FG, Yup those English Red Grouse make beautiful hackles. One of my favorites to tie with, along with woodcock, Golden Plover and Starling, yes, Starling. We have Grouse here that come into the yard to eat our fermented miniature crab apples. Watching them trying to fly away is a riot. Steve's site c...

I sent our friend, Variant, a set of three Grouse and Grouse. He saved two and fished one. Caught two redside trout on it. It will work. Nice to have a report when my rivers are closed.

Dana, Check jewelry makers tools. My wife picked up a couple sets of fine smooth jawed pliers from a friend who makes jewelry. These may work for you. https://www.gesswein.com/p-10958-valuel ... -nose.aspx

Ray, Excellent SBS as always. Wonderful descriptions and excellent photography. I noticed today, on a FB streamer forum, that some guys are using teflon tape to form tapered underbodies on streamers and to form an underbody over lead or lead free wire. I may be raiding the plumbing tool box for that...

What Carl said, Norm. Each and every one beautifully dressed. I am especially fond of the peacock bodied flies, simply because I think trout love peacock bodies.

Norm, I've been a fan of your tying since the FAOL days. I'm really enjoying seeing your flies again.

I have several dyed starling skins, as well as a bleached skin. The feathers are no more fragile than a standard skin. I bought them from a guy who does small batch dying at a fly expo in Washington years ago. I looked on the packages for his info, but there was none. Sorry.

I really like fox squirrel dubbing. Not only is it really spikey, but you can do so much with it, or to it. A fav for sure. We have about 3 inches of fine dry powder snow on top of 2 inches of slush. Supposed to get down to 14 tonight and all the way up to 27 tomorrow. Thankfully the plows and sand ...

Hank, you crack me up, my friend. I just envisioned row after row of snowflakes, little helmets, packs and rifles, slogging their way to Dana's.

I used to hate bead anything flies. One day fishing a PMD flymph on the Lochsa River of Idaho, I was doing pretty well, pulling some nice Cutthroat up from a fairly deep hole. I was quite content until I watched a guy just downstream a bit just slaying them. Fish after fish fell for his fly. I walke...