I'm not sure what a jewelers draw plate is but I can imagine. Here in Northern California Mullberry trees are common, some even have delicious fruit on them. But think I'll leave the messy process to someone else!

I know of one person actually raising silk worms to make gut. http://feathersmc.com/product/twisted-silk-gut/ I bought some twisted gut from John last year along with a number of other materials. I had no idea he was making his own. It's a messy business if you make it Spanish style. The article yo...

The Japanese gut in long lengths was manufactured. Natural gut can only reach lengths of 18" at the most. Natural gut leaders therefore require a lot of knots. From Dr. Herd's :http://www.flyfishinghistory.com/ "By the end of the nineteenth century, natural or "undrawn" gut had ...

I would think hook wire diameter or a bit less. Thanks for the links, the article about the history of gut is very interesting, but it's left me wondering how they make drawn gut, or silk, in such long lengths? My cards of Japanese gut are 30 ft. I'm going to test some for diameter and strength. Ba...

Skues considered Cutcliffe's fly tying instructions to be among the clearest in the literature. https://archive.org/stream/artoftroutfishin00cutcrich#page/72/mode/2up Thanks for the reference . I've downloaded it and will read it later, but at first glance it doesn't answer my question of a suitabl...

I've tied salmon flies in these past using blind eyed hooks but never trout flies. Now that I have a few hooks, thank you Robert, I'm going to tie some for our little Brook and River Trout Tiers ( there is still time to join in the fun). The smallest gut that I have is 5lb test, I've not measured th...

Glass is basically melted silicon, which is a naturally occurring element, so I guess you are technically accurate. I'm assuming the thread is silk. :twisted: 8-) . Being serious now, that bead probably looks more like an egg sac in the water than just about anything I can recall seeing before. Ver...

Here's my version of a Diving Caddis using all natural materials The seed. Bead is mounted on gut with Veniards head cement.

I've actually ordered some hooks from Richard thanks. I would have them in a few days.
Barry

I like to tie a nice looking fly, but fishing with a good chance is more important to me. I am keen to try try blind eye hooks just for fun. I am busy tying some dries at the moment, but as soon as I get some decent hooks for flymph's and soft hackle's I'm going to tie a bunch Happy New Year to ever...