Got Flatwings?

[Young Salt]

Also called 'What i did during the winter doldrums'.
all are from or inspired from A perfect fish...

[Fly Rod]

Excellent group of flies!!!!!

What kind and what size hooks are they????

And is "A perfect fish" Is that a fly tying book????

[Young Salt]

All are Eagle Claw 253 NA. most are 1/0, some bigger, some smaller.
A perfect fish is a tying book that deals with just flatwings. Shows you how to tye small shrimp/sand eels to huge herring/pogie/squid flies.

[Fly Rod]

Do you have an author's name ???
Or publisher ???

I'll try to order it from a book store!!!!

Thank You!!!!

['ol pajamas]

That's a good beginning. Have you looked around Stripermoon.com for different approaches to tying collars and flaring bucktail?

[Young Salt]

Fly Rod, The book is written by Ken Abrams, you can order it off the stripermoon site.


PJ's I've tried the bodi bump method steelhead showed me (The top two squid flies have it) making a bump just before you cut off the braid.
Still want to try the reverse tying way.

['ol pajamas]

The tail of flatwings is the hallmark of this fly type because it moves seductively in the current. However, some patterns need to have a full (while being sparse) collar but to capture a fish's fusiform as well as to push water.

I like your eel punt. These are amazingly productive flies. I have come to tie many types of streamers based on the eel punt and really building up the palmered body. I will simultaneously palmer three very long and webby saddles for a fuller body to push water. Building up a large base around the shank helps make the palmered body become bigger.

[Fly Rod]

Thanks for the info fellas

[saltydog]

YOUNG SALT, VERY NICE ! so when do I get to try them out ,

I noticed some SPLITS in the JUNGLE COCK, put some head cement on the feather so it WOUNT SPLIT on you,
GOOD LUCK GOOD TYIN,

[steelhead]

Hey, Young Salt, You been busy!!!! You've got the idea of the sparseness in your flies. A cuoiple suggestions. Think about the shape of the fish you're imitating and apply the bucktail collar accordingly. Think of the constructing the collar in three parts, the bottom, sides and top. Bottom shortest, sides, medium and top longest. Doesn't have to be much, about 1/2" to 1" total between bottom and top. Only use the longest and finest hair form the bucktail. This means separating the hairs. If you have A Perfect Fish, It's described in there where tying the Ray's Fly pattern is discussed. Use the bump or reverse tie for fuller profile fish. Regular body for slimmer fish. Ol' Pajamas is right about the eel punts. They are great flies drifted in the current. If you can persuade your Dad, there's a great fly fishing event out on the Cape the weekend of May 15 & 16. I'll be tying there and some great fishing gping on. PM or email me and I can tell you more about it.

[Young Salt]

Yes, some of the jungle cocks could be better. I 'm using a C grade patch to begin with. at first, i was using the fly tying wax i had was doing nothing, then Joe Cordeiro got me some of the gerkies (sp?) wax, and that works much better. Now I wax any amhearst or golden phesant feathers too.
I'll try the cement way, but how do you get them to dry without them sticking to anything?

Steelhead, yes some collars could be better, sometimes i tye in the bottom too long and dont have long enough bucktails to get the right length for the top

Need to find some super-long mutant bucktails

['ol pajamas]

The collar proportions will come with experience considering you keep aiming for the proper proportions. Like John said, separate hair before hand. This may not be for everyone but I find tying a lot of steelhead flies and some salmon flies helps build a sense of proportion. Also tying drys and nymph and streamers. The more experience that can be gained from tying with natuarl materials will help make big flatwings look as tight as a Black Ghost or a Royal Coachman.

Stick with C grade. They accomplish what is wanted. Splits are fine unless you are making show flies.

[saltydog]

YOUNGSALT, YES it only takes a second , let them dry, c-grade is all you need, I have guys that use the good stuff an give me the dammaged one, an I just glue 'em, hard-as-nails, head cement, they all work, do the backside, an leave the fronts natural, an if you wish do the fronts also will protect the feahther even more. GOOD LUCK GOOD TYIN

[Young Salt]

But where do you place the feathers while they're still drying?

[steelhead]

On your nails..... :-)

[saltydog]

YOUNGSALT, I have a 4x6 piece of glass I use to mix epoxy on, an paint them on that, buy the time I do one feather, an go to the next, that one is DRY, maby it 's the (Super Fast Nail Coat) ive been using, $1.00 a bottle. it's GREAT stuff
GOOD LUCK GOOD TYIN