That is an interesting one. What is the name of that one?
Fly Tying
- Thread starter SoDakDom
- Start date
The first photo looks like a Royal Coachman with the Golden Pheasant tippet for the tail. The second photo has no tail, but has hackle at or close to the bend of the hook, which stumps me for a name.
the second one is a Royal Renegade
the first one is more like a royal wulff with a golden pheasant tippet tail because im such a rebel, and the second one is a royal renegade.
Well, your Royal Wulff with Golden Tippet tail is identical to a Royal Coachman. Your Royal Renegade is new to me. I know the Renegade but not a Royal Renegade. I suppose there are a few patterns I know that could be made royal by tying in red floss. Yours look very well tied. The Renegade works well in Montana for me, particularly in fast water. The Royal Wulff in #16 is a killer for brook trout in Virginia. Actually, the Royal Trude is also effective for brookies.
So, how effective are your ties?
So, how effective are your ties?
i was missing the tail materials for the wulff so i used what i had. im still trying to get the feather wings correct. i found the royal renegade online, its seams fairly uncommon. thanks for the compliment, i have had several offers to buy my flies already, but im not confident enough yet. i tied a random new pattern, dont have a name for it yet; peacock herl body tied even with the barb up 2/3 of the shank, 2-4 turns of dry hackle, with a long red tread head. i tied several of those and in one sitting it caught about 5 trout, 2 browns and 3 rainbows, and had 5 other hits. coachmans are great around here due to fast water, i use a lot of hornbergs, spinners, simulators.
Your flies catch fish! That is the ultimate test, regardless of whether you believe you need more work on the wings. I see you use stimulators on your waters. Tie the Feather-Craft Crackleback originated in 1952 by the late Ed Story. It floats well and is tied sparsely, which is an attractant itself. But be mindful of the reversed hackle. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7lk17SjK9w for how to tie it. The Crackleback works for me in my home waters and the West. Don't worry if it drowns in fast water. Sometimes I'll drown it if I don't see risers, because it works well as a nymph or wet fly.
agreed the fly that catches fish is the best fly. that fly seams to be similar in technique as the hornberg. ive never had much luck with nymphs but that might be my fault.
I'm curious about the thread you use. What is the thread you prefer for various patterns, e. g., type, denier or ought, bonded or multi-filament, silk, nylon, rayon, polyester, GSP, and why?
right now im using the orvis brand thread, not sure who makes it. i use it because i dont know any better, its worked pretty well for what ive tied.
Most of my tying is done with either 70 or 140 denier UTC thread. Its always worked very well for me and I think its strength vs. other properties really make it a winner in my book. Need it corded up? Spin your bobbin holder. Need it to lay flat? Spin your bobbin holder.
For a few of my smallest flies I've had a lot of luck with 16/0 Veevus thread, that stuff is super strong for its size.
For a few of my smallest flies I've had a lot of luck with 16/0 Veevus thread, that stuff is super strong for its size.
I tend to favor UTC 70 and 140 as well. It is a multi-filament thread, which cords and flattens very well. Any synthetic thread that is not bonded and multi-filament will flatten and cord. Spin the bobbin clockwise and it will cord. Spin the bobbin counterclockwise and it will flatten. Often, I will cord the thread for bulk and end up flattening the thread for a smooth surface. That is a valuable technique for forming a smooth taper on flies such as the Zebra Midge. For that matter, I usually form a small, smooth head on my flies with cording followed by flattening the thread. Now, silk thread, e. g., Pearsall Gossamer, spins in the opposite direction for cording and flattening.
Veevus threads in 12/0 and smaller are terrific for midges. Its color and strength are impressive. I still have a lot of Danville Flymaster 6/0. The ought system is gradually fading out and being replaced with the textile industrial measurement of denier. Interestingly enough, Danville Flymaster is marked as 6/0, but it is 70 denier. On the other hand, Uni 6/0 is 140 or so denier. I have little trouble using Danville Flymaster or UTC 70 for tying down to #22 midges.
