing: orange buck tail

Over wing: 1 white Marabou

Shoulder: Mallard or teal flank feather

Clyde River Ghost

Hook: any 4X long hook size 4 or 6

Thread:Black

Body: Pink floss

Rib: med. silver tinsel

Throat: red hackle fibers

Under wing: white buck tail

Over wing: 2 light dun saddle hackle tips

Shoulder: Mallard or teal flank feather

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What's going on the vise? Mar 5, 2008

This week we will complete the Top 12 with what could be the most important flies once fish start looking up for there food. The Adams is a very popular fly and for good reason.  This fly can fool fish on just about any mayfly hatch.  Last year, during the Iso hatch I ran out of the pattern that I usually use. The closest fly I had in color and size was an Adams. It worked so well I never went back to the vise to tie more Iso's.  It's also a great option when you have been unable to match the hatch. The VTX-caddis could be the most important fly of all the Top 12. Since I started tying this fly I have easily caught more fish on it than any other single fly. I don't even use regular Elk hair caddis patterns any more unless a change of pace is needed. I have caught fish in every level of the water column and on every type of water. This is a fly you gotta tie.

Adams

Hook:Mustad 94833 Size #12 & #14

Thread: Black

Tail: Stiff Grizzly and Brown Hackle fibers

Body: Grey Muskrat under fur

Wings: Grizzly Hackle Tips

Hackle: Grizzly and Brown

VTX-caddis

Hook: Mustad 94833 sizes #12,14, and 16

Thread: Olive

Shuck: Beige antron rope

Body: Olive antron

Wing: White elk hair

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What's going on the vise? Feb.28 , 2008

Nothing!  GONE SKIING! I'm going to take a break from the vise and enjoy the fresh snow for the next couple days.  We'll be back at it next week, because before we know it, we'll be hitting the water wishing we had tied a few more flies this winter.

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What's going on the vise? Feb.21 ,

2008

This week we will continue to work on getting the "Top Twelve" done with 2 flies that can be used as dries, emerger's and cripples for a variety of insects.

Both patterns us Snow Shoe rabbit fur from there feet as a wing, thus the SS in the begin of there name. The SS olive is the perfect all around pattern for BWO's. The only other BWO pattern that I use is a parachute for still water.

The SS Sulphur is most effective for fishing all sizes of sulphur hatches.  It is also use full during Cahill and Golden Drake hatches.  I've caught fish with this pattern during the Hex hatch.

SS Olive

Hook: Mustad 94833 sizes #14,16,18

Thread: Olive

Tail: olive antron

Body: olive antron

Wing: Snowshoe rabbit foot

SS Sulphur

Hook: Mustad 94833 Size # 12,14,16

Tail: Lemon wood duck flank fibers

Body: sulphur dubbing

Wing: Snowshoe rabbit foot

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What's going on the vise? Feb. 14, 2008

The Fly tying club will not be meeting this week due to some Valentines commitments.  That doesn't mean we take a break from hitting the vise all together. We've tied 10 different flies in two sizes since the new year. Take this time to go back and add quantity to those patterns so you'll have plenty ,when I see you on the water this season, and I've run out.

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What's going on the vise? Feb,7, 2008

Until the water warms and aquatic insects start to become more active, trout feed on bait fish and other invertebrates (leeches and worms). This weeks patterns, Muddler Minnow and Wooly Bugger are great flies to fool fish during these times of limited food. Spinning deer hair for the muddler's head and palmering saddle hackle for the woollies legs will be the 2 skills we will be trying to perfect.

Muddler Minnow

Hook:Mustad 9671 sizes #12 and 8 2x long

Thread: Tan Kevlar

Tail: Turkey tail section

Body: Gold Tinsel

Wing: Turkey tail section

Head: Spun deer hair ( The greyer the better)

Wooly Bugger

Hook: Mustad 9671 sizes #12,10,8

Tail: Black, Olive, Brown or White marabou

Body: Black, Olive, Brown, or White chennile

Hackle: any contrasting color of saddle hackle

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What's going on the vise? Jan. 31, 2008

This week is very important for the club as we will be tying 2 of the most productive flies you can have for fishing the Northeast. There is a certain criteria that a fly has to meet to make it into my top 12 and the Lamoille River Muskrat and the 88 fulfill that criteria constantly and continually.

