>>>What Are You Tying Today? Part III

[nomad_archer]

Thank you GenCon. I just dunked the fly and let it set for awhile. The thread color got slightly darker but still maintained the orange color. I do want to try the silk, I really like the looks of it on some of the partridge and orange store bought flies I have.

I am very thankful for the youtube instructional video's. They have really helped with some of the learning curve.

Now I just need to make some time to go fishing.

 

[dc410]

I agree with all the above. Great technique on those ties, nomad_archer. Pearsall's silk in Hot Orange is a great thread for tying partridge and orange patterns. The spools are small so you need a bobbin to fit them when tying with them. It's been awhile since I tied soft hackles, maybe I'll crank out a few tonight while I'm watching the last Presidential debacle.

 

[nomad_archer]

dc410 - I really like how that ice pick looks when its wet.

 

[dc410]

nomad_archer wrote:
dc410 - I really like how that ice pick looks when its wet.

Some materials really look different when wet. That is just one combination of materials that I used for that Ice Pick Streamer. The bodies were tied using Ice Dub UV in Light Gray color mixed with Senyo's Shaggy Dub in Pheasant Tail Brown. The UV Ice Dub is what gives the purple hue when submerged in water. You can use a multitude of materials when tying streamers like these to achieve many different looks. Lots of fun to tie and fish.

I tied up a couple of partridge and orange soft hackles on size 14 hooks. Great sulphur imitations. These were tied using Pearsall's silk in Hot Orange for the body. As you can see there is still a significant difference in color between the dry (top fly) and one that was submerged in water (bottom fly) in the photo. Also, in my opinion the hackle in the top fly is too heavy (should have backed off a half turn or so) but the hackle on the bottom fly is just about what I'm aiming for in tying soft hackles.

 

[nomad_archer]

Those look great. I agree the top one has a bit more hackle than I would have tied on but it still looks good. I have been stripping 1/2 the partridge feather to keep them sparse as I have a tenancy to wrap too much hackle.

There is a very noticeable color difference between the flies when they are wet/dry.

What other colors of silk to you recommend for soft hackles? I will probably pick up 4 or 5 to make the order worth while.

 

[dc410]

nomad_archer wrote:
Those look great. I agree the top one has a bit more hackle than I would have tied on but it still looks good. I have been stripping 1/2 the partridge feather to keep them sparse as I have a tenancy to wrap too much hackle.

There is a very noticeable color difference between the flies when they are wet/dry.

What other colors of silk to you recommend for soft hackles? I will probably pick up 4 or 5 to make the order worth while.

Using only half of the fibers on a partridge feather is a good technique to help to keep them hackled sparse. I should make it a habit of doing that more.

Here are the colors of Pearsall's silk that I have. The colors are as follows: Hot Orange - loaded on the bobbin. Clockwise from there - Purple, Claret, Primrose Yellow, Olive Green, Light Olive and Amber. For the traditional Partridge & Yellow, Green, and Orange I like to use Primrose Yellow, Olive Green and Hot Orange. I would have to say that my favorite color is the purple. I like tying wet flies with the purple silk, I just seem to catch a lot of fish on the ones tied with purple, maybe I just fish them with a bit more confidence, not sure.

 

[nomad_archer]

Thanks DC. I will probably just order all the ones in your picture. Thank you for narrowing down the selection. I think I am addicted to collecting tying materials. I don't use them nearly as fast as I am buying them.

I like the looks of your bobbin. Do you remember who makes it?

 

[acesedgley]

From where are u going to order the silk?

 

[nomad_archer]

probably caddisflyshop.com or j stockard unless there is another source that I should consider.

 

[dc410]

nomad_archer wrote:

I like the looks of your bobbin. Do you remember who makes it?

I think that bobbin is made by Wasatch.

 

[STONEMAN]

Great Feathers is a good place to buy them, too. Make sure you buy the wax, too ( north country spider wax). There's always a good presentation at the Lancaster show on spiders.

 

[nomad_archer]

Stoneman What is the wax for?

Also the great feathers looks to have some pretty good prices.

 

[STONEMAN]

Google spiders and north country spiders. See this for e.g. http://inpursuitofspotties.blogspot.com/2015/02/north-country-wet-flies.html

The purists use cobblers wax. The body is VERY sparsely dubbed. Really only a few individual hairs. I think the wax also affects the color when wet.

 

[nomad_archer]

Thanks Stoneman - I for whatever reason I seem drawn to the soft hackles and spiders. Maybe it is the simplicity. I just need to get out and try to fish some of these recent ties.

 

[sandfly]

todays work for land locks ! 12x long size 2 and 1/0 blued hooks.

 

[nomad_archer]

Sandfly, those look great.

 

[dc410]

Nice ties, Sandfly.

Here is a soft hackle that I tied up and called it the Purple Crow. I used Purple Pearsall's silk and a crow covert feather for the hackle. Crow shoulder feathers are extremely soft and have an interested curve to them when tied in soft hackle style. I use a lot of crow feathers for soft hackle collars on some of my carp flies as well.

 

[RCFetter]

Those flies look great. Thanks Sandfly and Nomad.

 

[nomad_archer]

dc410 great looking purple crow. I think I need to put crow and starling on my feather shopping list.

 

[Tack-L-Tyer]

The Purple Crow bears a close resemblance to the Usk Naylor. (Or vice-versa). English pattern used to imitate Baetis, I believe. Nice tie.