Four Ties

[JeffHamm]

Hi,

Haven't had much time at the vice lately, so a bit rusty, but got a few tied recently. From top to bottom we have a Dark Betty, Hammlim Minnow, Copper Dorothy, and an unnamed pukeko style fly.

The first I usually tie with royal blue floss for the body, but this one uses "Doc. Blue" thread. This is a variant of a fly Betty Hiner introduced to me (a light blue and snipe, which I call a Betty Blue). The 2nd is one of my more productive ties, though I usually leave off the fancy bits (tag, butt, and topping; it's in the FOTW archives somewhere). The Copper Dorothy is a matuka style streamer. Basically, any matuka style tied with grizzle for the wings and hackle is called a "Dorothy", and the body colour completes the name (hence Copper Dorothy because the body is copper mylar; Green Dorothy is probably the most popular, though Silver Dorothy has her fans she often plays second fiddle to a Grey Ghost - here in NZ that refers to a silver bodied matuka fly, with grey streamers and hackle, not the American version). The bottom one is just a basic pattern, tied flat wing style, using pukeko breast feathers (the blue ones) for the wing. These typically have a thickish body (in this case some pinkish/white mix of dubbing material), sometimes a short tag for a tail (red wool yarn, pulled apart), and a throat or full collar hackle. Probably taken for a water beetle of some sort.

Anyway, we're off to Rotorua soon for a bit of a holiday, so I thought I should get a few flies ready. I've done well there with the HammLim and the Copper Dorothy in the past, so hopefully I can say that again!

- Jeff

[Ed_D]

Now I've go the Ozark Mountain Daredevils song "Jackie Blue" running through my head with the words "Betty Blue" substituted.
You have something to answer for, Mr. Hamm.



Regards,
Ed

[JeffHamm]

Hmmm, seems Karma caught up with me then! Just back from our Rotorua trip. Didn't get so much as a look the whole time there. The fishing has been pretty hard these days (so I was told anyway), but I've never seen it so fishless. I've gone without often enough, but when I'm not seeing the locals catch many (I think I only saw 1 fish actually caught, and 3 others after the fact, but for 3 days in the area, that's slim pickings). There were lots of spawning rainbows in the Ngongataha stream, which is good to see, and I spooked a number of fish from the pools (must remind myself again, do not try and fish that river top down, always fish it up stream - fish can see you a mile away if you try and fish it down stream).

Oh, and not only that, I forgot to try the flies I specifically tied for this trip! Go figure.

- Jeff

[Ed_D]

Jeff, I'm very sorry to read that your "Karma had a flat". I hope that you have a magnificent outing the next time. I hope by then I'm not still playing "Betty Blue" in my head.


Regards,
Ed

[Jax]

Hi Jeff; I wonder if someone has been feeding the fish Super Glue. Lips stuck together would make it hard for them eat your delicious flies. Have Fun.

[JeffHamm]

Thanks for the sympathy, but I had fun all the same. I enjoy getting out on the water. I like catching, don't get me wrong, and given that the fish in this area are pretty much all stocked (though left to roam free for a few years), there's no guilt in having smoked trout for tea! But, if it was as simple as just showing up, well, I would probably get bored after a bit. I tend to change flies if I'm catching a lot, just to see what else works rather than trying to catch as many as possible. Hmmm, last time I was down there, and the fishing was tough, I did get one on a cosseboom (an atlantic salmon fly, which I tie on size 10 2x hooks). I should have tried one of those. Just remembered that now; I knew I would solve it eventually - a shame I can't prove it would have worked, but trust me, a big one just got away!

- Jeff