Flies tied in Nova Scotia

[JeffHamm]

Hi UB,

Ahhh, I see the problem with the blow fly now. What about this, start with John's Spider Spider (a FOTW I submitted last year). Make the abdoment a bit smaller and shape it to suit, add some hackle tip wings comming about from the top of the thorax tied so they lay flat and at an angle to the body like a fighter jet's wings (looking down), and for the eyes, add a cross piece of heavy mono and melt the ends (like damsel fly eyes). Add some green or blue sparkle dubbing to the abdomen, and perhaps that would work?

- Jeff

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[JeffHamm]

Hi Red Diamond,

Thanks. If you know anyone who ties, tie with them and they can give you tips. Join a local club if there is one and take some lessons from some of the members. I learned an awful lot when I did that. Also, read the tutorials here (Al's stuff is great), read Eric's "Just old flies" column, and check out youtube for clips of people tying flies and giving out tips. Most important, enjoy what you are doing and don't try to fix everything at once rather concentrate on improving one aspect of your tying at a time (i.e. must remember to leave more room at the head, etc).

- Jeff

[JeffHamm]

Thanks Cholcomb13 and Beaver.

Beaver, the feathers are goose quills, which are a bit thicker than duck. They marry quite nicely too. If you make sure you pick two left feathers (and two right feathers), then it's just a matter of lining the tips up and zipping the strips together. The feathers have a curl to them, making it nigh on impossible to marry a left and right slip together (they curl the opposite way, so they pull against each other and separate). If the feathers are good ones, they will zip together right to the tips, which makes them look like one feather because they now are.

When I first started playing with marrying wings I was using really poor quality feathers and it was a real nightmare to try and get them to marry. But, get some good ones, and it's really not hard at all. It's finicky because you're working with small bits of feather, but it's not hard. There are some really good articles on this site about building married wings. Reading those can get you a long way there.

- Jeff

[Beaver]

Thanks Jeff, keep up the good work!!!

[jmeyerc]

Very interesting thread guy's, thanks. Have been unwell so this is the first post for a wee while. Jeff, the threads sound good! Is there any GSP amoungst them? If so, have you used them and how do they compare with the uni etc? As for the colours, well, it has my mouth watering, my mind racing and my fingers twitching to just think about them.

Jeanne

[JeffHamm]

Hi Jeanne,

Sorry to hear you're unwell. Hopefully you'll be feeling tip top soon. All the threads are Uni thread and floss. It's hard to find all the colours that Uni comes in back in NZ. But, it was getting better just before I left.

- Jeff

[Loopy]

Jeff

i like your flies from Nova Scotia almost Scottish I would say or at least that way.

[JeffHamm]

Thanks Loopy.

I've been reading Donald's site a lot and that's greatly influenced my tying style. A lot of the patterns here are a blend of the UK flies and those from the north east US (plus some home grown patterns too).

- Jeff