88

Hook: Mustad 9671 size #12 & 10

Thread: Camel

Abdomen: Fine gold wire, wrapped tight

Thorax: Ball of green floss

Wing: Mallard flank section

Hackle: Grizzly; one size larger than hook size

Lamoille River Muskrat

Hook: Mustad 3906B sizes 14 and 16

Thread: Camel or brown

Tail: Red hackle fibers

Body: Dark brown muskrat underfur

Hackle: Partridge shoulder feather

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What's going on the vise? Jan. 24, 2008

Black stone flies are abundant in Vermont rivers and streams. They are available all year long. The nymphs range in size from just over 1/4 inch up to 2 inches. I tie a pattern that is about an inch long. This is a size that I find to be most abundant and active which makes them most available to fish. The Hare's Ear is is one of the most popular nymphs fished and with good reason.

It imitates most may fly natures.  It is important have a variety of Hare's ears in different sizes and color.

Hare's Ear

Hook: Mustad 3906b

Thread : Black

Tail: Pheasant tail fibers

Abdomen:Fur from a hare's face and ears

Thorax:Fur from a hare's face and ears with extra guard hairs

Rib: fin gold wire

Wing Case: Greyish Black goose section

Black Stone Fly Nymph

Hook: Mustad 79580 Size #8

Thread: Black

Tail: Dark brown goose biot

Rib: Fine gold wire

Ab's/Thorax: Black Dubbing

Wing case: Turkey tail section:

Legs: Black rubber

Head: Black dubbing ball

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What's going on the vise? Jan. 17, 2008

When I pull out material, I hate to put it away. The two fly's will be tying this week will will help me keep the peacock herl on the desk for a couple days.

The Prince and the Picket Finn are two nymph imitations that use a bunch of peacock and are "must have flies" for fishing the North East.

Picket Finn

Hook: Mustad 9671 Size #10 & 12

Thread: Black

Body: Grizzly hackle palmered over peacock herl

Wing: Squirrel tail

Head: Ball of peacock herl, coated entirely with head cement

Prince

Hook: Mustad 9671 sizes 10-14

Thread: Red

Tail: 2 brown goose biot's

Rib: Thin gold wire

Abdomen: Peacock herl

Thorax: Peacock herl over wire weight

Wing: 2 white goose biot's

Hackle: Furnace or rust

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What's going on the vise? Jan. 10, 2008

Winter looks to return this weekend, so ice on lakes and ponds will begin to build and by next weekend we should be able to venture out on the hard water once again. Before the warm up we where hammering perch on Pink And Olive Ice. Sooo that  makes this week good time to include a couple of these patterns at Thursdays meeting. The "Ice" series are all the same fly, just tied with your favorite perch catching color.  The baby crustacean is just my favorite crayfish pattern done small.  While anything with a perch eye will fill a bucket, these patterns can have there day over other baits or lures.  Don't be afraid to castaway the crayfish for trout and bass during the warmer months.

I'd love to tie some for you so contact me if you would like a hand full.

Olive Ice

Hook: Mustad 9672 #10 - 8

Thread: color to match Thorax

Tail: White Marabou and 4 or 5 strands of Crystal Flash

Body: White Marabou

Thorax:  Marabou, the color of your choice

Baby Crustacean

NOTE: this fly is tied from the bend to the eye, so the eye is under the tail.  This is so you can retrieve it the way a natural would swim...backwards.

Hook:  Mustad 9672  #10 - 8

Thread: Brown

Claws: Red Squirrel or Brown calf's tail

Eyes: Monofilament burnt at the ends

Body: Brown Chenille

Shell: Turkey tail section, varnished at the end

Legs:  Brown saddle hackle

Tail: extension of shell trimmed