Cal Bird's birds nest

Post by **Mickalo** » Mon May 20, 2013 12:17 pm

That video JohnP posted, by Tightline Videos, is one of the best I've found for tying the Bird's Nest, a very nice "Buggy" nymph which works great in our local waters. Along with the Hare's Ear, Possy Bugger, Double Standard and PT nymph patterns are some of my main flies. I like to use various dyed Aussie Possum with maybe some squirrel, rabbit or hare's ear blended with it. I'm gonna try blending like Old Hat mentioned, with some coyote, got a large patch of coyote I haven't used yet. Time to blend up a batch.

Mike

Post by **fflutterffly** » Mon May 20, 2013 6:06 pm

Yesterday morning I was driving to the park to practice my casting when, in the middle of the street was mr. Coyote! I followed him for about two blocks, camera video-ing (yes unsafe) but didn't think to ask for a little fur. If I had only known!!!

Post by **Mataura mayfly** » Mon May 20, 2013 6:26 pm

fflutterffly wrote:thanks for the links. I've checked them all out. What I'm looking for is someone tying the bird's nest the original way. No bead head's, no synthetics. But I think I've got it. This is not a complicated tie, not like a perfectly thread wind on a Peacock and Orange or some other beautiful fly. This is meant to be down and dirty.

Thanks again, the andy burn seemed to explain it the best. I appreciate the help.
A

I'm looking for seal to make my dubbing spiky! I've tried beaver, but it just doesn't look right in the mix. Any suggestions?

What dubbing method are you using? Split thread or dubbing loop either formed on the hook or on a block will give spikier bodies than noodle dubbing. Plenty of guard hairs from either the possum or hare should give plenty of spike, perhaps try stripping some of the softer underfur from your mix? Seal in a split thread is hard to beat for that spiky/translucent mix though.

Post by **fflutterffly** » Mon May 20, 2013 10:08 pm

I've done all three methods. After about 15 flies I have the fly down and will be on the water wednesday working it's magic. Thanks all.

Post by **Hans Weilenmann** » Tue May 21, 2013 5:44 am

Ariel,

I am verifying as we speak, but I may have access to a Cal Bird tied sample to examine and share. Stay tuned... maybe...

Cheers,
Hans W

Post by **fflutterffly** » Tue May 21, 2013 7:05 am

I can't wait to verify my tie against the sample! Great!

Post by **Hans Weilenmann** » Tue May 21, 2013 7:35 am

fflutterffly wrote:I can't wait to verify my tie against the sample! Great!

Here you go, Ariel,

Looking at the samples on the images I received today (the actual flies are not with me) it very much looks like the lemon woodduck barbs were tied in 360 degrees, not two bunches, one either side. This would make this a legit wingless wet

Cheers,
Hans W

DUBBN · Post by **DUBBN** » Tue May 21, 2013 7:42 am

I wonder if Cal would have made the heads on those patterns smaller had he been exposed to the Internet.

I have been meaning to ask the forum, in any ones opinion, do wet patterns perform better with the large heads?

Post by **redietz** » Tue May 21, 2013 7:56 am

DUBBN wrote:
I have been meaning to ask the forum, in any ones opinion, do wet patterns perform better with the large heads?

It depends on what you're imitating. (Hans is going to say that the eye of the hook is already head shaped.) Some insect, such as many stonefly nymphs, have prominent heads. It's my experience that for winter stones, a Spanish Needle (with a herl head in front of the hackle) has outperformed the same fly with no head on several occasions when they're on the same cast, but that might just be the magic of herl.

Male mayflies have prominent, colored eyes. I believe that they can be imitated (assuming fish can't count to two) with a build up of thread in front of the hackle (assuming it's orange or yellow thread.)

Caddis flies, not so much.

I can't prove any of this, of course, but it's always fun to speculate.

Post by **Hans Weilenmann** » Tue May 21, 2013 8:02 am

Can't speak on the heads <G>, but what struck me was the following:

The fourth image shows the pattern with the lemon woodduck tail and legs/hackle the Birds Nest pattern is generally associated with, as well as the reddish abdomen/thorax which most likely is Australian Possum. Thread color black.

Image 2 & 3 though show tail and legs/hackle which does not look to be lemon woodduck at all, more like grouse, and an abdomen/thorax which is grey - something like muskrat. Thread is grey too.

The plot thickens...

Also, I just had confirmed by my contact who has eight of these original nymphs that the legs/hackle goes 360, not two distinct bunches.

Cheers,
Hans W

Cal Bird's birds nest

Re: Cal Bird's birds nest

Re: Cal Bird's birds nest

Re: Cal Bird's birds nest

Re: Cal Bird's birds nest

Re: Cal Bird's birds nest

Re: Cal Bird's birds nest

Re: Cal Bird's birds nest

Re: Cal Bird's birds nest

Re: Cal Bird's birds nest

Re: Cal Bird's birds nest