Bodkin Cleaner
Bodkin Cleaner
When tying, I use my bodkin to pick out dubbing fibers, trapped hackle fibers, poke holes in things, and add head cement to whip finishes. As a result, it gets gunky and needs to be cleaned.
242021 BRANSON FLY FISHING EXPO
Michael Lack Tying
The Branson Fly Fishing Expo was held this last weekend. It was canceled last year because of COVD. Unfortunately because of the COVID Delta variant attendance was down. There were few vendors, slightly more fly tyers, and an occasional visitor. However, I had a great time. I was able to tie a lot of flies and give them away. I was also able to visit every vendor and tier. As usual, I never fail to learn something. I got to see several old friends and make new ones. Isn’t that what the show is really about. I’ll be there next year!
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Stewart’s Black Spider
Stewart’s Black Spider
Stewart’s Black Spider first described it in his 1857 book The Practical Angler; or, The art of trout fishing, more particularly applied to clear water. It is as effective today as it was in 1857.
16Tom Loving’s Gerbubble Bug
Tom Lovig designed the Gerbubble Bug in the early 1900s to fish for bass on the Chesapeake Bay. It is a very effective fly but did not become popular until the May 1971 issue of Fly Fisherman popularized it with the history and tying instructions.
It’s not difficult to tie, but forming the head is time-consuming. Modern woodworking tools and a few jigs can make the process much easier.
19Hooks
Smallmouth
Boundary Waters, MN
When I started tying flies in the 70s, I thought I could save money. I was wrong. Over the next 60 years, I have spent thousands of dollars on materials to tie flies. It would have been much cheaper to have purchased every fly I use in that period. Of course, I would have missed all the fun of tying the flies. I learned a lot, and I do think my flies last longer than the store-bought flies.
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Sparkle Pupa
In my last post, I described the Veiled Caddis as an alternative to the Sparkle Pupa. When tying the Sparkle Pupa, the Antron fibers were either too thin or ballooned out too much. However, searching the internet, I found an easy way to get perfect results.
18Veiled Caddis
Veiled Caddis
In 1981 Gary Lafontaine published a seminal work entitled Caddisflies. This book is based upon observations made while scuba diving. In it, he describes the life cycle of the caddisflies and how they behave in the water. LaFontaine goes on to develop various patterns and discusses how to fish them.
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Gurgle Pop
Gurgle Pop
The Gurgle Pop is a variation on the Gartside Gurgler. It is easy to tie, and I have caught many bream and bass on this fly.
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BWO Failed Emerger
BWO Failed Emerger
Blue Winged Olives, BWO, are mayflies that hatch all over the world and provide some of the most prolific hatches in flyfishing. Baetis, BWO, will hatch year-round giving BWO dry flies a place in your box anytime you’re on the water.
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Scud Pattern
Scud
The coldest I ever got in July occurred several years ago. We were floating the Little Red River when a thunderstorm came up. We got wet, and the temperature fell.
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