First prince

[SBecker]

So, last Friday I had a little tying lesson from Heritage and he taught me to tie my first Prince and my first Bike Tire Tube Stoner. The stone I know I have to wrap more tube too the rear.

 

[Heritage-Angler]

The prince looks good, but I personally prefer the tails about half that length. The fish won't care. That's a mighty good prince for a first attempt!

The stonefly needs a bit of work. I think I left the one I tied when we did the step by step for you to use as a pattern, but if not, here's the proportions you should be looking for. Easy to tie, durable, and cheap.

Ready for lesson #3?

 

[goodfortune]

LRSABecker wrote:
So, last Friday I had a little tying lesson from Heritage and he taught me to tie my first Prince and my first Bike Tire Tube Stoner. The stone I know I have to wrap more tube too the rear.

Your ties are looking very good already :-D. HA has done a superb job of teaching you.

Keep working with these and other complex patterns as your skills develop. Learning how to tie more complex patters well will make you a better fly tyer overall. When you tie one that looks better than anything sitting in a fly-shop bin, it will be a truly satisfying feeling.

Hope to see you again at the Jam in 2 weeks :-D

 

[sandfly]

Very good for a rookie, you are becoming a tyer and the addiction grows. Lesson#3 full dressed salmon ???

 

[Fishidiot]

Nice job LRSA. Those prince and stoneflies ought to fish well for steelhead.

 

[SBecker]

Thanks guys, I really liked the stone fly, I was just disappointed in myself that I did not tie it the right way. The prince is a pain in the *** with those stupid white wings, of all the things I have learned in tying so far, that is the hardest and most hated thing to do.


GoodFourtune.. I will def. be seeing you at the Jam

H.A. Let me know what day you plan on coming over lol

 

[Heritage-Angler]

LRSABecker wrote:
The prince is a pain in the *** with those stupid white wings, of all the things I have learned in tying so far, that is the hardest and most hated thing to do.

I've been trying to teach you good techniques, but sometimes, ya just gotta cheat. :-D

A good way to get those prince "wings" positioned easily is to splay them and clamp the butt ends in a pair of hemostats. Then apply a bit of super glue in between where they cross...

You can leave them in the hemos to tie them in, too. Cheating, but it works. There's usually more than one way to accomplish what you want to do in tying - just pick what works for you.

You've got the concept of full rotary tying down pat, and that will be a powerful tool in your arsenal down the road - ie wrapping hackle. We'll save the dry fly lessons until after the Steelhead Jam - right now, we gotta get that nymph box filled...

 

[jaybo41]

Excellent job on the Prince, you've obviously got some good instruction!

 

[osprey]

LRSABecker.........those look just fine , looks like you been doing it for years too not just the first tries , keep at it , your a natural. HA kudos to the teacher too.

 

[jdaddy]

HA, no problems sinking those things? That is a lot of closed cell foam.

 

[Heritage-Angler]

jdaddy wrote:
HA, no problems sinking those things? That is a lot of closed cell foam.

Zero foam. Strips cut from a road bike inner tube (thin). Rubber legs, and black trilobal dubbing (just as fill in). There's a big ol' tungsten bead on it, and 20 wraps of .030 lead wire. It sinks like a stone - pun intended. :-D

 

[gfen]

Heritage-Angler wrote:

jdaddy wrote:
HA, no problems sinking those things? That is a lot of closed cell foam.

Zero foam. Strips cut from a road bike inner tube (thin). Rubber legs, and black trilobal dubbing (just as fill in). There's a big ol' tungsten bead on it, and 20 wraps of .030 lead wire. It sinks like a stone - pun intended. :-D

I'm sure its not the same exact recipe, but I'm sure the tire rubber is from the same place....

Cut and paste away!
...
Although this recipe is for a size 10, it can be tied larger or smaller.

Materials List
Hook 3X long nymph hook such as a Mustad 9672 (size 10)
Thread 70 denier Black
Bead 5/32 Black
Weight 0.035 or 0.030 lead or lead-free wire if using a size 10 hook.
Antenna Black goose biots
Tail Black rubber leg material
Abdomen Bicycle Inner Tube
Thorax Black dubbing (rabbit or any spiky material)
Wing buds Bicycle Inner Tube trimmed to shape
Legs Medium round rubber legs or Flex Floss – Black

Tying Instructions
• Start the thread by the hook eye. Tie in two biots forming the antenna. They should be positioned right & left. Their length should not be too long. Tie off, add a drop of superglue. Cut the thread.
• Slip on a bead.
• Take 7 wraps of lead wire and slide it tightly against the bead. Add superglue to hold everything in place.
• Start the thread again and wind to the rear of the shank.
• Tie in rubber leg material forming the tail. The tail should be long.
• Cut a strip of rubber from a bike Inner Tube.
• Wrap the Inner Tube until it slightly overlaps the lead wire. Tie off and trim the remainder.
• Cut a strip of Inner Tube (about 1 inch X 3/16 inch).
• Cut a shallow “V” at the end of the Inner Tube and tie it in forming the first wing bud. Cut off the excess.
• Tie in the rubber legs at the base of this first wing bud (Madame X style).
• Use black dubbing to build the thorax. Dub between the legs and in front of the legs until you arrive at the bead.
• Check the underside of the fly and make sure you did not leave any bare spots.
• Trim another “V” in the remaining piece of Inner Tube and then tie in the second wing bud.
• This second bud should be tied in right at the bead.
• Secure the second wing bud with several tight wraps.
• Whip finish, lacquer.
• Trim the legs to length.

 

[SBecker]

Looks like the same thing we did GFen.

 

[jdaddy]

Oh, that makes a lot more sense. Frankly, I got into fly tying because I was loosing so many stones and also wanting to do custom stone patterns (there are a pile o'stones in the Catskills). I was lost a lot of them because I was using heavy patterns in fast water. I am using double tung beads, rubber legs/antenna, dubbing and a tubing for segmentation. I really hate biots but I need to embrace them for stones, princes, as much as I hate the thought.

 

[Heritage-Angler]

LRSABecker wrote:
Looks like the same thing we did GFen.

It is the same thing. I got a fly from George Maciag at the Bean. He supplies his students with the recipe, but he just gives me a fly. Sheesh. The original was in Fly Tyer magazine, I believe.

 

[gfen]

Heritage-Angler wrote:

LRSABecker wrote:
Looks like the same thing we did GFen.

It is the same thing. I got a fly from George Maciag at the Bean. He supplies his students with the recipe, but he just gives me a fly. Sheesh. The original was in Fly Tyer magazine, I believe.

I didn't want to assume you got it from him, but at the same time, he's a highly effective tyer so I was pretty sure if it wasn't, it was close enough.

I've been too lazy to go through my PM box, which is why I'm just saying publically if you and LRSA want copies of the cirriculum from the year before last, I have it.

Also, we'll formalize some plans for Somerset. Jdiddy's in for this, too.

 

[SBecker]

Had another Tying session with HA to try to fill up my Steel box, but he did teach me how to tie a Pheasant tail while he was over.

 

[Heritage-Angler]

That puppy will hunt. ;-)