[Mike Barrio]

Hi Sandy

Cool step by step, I see what you mean about half closing your eyes

Best wishes
Mike

[Iain Goolager]

Nice SBS Sandy 

If you half close your eyes its really effective

I find if you totally close your eyes it's even better. 

I think if you with this months competition then Mike'll have a pound or two to shell out on shipping costs.

Iain

[Sandy Nelson]

Nice SBS Sandy 
I find if you totally close your eyes it's even better. 

Very good Iain.
You will notice that it says "just for fun" I figured i was owe you all one from November, plus i have been pretty bored since i got back from Perth.
Its monsoon season here and rather wet, and no fishing is worthwhile, kinda like having a closed season. So i'm tying flies And fixing things around the house
I'm not supposed too, but it's the only way things get done at a pace that keeps Sandra happy What else can you do

Cheers

Sandy

[Iain Goolager]

You will notice that it says "just for fun"

Yer I did Sandy - I just like the sound of my own typing

Anyway, I'll let you get back to your hoovering    I take it they do have carpets over there? 

Iain

[Sandy Nelson]

No carpets, all tiles

Back to flies
I've played with some smaller versions that might be more suitable for back home



Using size 1 hooks and 5/16ths eyes, use a few less fibres too , just trim the wings to the desired shape and length.

We have a Roach or salmon parr, tied as per the Ghost but using Slate EP fibers



Then a Trout or minnow, same again but a mixing some yellow slinky into the white and using Everglades 3D EP fibers



Then if you add some markings with a waterproof pen, in this case purple (or black,dark olive), you can turn it into a trout parr or perch



Despite being a Size 1 these are light enough to throw on lightweight trout gear (probably even a 3) and they will sink pretty quick as there is no bulk to hold air.
I reckon they could be a very handy addition to the river box. Streamers without the weight, but will still sink (could be cast with just the dryfly rod, just in case )
Not sure if they may need a small weed guard at the front for the river
Other colours would be easy to do, i just thought these helped to illustrate some possibilities

Sandy

Additional. I have done a couple of head shots to show you the profile to try and achieve.





This info was lacking from the intial post

[Iain Goolager]

Now you're talking,
will give these a try when I get home later tonight, will have to see if I've suitable hooks for wee river lures patterns.

Iain

[Matt Henderson]

those are really nice sandy.   

[Sandy Nelson]

Cheers matt

It took a lot of failed attempts to get them right
I just couldn't see the problem until one of the Aussies on a forum told me to take the material i thought i needed and use a third of it.
EYE opener or what . In retrospect its just what i've done for years with trout flies (sometimes to extremes ) So it figures that it should work for all styles.
Might be an interesting experiment for salmon flies too

Now i've my thinking cap on for January

Sandy

[Barry Robertson]

Nice flies Sandy   

[Paul Rankine]

Hi Sandy,
              I think if you saw the amount of angst (!) this weather is causing us ..
We had -5 in Ellon last night , about 4 inches of snow and we can't get fishing.

My eldest is in Milwaukee and he has three feet of snow , -17 C daytime , as he says we don't know the half of of it.

I (like everyone)  is thinking , heh, nice beach , nae snaw , God I wish I was there.!

I guess the grass is always greener .

I do envy your access to the saltwater fishing though !

I think it was a guy in Rhode Island who taught me how to tie striper flies who said a similar thing about reducing the wing material to about the diameter of a pencil and then use it for three flies , that was on 3/0,s.

I,ve scanned some of my little fry lures , not SBS , and dunno how they will look on site  , sorry Mike .
Might be best to "save as " and blow them up on an image editor .

All the best for the New Year .



PS: The scanner seems to have made them look a lot more solid and not as transparent as they really are. No flash either.

[Iain Goolager]

Hey Paul,

Nice collection of flies there!

Iain

[Barry Robertson]

Nice ties there Paul and i am sure they would work well for rainbows if fished as fry patterns
Thanks for sharing anyway  

[Sandy Nelson]

Nice flies Paul

What size are they? Interesting colour combo's too. Lots of things to try 

The pencil thing sounds about right, if i put all the material for 3x size 3/0 Ghosts together and rolled it up it would be about the thickness of a pencil.
Hard to gauge at first but once you get it , its really cool

Sandy

[Mike Barrio]

Hi folks
Firstly, I'd like to thank everybody once again for some great December "step by steps" ....... Excellent stuff

I have chosen a winner from the December entries, a fly that will surely get folk experimenting at the vice  

The winner for December is ......... Sandy "spiderman" for his Ghost flies  

I've started a new thread for the January entries and I'm really looking forward to seeing what everybody comes up with!  

Thanks once again
Best wishes
Mike

PS: Well done Sandy! Please drop me a PM when you get a chance and let me know which prize you would like to choose and if you're paying the postage to Brunei!

[Iain Goolager]

Well Done Sandy! 

You'll be able to tell your Aussie forum mates that you've just won 1st place in a major Uk fly tying competition.

Iain

[Paul Rankine]

Hi Sandy,
              Thanks for that.

Congrats on winning the comp.

The hooks are size 10 Partridge Big Mouth Nymph hooks. The large gape of the hook gives a prominent
" keel "and allows the flies to swim nicely. I tie them from 4/0 down to size 14 (but I would,nt use them at that wire gauge for SW  ). Plenty other alternatives for that.

Barry,
        Yes , they are very good on rainbows (and for large brownies too particularly in the smaller sizes and with an eye on resident baitfish re colour combinations) . Mixing up some flash , holo fusion , angel hair ,flashabou etc, etc, in the wing makes some very attractive wee flies. I also tie them in up in size 12 BM doubles for sea trout with silver bodies, black wing with blue crystal flash through, very simple but effective.

Sandy, you are obviously identifying and imitating local prey species ,( re transparency - ghost flies etc,) . Have you tried any bendback patterns yet ?

All the Best for the Noo year.

Paul.

[Sandy Nelson]

Cool I have not won a flytying thing for years
too much fun on the other side of the desk, so to speak.

Thanks Mike

Paul I have yet to try the bendback style, but it's coming
 

sandy

[Barry Robertson]

Congrats Sandy for a great SBS, well done 

[Irvine Ross]

Sandy

Congratulations

Excellent tying and great photography as usual.

Cheers
Irvine

[Sandy Nelson]

Thanks guys

Its keeping me sane

Must say though Irvine, i think the best photos so far are the ones you did for November.
What did you use?

Sandy

[Iain Goolager]

 ???
Eh? ...........a camera
 

[Irvine Ross]

Ian's right  it was a camera.

A Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ4. It was mounted on a tripod to keep it steady. I got it for the X10 zoom lens for outdoor shots. The current model is the TZ6.

Hang on to your sanity. At least you're not shovelling snow every morning before you can get out.

Irvine

[Matt Henderson]

Congratulations Sandy.  Now I need to work out what I'm going to try for this month. 

[Jim Eddie]

Irvines Camera reasonably priced on flea-bay

http://photography.shop.ebay.co.uk/Digital-Cameras-/31388/i.html?_nkw=Panasonic+Lumix+DMC-TZ4&_catref=1&_fln=1&_trksid=p3286.c0.m282

 

Jim