Tongue-tied and twisted...

[tie2fish]

Stunning, CB. The first of the two new ones looks especially lethal.

[CreationBear]

Ha...thanks guys. As I said, Hans is really the master of the "twist" --I was just looking for a crutch to make up for my mundane fine motor skills. I've got one more experiment involving split Pearsall's in mind, but alas, all my efforts to use gamebird hackle resulted in a lot of razored flies last night.

Vicki--the last fly is just Pearsall's Primrose wrapped over the working thread of cinnamon Griffith's, mostly because I was too lazy to switch spools and bobbins. Since most of our sulphurs have an orange tint, though, I'm going to claim it was a stroke of genius.

[willowhead]

And you'd be right too C.B. Not to mention, if there's anthing on this planet that is extremely lazy by nature.....it's a Trout, and aint nuffin' wrong wiff it.

[CreationBear]

Thought I'd throw in another "twist" in case it sparks some combinations you could put to your own use (though no doubt you won't be using #6 Grip 14723's like I am here. )

In this case, the abdomen is about five pheasant tail fibers spun with a loop of orange floss, much like Jim S. does with his March Brown. Toward the head of the fly, I've twisted a hen feather with about three strands of peacock herl the way Hans does in many of his patterns.

As for what this critter my represent, your guess is as good as mine...

[William Anderson]

CB, these patterns have definitely inspired me to move toward some more complex compositions. I would have shied away from so many fibers for a body, but you've managed these masterfully. I am really enjoying the way these bodies explode into a wildly active thorax/wing/leg assembly, whatever it's mistaken for.

[hankaye]

CB, Howdy;

DINNER !

hank

[CreationBear]

Well, I'm running out of things to spin in loops--the cat's run away and the dog is looking nervous --but this one might actually be practical:

Basically the thorax is a hen feather twisted around a "hair/hare" hackle spun in a dubbing loop, the idea being that the snowshoe hare will add a little float if you want to fish in the film.

Then of course I tried "tying at" an October Caddis and wound up with a salmon fly (or at least half of one... )



What I learned on both of these flies is that two dubbing loops--one for the feather, one for the dubbing--that are spun first individually, then spun together and wrapped, give the optimal ratio of hackle to dubbing in the thorax. It sounds a little fiddle-ly, but it's really a pretty intuitive.

[kanutripr]

Huh that's an interesting idea.

That last one is going to make an awesome steelhead fly.



Vicki

[willowhead]

C.B. this is phenominal stuff............frickin' remarkable tyin'...........ingenius ideas, and killer results. You REALLY should get this in one of the rags.....ah mags. If you don't, somebody else will. But.....thass up to you. DUH! Great work.

[letumgo]

Jon - The peacock sword fibers are striking, against the dubbed body. Fantastic fly!