How about adhesives? Though I finish most of my flies with a five-turn whip-finish, but I often use an adhesives for a particular effect or durability. The UV adhesives give me a shiny, durable head. Many, many years ago, I used Dave's Flexament, but I started making my own with 3 or 4 parts toluene and one part Goop or Shoe Goo. A few years ago, the late Chris Helm cautioned me away from using that because of its toxicity and suggested Fly Tite, which is non-toxic and made of a plant extract and alcohol. That adhesive is thinned with the easily obtainable denatured alcohol. Then there is Super Glue, i. e., CA or CA+. Super Glue, Wapsi, Loc-Tite, etc. have various viscosities. I favor CA or CA+ adhesives that are packaged with screw caps and brushes. You can prevent build-up or caking on the threads by coating the threads with Vaseline. Sometimes coating the last half-inch of thread with CA or CA+ before finishing the head of a fly will replace the need of a whip-finish. Usually, I just use a tiny drop on the head of a bodkin to coat the thread. Just ensure you whip off the bodkin immediately after application. I do the same with UV adhesives.
So, what adhesives do you use and why?
ive only used fly head cement, again from an orvis kit, but i know people who use clear nail polish, i use future floor polish on my scale models, so i might give that a spin at some point.
UTC really is some good stuff. Veevus makes some interesting products though, have you ever tried their quill?
As far as adhesives go, I either use something like superglue (Waspi Z-Ment is my go to) or I use ultra thin UV resin. I've actually been moving more toward the ultra thin UV resin lately, its thin enough to soak into thread and it cures pretty much instantly.
As far as adhesives go, I either use something like superglue (Waspi Z-Ment is my go to) or I use ultra thin UV resin. I've actually been moving more toward the ultra thin UV resin lately, its thin enough to soak into thread and it cures pretty much instantly.
Some super glues aren't waterproof, but Wapsi Z-ment is OK. Have you tried the gels? Sally Hansen's Hard as Nails w/Nylon is a good adhesive and is often on sale at drug stores. It is an excellent coating for UV or regular two-part epoxies to remove tackiness. I use the very thin UV epoxy more than the thicker ones. The only thing about UV epoxies is that a tier must use the same UV curing light made for that particular UV epoxy, since they cure at different wavelengths.
I've never tried the gels, honestly I've found that most of the time I don't have to use any kind of head cement. In my experience I'll loose the fly long before it starts to unwrap. My dad uses Sally Hansen's and he seems to like it, but call me old fashioned but I have a hard time buying nail polish for myself...
The very thin UV epoxy is great for adding some durability to bodies made with floss. I've recently started tying my Purple Haze with body made from purple floss instead of anything else. With some very thin UV epoxy they hold up great. The thick UV epoxy makes great wing cases though and when I'm tying nymphs I go through a ton of the stuff.
The very thin UV epoxy is great for adding some durability to bodies made with floss. I've recently started tying my Purple Haze with body made from purple floss instead of anything else. With some very thin UV epoxy they hold up great. The thick UV epoxy makes great wing cases though and when I'm tying nymphs I go through a ton of the stuff.
what vises do you all use and why?
I have a Peak non rotary vise because it's Made in the US, simple, strong and gets the job done, at least for the flies that I tie.
I use an old Thompson model A vise that was my fathers. He's now using a Peak rotary vise. I keep thinking about replacing the Thompson, but honestly it does everything I need it to do.
I have a lot of vises I've collected over the years. Most of them I snapped up while they were on sale or closings of fly shops. I use nearly all of them to teach fly tying to disabled veterans in Project Healing Waters. My travel vise is the original Renzetti Traveler because it is made of aluminum, except for the jaws. I replaced the screw mount with the cam-operated jaw. The Traveler's lightweight helps keep down the weight when I fly to fish. Others are the Peak rotary, HMH Standard, three Regals, one with the SS jaws, Dyna-King Barracuda Jr., Norvise, and several others. I rotate them on my bench, depending on the size of the fly I'm tying. I purchased smaller jaws for several of to teach tying midges, Right now, I'm using the Peak on my bench.
