Monday December 15, 2008

Hi Everybody!

Dr. Bill Young was  our guest tyer tonight. The frigid weather could not stop 18 keen tyers from coming to learn how to tie two excellent patterns.  The first pattern was a hopper pattern that A.K. Best developed and the second was a nymph that we called the bead head soft hackle hares ear. These two patterns fished as a "hopper-dropper" will be a great combination on Alberta streams. Thanks Bill. Your thoughts about tying at the start of the tying session were very useful. You did a great job guiding us through two excellent patterns.

Our next tying session is January 5th. We now have 20 tyers signed up for the Phil Rowley workshop on Saturday January 10th. There is space for 5 or 6 more tyers.

Have a Merry Christmas everybody. Enjoy this special time of the year with family and friends.

Dr. Bill Young leading 17 keen fly tyers.

Bead Head Soft Hackle Hares Ear

Hook: Tiemco 2457 sizes 16 -12

Bead: gold, size to match hook size

Tail: sparse partridge

Body: hares ear dubbing

Rib: gold tinsel fine

Collar: Partridge

Thorax: Peacock Hurl

A.K.'s Hopper

Hook: Size 8 dry fly

Body: yellow phentex

Hackle: brown or green

Under Wing: Turkey slip

Over Wing: Deer Hair

The "gang" taking in Bill's demonstration.

Ryan and Bob having a humorous moment.

Monday December 8th, 2008

Hi Everybody!

Evan Ritchie was our guest tyer tonight. You can always count on Evan introducing the group to some neat fly patterns. Evan taught 14 keen tyers two cool patterns: the Herl Bug and the Chickabou Dragonfly Nymph.  Both patterns will work well on our local lakes and streams. I am always amazed at how buggy many patterns look once tied. Great patterns Evan. Thanks for leading the group.

Next week Dr. Bill Young will be our guest tyer. The theme is "Hopper-Dropper."

Herl Bug

Hook: Nymph sizes 14-20

Thread: Olive or color to match

Tail: Pheasant tail Fibers

Body olive floss

Thorax: Gray ostrich herl

Wing Case: Pearl mylar

Head: Gold Bead

Chickabou Dragonfly Nymph

Hook: 3x long, 1x heavy sizes 4 to 10

Thread: Olive 6/0 or 8/0

Tail: Olive barred soft hackle Chickabou plume

Body: Olive barred flank Chickabou feather

Rib: Small copper wire (optional)

Legs: Tips from olive barred flank Chickabou feahter

Wing Case: Brown goose or turket quill

Eyes: 5/32 dia. barbell eyes painted green

Head: same as body

Evan Ritchie  leading the group

Karen and Byron Tying and Chatting

Willy and Cordell rarely miss Monday Night Fly Tying

Reid concentrating on his Dragonfly Nymph

Monday December 1, 2008

Hi Everybody!

Another fly tying season kicked off today with 16 tyers finding out about fishing patterns that were used for tiger trout fishing at Twin Lakes near Roblin, Manitoba. The two patterns are also quite useful here in Central Alberta. It was nice to see several new faces in the group.

Tonight we tied two patterns. The black and red ice cream cone chronomid and the DDH Leech.

Next week our guest tyer is Evan Ritchie. See you next week!

Bob

DDH Leech (Diamond Dub Holographic Leech)

Hook: Mustad R74 size 6 or 8

Eyes: Bead Chain

Tail: marabou

Body: rabbit with some diamond dub

(can be tied in a wide variety of colors)

Black and Red Ice Cream Cone Chronomid

Hook: Mustad C49S sizes 12, 14 or 16

Bead: white brass (size to match hook size)

Rib: small red holographic tinsel or small red wire

Body: black midge flex or black thread

We're Ready to Get Started

Hi Everybody!

Its Grey Cup Sunday and the Central Alberta Fly Tying Club is ready to start another year. We kick off another season on December 1, 2008 at Annie L. Gaetz School starting at 7 p.m. Check our schedule in the post directly below this one!

Each session will cost three dollars to cover the cost of tying materials in some cases travel of our guest tyers.

