Visitors from Pennsylvania

[JohnScott]

How about some Bunyan Bugs.



From Fairfield PA.



These were tied by Jimmy Ternent ( BB member "J" ) and just received in today's mail.

WOW !! Now that I've seen them, not sure I will be able to bring myself to fish them next summer during our salmonfly hatch on the South Fork and Henry's Fork ?? Well, maybe one of them, but one will definitely end up as a permanent display at my fly tying desk.

Thanks much, Jimmy.

[MR.JML]

I head up to Montana this next Summer, I'm going to tie up a bunch and fish them just for the fun of it !!!!!

[Panfisha]

I LOVE those! What are they made of?

[JohnScott]

I LOVE those! What are they made of?

I'm hoping J will get the PM I sent him and jump in on this thread with some comments on how he makes them. It involves a balsa wood body, I think, and horse mane for the wings, and a rather involved process for creating the color scheme on the body, which, as I recall, is not painted on.

John

P.S. If anyone has a way of directly contacting Jim, please ask him to check out this thread and help out.

[flybop]

Very nice bugs! I have thought about tying some modern Bunyan Bugs myself to try during the salmon fly emergence this summer on the Yellowstone.

A few years ago I was given an old fly box by a friend who?s grandfather lived in Missoula. The box is crammed of some very interesting old flies. Then, when I opened one compartment there were, to my amazement, about ten old, Bunyan Bugs. Here are a few pics of them. These flies will not be fished.

Also, if you are intersted in learning more about the history of this fly, check out this site, http://www.bunyanbug.com/

[J]

Hi John, Sorry it took me so long to reply but I moved recently and am computer-less at the moment. Glad you like the Bunyan Bugs.

The bodies are made of cork and the wings are of horse mane. Hook is mustad 9672, #6. Bodies are painted with acrylic craft paint and given 3 coats of clear shellac and 1 coat of clear vinyl cement. The designs on the top and bottom of the body are not painted on. It is a decal. The designs were hand drawn in pencil on paper and colored with a fine tip marker. Next, using a printer the designs are printed onto Waterslide Decal Paper then cut out with scissors and then applied to the body with shellac. Also natural white silk thread (which is not visible in the pics) is wrapped around the body from the rear to the front. The thread is used to close the slit made at the front of the body where the wings are mounted. There is ofcourse a little more to it but you guys get the idea.

It took me sometime to figure out how to make them and to find out what materials were originally used. Bunyan Bugs are pretty much dead for the most part these days. After more than a year of searching for Bunyan Bug info and talking to several original Bunyan Bug collectors/owners I have come to realize that Bunyan Bugs never made to far from Montana. It is my feeling that only a few tyers understand and know how to make Bunyan Bugs. They are definately a cork bug of the past. The only other Bunyan Bug maker I know of other than myself at this time is Richard Rose. Rose is Norman Means Grandson. Means is the originator of the Bunyan Bug. I am sure there are a few others out there but only a handful at best.

I also should give credit to rstrouts (Richard Strauss) as he has also done a lot of homework on Bunyan Bugs. He is also the only one who has actually fished my Bunyan Bug Salmonflies during a Salmonfly hatch. For the record he caught quite a few nice sized trout on them so they do actually work.

John, go ahead and fish them when the Salmonflies come around next season. That is what they are for. I will make you another for display if you like. I like to make the Salmonflies but do not have much fishing use for them being that I live on the east coast. I have given all I have made away to you Westerners.

flybop, nice originals. I also have a couple but do not know much about the pics/computer thing so I cannot post them.

Thanks everyone for the kind comments. Much appreciated.

Jim