Amber Mole & Partridge

[Roadkill]

Thanks Carl!
I have tried the variations of thick and thin head cement coatings (particularly on buzzers) and tinsel underwraps but had only used superglue to secure underbody thread wraps or a dubbing overcoat. My only fly coating armor has been on my saltwater flies with soft-tex, soft body, or epoxy and I created a turning jig for them to cure on my rod turner. For all my trout flies I usually resort to a counter rib if I want more durability. I count on losing a fly to the river and tree gods before worrying about trout teeth making a fly unfishable.

Thanks Ray!
Superb photo answer! Maybe I will try a little of the permanent wet fly look on my silk. It will give me something to use up the tube of super glue that usually just hardens before I use it up on some thread wraps.

I don't use a color wheel but have had the Borger color system book in my vest and at my bench for a long time. I think many tyers overlook the wet look impact on their color scheme at the vise and/or the transitory color of some emergers.

[willowhead]

Great thread

[fly_fischa]

Some flies last many many fish, while others disintegrate after only a few fish. It seems like the smaller fish do greater damage to the flies.

Come on mate , a public confession to catching minnows? As a good friend, I feel the shame...

Here are the two flies side-by-side, after they have been dunked in clear tap water. The fly on the left is the untreated silk. The fly on the right is the one treated with superglue. As you can see, the color of both flies are essentially idential once they have been submerged. The only difference is that the fly on the right will be more durable.

Moral of the story, pick the fly on the left and stop catching small fish. Come to think of it, I can't remember the last time I caught a minnow.

[letumgo]

Good one, Karsten.

Funny you should mention catching minnows. It reminds me of a time I was testing a new fly pattern (Spectrum Leech) and I accidentially foul hooked a minnow on the back cast (see photo below). As I studied the poor little guy, I decided to take a few pictures to use for tying reference later on. I ended up developing a bucktail pattern (Buckeye Shiner) to imitate the local bait fish.






The buckeye shiner pattern has proven to be an excellent fishing fly.


Here is a photo of the Spectrum Leech Pattern:

(just to prove that this pattern catches more than minnows...)

[fly_fischa]

I accidentially foul hooked a minnow on the back cast

Accidentally should be in quotation marks, maybe that's why you misspurlld it.
I've seen this before, back home it's called livebaiting! Having a fly attached to the hook doesn't change things.

Before congratulating you on your catch my gut feeling caused me to investigate. You did a good job on those photos but there's no fooling the trained eye. Low and behold, look what the photoshop magic eraser revealed! I'm shocked Raymond, go to your room.





Jokes aside I love the story and photo backup. That fish is a stunner, you've redeemed yourself my friend. Bravo, just don't tell anyone what you were using, oops I already did.

NK (Nasty Karsty)

[letumgo]

Karsten - Okay, fine, you win! You've just proven that you're as good at photo editing as you are at fly tying. And THAT, is saying something.

Hysterical!!!

[Kelly L.]

Beautiful Ray!

[DOUGSDEN]

Ray,
Pardon me while I pick up my lower jaw off the floor! Drop dead gorgeous friend! Bill is right! The selection of a well marked partridge feather is just perfect in both cases. Did you know that there are only about a half dozen of these beauties on the back of each partridge skin? Or at least it seems that way!
I also like what you do with soaking the patterns and then photographing them against the dry versions. They look tremendously buggy dry but when you apply water.....Wow! Get them back in the water please so they don't die!
Wonderful stuff Ray,
Dougsden

[letumgo]

The fly shown in the initial post was tyed with some partridge feathers I received from Carl (Old hat). He sent me a small patch of feathers from an Eastern Oregon partridge skin. All of the feathers on this patch, have the same lovely brown markings. If you look at the second fly I posted, you will notice that the brown markings are missing. The second fly was tyed with feathers from a different skin, which I have just about picked clean. I like the look of the ones Carl sent me better. That little touch of brown adds something special, in my opinion. Thanks Carl!

[William Anderson]

Ray, this is an amazing thread. Beautiful flies all around...but come on. The name? Dont you think that is a little dull as far as naming conventions go? (grin)

w