Bring:

tying vice

bobbin

thread (usually 6/0 black, green, brown, tan, red, and yellow will do the trick)

whip finishing tool

dubbing wax

sharp fine sissors (nail sissors will do)

dubbing twister (can make one from a large paper clip in a pinch)

velcro on  a stick for shaping dubbing (Morris usually brings some to give away)

head cement

optional

tying light 

Gearing Up for Another Fly Tying Season

A trophy brook trout Karen caught at the Wood River that flows out of Fortress Lake, B.C. (caught with a size 12 Flashback).

A beauty of a Tiger Trout (cross between a brook trout and a brown trout) caught at Twin Lake (just outside of Roblin), Manitoba during the May long weekend 2008 ( caught with a size 14 black and red ice cream cone chronomid).

Hi Everybody!

I have had several inquiries about when the Central Alberta Fly Tyers start up again. We will kick off the tying season on Monday December 1, 2008. We will again run the tying sessions on Monday night from 7 to 9 P.M.

...I would love to see us continue to get as many different presenters as possible again this year. That way we learn from each other and the work load is spread out amongst us all.

Jeremy Davies has contacted me and he is interested in doing an evening presentation this year. His session will have an additional fee to cover his presentation and travel. Jeremy is the inventor of the "evil weevil" and many of his patterns can be found here:

http://www.danica.com/flytier/jdavies/jdavies.htm

I would like each presenter to gather their own materials for their tying/teaching session. They should plan for about 25 flytiers although we do occassionally get a few more. The participants of each session will pay $3.00 each. The presenters will then be reimbursed for all their expenses.

I would appreciate presenters from past tying sessions and any individual who would be willing to run a tying session to e-mail me with a date in mind. I will be contacting presenters from the last two years by e-mail.

By the way I would love to post any pictures you would like to share from your fishing season. Please e-mail them to me! I will post them up on the blog.

bvanderwater@rdpsd.ab.ca

Finally, I know that the Central Alberta Chapter of Trout Unlimited is making a concerted effort to get back up and running in the community. I would encourage you to become a member of Central Alberta Trout Unlimited. I suspect that an AGM will be coming soon. I will keep you up to date of their activities.

 The fly fishing season is starting to slow. Some lakes will close for the season after this weekend (Fiesta, Ironside). Our Eastern slopes rivers close for the season on October 31.

Bob

Tentative Dates

December 1 Bob Vanderwater (slide show from Twin Lakes, Manitoba: Tiger Trout) fly patterns for Tiger Trout (they are excellent patterns in Central Alberta too!)

December 8 Evan Ritchie

December 15 Dr. Bill Young

Christmas 

January 5 Doug Cook

January 10 (this is an all day session with Phil Rowley) Theme: nymphs

January 12 Bob Vanderwater

January 19 Dave Jensen

January 26 Roy Saunders/Jock MacKenzie

February 2 Don Andersen (chronomids for lakes and rivers)

February 9 Doug Pullen (steelhead extravaganza)

February 16 (Family Day- no session)

February 27

March 2

March 9

March 16

St. Patrick's Day March 17th

Hi Everybody!

Happy St. Patrick's Day. Yes it's March 17th and Dave Jensen was our guest tyer today. Dave brought along some amazing video to demonstrate the value of the fly tying patterns he was teaching us tonight. Big brown trout gorging themselves on sqwala stoneflies is quite cool. The big browns come from our home waters to boot. The Red Deer River can have an amazing sqwala hatch. With a little luck the sqwalas will be out just after the Red Deer River opens to fishing on the May long weekend. Dave also showed us an a very easy pattern to tie. Yellow Sallies are a very simple pattern to tie. These little flies can get you into some amazing fishing. Thanks, Dave, for coming. We loved the patterns, the video and the stories. 

Take a look at Dave's web site for more amazing video and follow his season. Dave and his wife Amelia have been on the water a lot in the last month. Dave keeps updates on water conditions on his blog so take a spin over to:

http://flyfishalberta.blogspot.com

It's amazing but tonight is the final tying session for the season. Several of us have already been on the rivers for several weeks. We have had so many presenters including:

Evan Ritchie

Dr. Bill Young

Doug DeWitt

Les Kolibaba 

Doug Cook

Bob Vanderwater

Phil Rowley

Roy Saunders

Jock MacKenzie

Dave Jensen

Greg Sikora

Doug Pullen

Don Anderson

We tied over 30 patterns this year. That is amazing in itself.

