New member intro

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Fishnkilts
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Joined: Wed Jan 22, 2020 9:40 pm
Location: Colorado

New member intro

Post by Fishnkilts » Wed Jan 22, 2020 10:52 pm

Hello all. I didn't know where to post an introduction, so I decided this is good as any I suppose.

I found out about this forum just today, and for a few years I have wondered if there was a wet fly forum because specific forum like this don't usually last long. But from what I see, there are members here from around the world, which I find is fantastic.

A little about myself; I grew up here in Colorado, and have been fishing pretty much since I was five years old. I didn't start out with a fly rod, but was soon introduced to one when my grandfather thought I was old enough. It was him who got me into this fine mess, and I never regretted it.

My grandparents came to America from the Highlands of Scotland, and were soon followed by my parents from Dingwall Scotland. Some unfortunate things happened while I was young and it was my grandparents who raised me. And that's where the story begins.
My grandfather fished the traditional ways of W.C. Stewart and T.E. Pritt and a few others. He only fished with wets and dry flies with a bamboo rod. Any other type was uncivilized and an abomination in his eyes. He taught me the ways he fished and so I grew up doing it the same way holding to the traditional ways, but with more modern equipment. I did venture out and fished other ways of using conventional rods for a long period of time, but there was always something missing in the feeling of it all. It wasn't too long before I figured it out and came back into fly fishing, but mostly fishing dries. That has changed now since coming back to wet flies.

Just recently I have rediscovered wet flies and have been in some wonderful discussions with friends in Ireland and Scotland about wet fly fishing. They have sent me boxes that contain some very beautifully tied wets from soft hackled to Clyde style flies. For the last two years I have been focusing more on wets and find myself falling in love with this wonderful old style of fishing. I have been trying to learn more about wet flies a little at a time and you can just imagine my excitement when I learned about this forum. So here I am, ready to learn more and ask repeated questions I'm sure you all have answered more than a hundred times. I promise I'll be gentle with you all, :mrgreen: .

I enjoy tying flies, and I'm sure I'll be able to pick up some new patterns from this forum. I think this is going to be a fun and educational place to be, and I thank you for allowing me to be a part of it.
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letumgo
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Re: New member intro

Post by letumgo » Thu Jan 23, 2020 6:41 am

Welcome aboard. Pull up a chair and join in the conversations. Look around the various sections of the forum. Lots of great information about wet flies from very knowledgeable folks from all over the world.

We also periodically do fly swaps, and newbies are welcome to join. No pressure. Just letting you know you would be welcome to participate, if you had interest.

Thank you for the introduction. Nice to meet you (virtually).
Ray (letumgo)----<°))))))><
http://www.flytyingforum.com/index.php? ... er=letumgo

"The world is perfect. Appreciate the details." - Dean
DUBBN
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Re: New member intro

Post by DUBBN » Thu Jan 23, 2020 6:53 am

Welcome. Where in Colorado are you located, and what rivers are you fishing.

I am located in Grand Junction. I fish year round on the Colorado, Gunnison , Roaring Fork, Fryingpan, Uncompahgre, White, and Taylor.

I look forward to hearing some of your opinions on fising wets here in Colorado.
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redietz
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Re: New member intro

Post by redietz » Thu Jan 23, 2020 6:56 am

Welcome! I know that several people have just found out about this forum recently, and I was hoping a few would join.
Bob
flyfud1
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Re: New member intro

Post by flyfud1 » Thu Jan 23, 2020 11:15 am

Welcome! You will enjoy being part of this group.

If you live on the front range, come out to the West Denver Fly Tying Clinic at Jeffco Fairgrounds (6th and Indiana) on February 8th (10am - 3pm) and introduce yourself.

I'll be there along with at least one other individual tying spiders and soft hackles.

Charlie Vestal
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SenecaLaker
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Re: New member intro

Post by SenecaLaker » Thu Jan 23, 2020 12:22 pm

Welcome aboard Fishnkilts. You found a great group here. Enjoy.

Dave
Fishnkilts
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Location: Colorado

Re: New member intro

Post by Fishnkilts » Thu Jan 23, 2020 9:35 pm

flyfud1 wrote: Thu Jan 23, 2020 11:15 am Welcome! You will enjoy being part of this group.

If you live on the front range, come out to the West Denver Fly Tying Clinic at Jeffco Fairgrounds (6th and Indiana) on February 8th (10am - 3pm) and introduce yourself.

I'll be there along with at least one other individual tying spiders and soft hackles.

Charlie Vestal
DUBBN wrote: Thu Jan 23, 2020 6:53 am Welcome. Where in Colorado are you located, and what rivers are you fishing.

