#22 Blue Winged Olive

[Allan]

... The flies on Hans' site don't compare to what Bing could do even though some are tied by some excellent tiers.....

Byron,

Okay, I will try to respond to the latter part of your comment (in the quote above) in a way that will not get me banned from this site.
You are certainly permitted to have your opinion and now that you've stated it, I am permitted to give mine. With all due respect to Bing Lempke, whose flies were fantastic and to a degree revolutionary, your comment says it all about your fly tying knowledge and the amount of credence your opinion(s) deserve. Nuff said.

Allan

P.S. I was wrong. I should not have written "Nuff Said" because I do have more to say about your comment which insults and demeans the tyers whose flies appear on Hans' page. The page has 71 flies tyed by about 70 tyers from (I believe) Europe, Canada and the US. That I only recognize about 15 names is my lack of exposure to all the great tyers who submitted their flies. While you state, reluctantly it appears, that there are some excellent tyers among the list, you make an uncalled for and insulting comment based on what? A half dozen flies you saw in a vial and perhaps some information you heard about Mr. Lempke.
Additionally, you cite a tool that Mr. Lempke 'invented' for tying extended bodies. I'm not sure that's entirely true since I saw similar tools in older references that could easily be altered slightly to do the same thing. A thread holder in a renown (1930s) book comes to mind as does the 'gallows tool'. There's a tyer on this site who came up with a similar tool and I'm not sure he ever saw the one you describe. A fly tying friend of mine who's a machinist by trade came up with a vise extension specifically to hold the upright wing of a parachute fly and the tail of extended bodied flies. He's never heard of Mr. Lempke or seen such a devise. Just something these guys came up with because they had a need and are inventive. Take a look at the 1963 (earliest one I have) Herter's Catalog. You'll see a couple of tying tools that with only a slight alteration can be used for the same purpose as the one Mr. Lempke used.
Okay, now I can say, 'Nuff Said', and I won't go on.