Ray, the first thing i did with this fly, is paint the hook. They eye didn't go on until after the second (most foward) bead, and everything to the rear of that, had gone on. And it got painted as soon as i got it on there. With heads and eyes.....i usually try to do things (the coloring), in opposites. Like, (a simple example), if i have a blue and red head, where the head has one or the other color more predominate on one side or the other, i'll do the eye the opposite way. Or if i have 4 colors in the head, i may only use three of those four, in the eye......just always switchin' things up......jugglin' things. Commin' up with opposites, and juxtapositions. Anything to keep a piece of art from being boring or mundane or ordinary or predictable or average or commonplace.
These hooks i get from Alex Hayes, ( a kid in Michigan.....i think he's bout 17 or 18.....?), are the only ones i've ever painted. The gut i usually use when i tye on a hook this large (diameter), is antigue Violin string or Ukelele string gut. Generally, Salmon fly tyers who tye on blind eye hooks, try to match the diameter of the gut they use, to the diameter of the hook shank they are tying on......that's a pretty logical way of lookin' at design basically. The word continuity comes to mind.
As all your fans know.....you got a good eye.
One more thing.........as far as the whole color (and elsewise) concept goes.......it's all about the bead(s)........
Here's how i see it..........
i'm the hook.....the foundation of it all.
The bead is life, in your face, every day.....are you gettin' outta bed or what?
And all the rest of the dressing, is how you deal with that.......simple.
Live from the Comfort Inn, room 101 , 401 E. 58th AV. Denver, Colorado.