I am located in Grand Junction. I fish year round on the Colorado, Gunnison , Roaring Fork, Fryingpan, Uncompahgre, White, and Taylor.

I look forward to hearing some of your opinions on fising wets here in Colorado.
Thank you all for a very warm welcome. I'm sure I'll like it here just fine.

Flyfud1 & Dubbn, to answer your question, I live just outside of Longmont, so yes, the Front Range.
Thank you Flyfud1 for your invitation, it sounds like a grand time. I'll see if I can make it. In fact, I will be at a fly tying expo here in Longmont at the American Legion Post, 315 S. Bowen St. on the 1st of Feb. The gentleman who is putting it on works at the Laughing Grizzly Fly Shop in Longmont, and he asked me if I wanted to tie at the show, but I declined the offer because I don't consider myself a very knowledgeable tyer. He said I'm better than I give myself credit for. Besides, he said there will be like 35 tyers this year, more than any of the previous years. But I will be there to watch and learn.

Dubbn, I also fish the White when I visit Meeker, about twice a year if I'm lucky. I mostly fish the Cache La Poudre, but there's so many creeks and smaller rivers in this area I have trouble picking where I want to fish at times. I have found myself starting to fish the creeks more and more because of the solitude it gives, and the easier wading at times. And they can be just a hoot to fish most days. I really enjoy fishing the Colorado head waters in the RMNP.

The first wet fly I used when I got back into them two years ago was the Black Pennell. I casted the fly above some rocks and let it drift down into a pocket. I quickly had a 18 inch brown taking my fly upstream. It hit so hard I couldn't believe it. Last year I was using a Black & Peacock, and hooked into a 5lb rainbow on a stretch of private water belonging to a church member. What a rush that was because I was up above the fish looking down, and I could see the fly floating down and this big rainbow came out and took it. I gave it just a second before I set the hook and it took me what seemed forever to get it in.

Needless to say, I am really appreciating this wet fly thing. I'm actually having a cane rod made for the Poudre River based on the Dickerson 8014. But there will be six inches of added length making it an 8614. I can't wait to get it on the water.
DUBBN
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Re: New member intro

Post by DUBBN » Thu Jan 23, 2020 10:09 pm

Fishnkilts, if it was Dick Shinton you talked to, at Laughing Grizzly, he knows his stuff. The other guys at the shop are sell proclaimed wonder guides. The type that will remind you every 45 seconds that they guide. They are dimwitted too. I like the Laughing Grizzly but their selection of soft hackle is poor.

Welcome to the board. I am sure you will find plenty of Front Rangers to show you the ropes!
flyfud1
Posts: 78
Joined: Wed May 27, 2015 8:22 pm
Location: Lakewood, CO

Re: New member intro

Post by flyfud1 » Thu Jan 23, 2020 11:48 pm

Jim Anderson lives in Longmont and is a member of this forum. He'll probably be at the tying gig.

Charlie
Fishnkilts
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Re: New member intro

Post by Fishnkilts » Fri Jan 24, 2020 10:22 am

DUBBN wrote: Thu Jan 23, 2020 10:09 pm Fishnkilts, if it was Dick Shinton you talked to, at Laughing Grizzly, he knows his stuff. The other guys at the shop are sell proclaimed wonder guides. The type that will remind you every 45 seconds that they guide. They are dimwitted too. I like the Laughing Grizzly but their selection of soft hackle is poor.

Welcome to the board. I am sure you will find plenty of Front Rangers to show you the ropes!
It was Dick. He has been putting on the fly tying expo for as long as I know. He is a really neat person and a generous man too. We have exchanged flies a few times over the counter. I agree, it's not he best shop around, and they seem to be low on all sorts of hackle, so I visit other places in Boulder & Loveland and usually find what I'm looking for. Between the four shops I visit, someone has what I need. I went to High School with the owner of Laughing Grizz., Mike. Nice guy, but not a business man.
flyfud1 wrote: Thu Jan 23, 2020 11:48 pm Jim Anderson lives in Longmont and is a member of this forum. He'll probably be at the tying gig.

Charlie
Thanks Charlie. I don't know Jim Anderson, so I'll see if I can locate him at the expo. I may do the actual tying part next year at the expo. I have what I call the Rocky Mountain Six Pack, which is just a small assortment of flies that have caught me fish in every river I have fished in CO. I have sent small boxes to friends in the UK, Ireland and Germany. I'm now working on a box for a gentleman in Cornwall. And of course I have sent my 6 Pack to people here in the States as well. So far, no complaints from anyone. So I must be doing something right.
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