Ever have one of those days?

spiny norman · Post by **spiny norman** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 2:37 pm

When your fingers just wont do what your mind tells em to do? For the life of me I was compleatly unable to tie a pheasant tail nymph last night.

Understand I've tied dozens of em before and been tying in general for 16 years. After the third try I just threw in the towel, grabbed a beer, worked on a few fly lines and then slunk off to watch TV.

Ron Mc · Post by **Ron Mc** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 6:18 pm

always by the second cigar, bro.

Jimbo Roberts · Post by **Jimbo Roberts** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 6:28 pm

That's all the time for me. It takes me about 15-20 minutes to tie a Prince nymph, or a Dave's Red Squirrel and you'd think they would look better having invested all that time. I try not to dwell on their appearance too much as they will most likely end up on the bottom of the river or in some tree tantalizingly out of the range of my grasp. Jimbo aka Charlie Blockhead Brown.

John M. White · Post by **John M. White** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 9:25 pm

I'm glad to hear y'all say it takes that much time. I don't know if it is just the patterns I tend to tie, but it takes me about 20 minutes to do a copperjohn, or rubberleg epoxy flashback pheasant tail, PMX, or Royal Wulf. Although I can tie RS2's and midges pretty quick

Ha ha. I used to get frustrated, because I would read about professional tyers tying these flies in a couple of minutes, and wonder how it was humanly possible. But I know that I like to take my time, neatness matters, and I also try to throw in some extra steps and ties that make the fly durable. So I am learning now, several years into it, that I enjoy the experience a lot more if I just don't go to that "production mode".

Ron Mc · Post by **Ron Mc** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 11:49 pm

I was on the San Juan with a couple of our more colorful alumni from around here.
By Coleman lantern-light, they were cranking out a size 24 midge every 3 minutes. I just kept pouring the scotch and held out my midge box...

John M. White · Post by **John M. White** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 9:01 am

nice....

spiny norman · Post by **spiny norman** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 10:48 am

Ron Mc wrote:I was on the San Juan with a couple of our more colorful alumni from around here.
By Coleman lantern-light, they were cranking out a size 24 midge every 3 minutes. I just kept pouring the scotch and held out my midge box...

Brilliant off stream strategy!

Jimbo Roberts · Post by **Jimbo Roberts** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 10:57 am

What do you drink Ron?.......Hint.....Hint.....Jimbo

spiny norman · Post by **spiny norman** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 3:33 pm

Well, me thinks I figured it out. It has been so long since I did any real tying of trout flies, that my feathers have dried out. At first I thought I was cinching the thread down too tight etc but the truth is that these fibers are just plain brittle.

Anyone know if I can rehydrate em or am I just going to have to chuck it and buy some new materials?

spiny norman · Post by **spiny norman** » Sat Jan 20, 2007 5:55 pm

spiny norman wrote:Well, me thinks I figured it out. It has been so long since I did any real tying of trout flies, that my feathers have dried out. At first I thought I was cinching the thread down too tight etc but the truth is that these fibers are just plain brittle.

Anyone know if I can rehydrate em or am I just going to have to chuck it and buy some new materials?

[edit]

After some experimentation, I have figured out that I can put em over a steaming kettle and get that suppleness back. Now I guess I have to shower with my tying materials as well as my fly rods.......

Ron Mc · Post by **Ron Mc** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 5:05 pm

Ardberg, cask strength.