I would like to thank all the presenters. We have a wealth of knowledge here in Central Alberta. Sharing that knowledge is a neat thing to see. 

I hope you have a fabulous fishing season.

As a final note of thanks, I would like to thank Dave Jensen for helping to get this blog/website organized. It has been a great tool to pass on what we do with the Central Alberta Fly Tying Club!

Bob and Karen Vanderwater

Dave Jensen

Bob and Barry

Morris with a Green Teranasty (sqwala stonefly)

Yellow Sally

size 14 mustad 94833

yellow dubbing

poly yarn wing

blue dun hackle

Green Teranasty

size 8 Tiemco 200 hook

green biots tail

Brown hackle

Green dubbing

Poly yarn underbody

pearl crystal flash

Deer hair overwing

Green legs

Monday March 10th, 2008

Doug Pullen was our guest tyer tonight. Doug taught us three very practical patterns that will undoubtedly catch many trout this upcoming fishing season. Doug's detailed explanations made it easy for us to successfully tie each pattern. I certainly appreciate Doug's attention to detail that makes a difference in a successful pattern. I did learn two new things about Doug tonight. He loves peacock herl and dubbing loops. Doug also wastes nothing at the fly tying bench. Nothing hits the garbage can. All those extra pieces of herl, hackle, dubbing, feathers, and chenille makes an incredible cased caddis body. I am sure that Don Anderson is smiling about that ingenuity. Thanks Doug for an excellent evening of tying. I can tell how much thought and planning you put into this evening.

Just a note that next Monday (March 17th), is our final tying session of this winter. Try to make it out. Dave Jensen is going to be our final guest tyer of the year. See you then!

Bob

Doug Pullen

Peeking Caddis

Hook:3XL-Mustad 9672 #10

Thread: black 6/0

Ribbing: small copper wire

Weight: 0.20" dia. lead weight

Case: recycled tying material spun in a coffee grinder

Peeking Abdomen:Bright green yarn

Peeking thorax: Black Hareline Dubbing

Legs: Pheasant Tail Barbs

Klinkhamer Special

Originator: Hans van Klinken

Hook: Partridge GRS15ST, or other fine-wire scud hook, #8-#18

Thread: Tan 8/0

Wing Post:White poly yarn

Abdomen: Light-tan Fly-Rite poly dubbing

Thorax: Peacock herl

Hackle: Dun, one size larger than normally used for hook size

Diawl Bach ("Dee Owl Bach")

Hook: Tiemco 3769 or 3761, sizes 8-14

Thread: Black or Olive

Tail: Red-brown hackle fibers

Rib: Fine gold or copper wire

Body:Peacock herl

Beard: Red-brown hackle fibers

References for tonight's fly tying:

Fly Patterns for Stillwaters by Philip Rowley

Tying Emergers by Jim Schollmeyer and Ted Leeson

Monday March 3rd, 2008

Halfback Nymph

size 8 2x nymph hook

weight the top 2/3 of the hook with 0.20 lead or equivalent

goose biot tail

peacock hurl body

green pheasant tail shellback

green hackle

peacock hurl hurl thorax

size 8 Mustad C53S hook

brown marabou tail

shellback brown mottled turkey quill

brown seal dubbing

legs partridge feathers

weight 0.20 lead for abdomen and 0.35 lead for thorax

Hi Everybody!

Doug Cook was our guest fly tyer tonight. Doug showed us a very cool pattern called the stonefly bugger. The 15 students tonight had to tame seal dubbing and make legs from partridge feathers. Combine an excellent stonefly pattern with a bugger type pattern and you have one excellent fly. Thanks Doug for the outstanding pattern. A very cool streamer pattern that is part stonefly.

...we had time to also tie a halfback nymph from left over materials at the Phil Rowley Workshop. That will be an excellent lake pattern.

Next week, Doug Pullen will be our guest tyer. Doug has three patterns all ready for us. One pattern is some sort of mystery. Sounds like fun!

...we have only two sessions left for the year! See you next Monday, March 10th.

Bob

Monday February 25th, 2008

Quill Gordon

size 12 1x nymph hook

wood duck tail

stripped peacock hurl body

dark blue dun underwing

wood duck over wing

House and Lot Variant (H and L Variant)

size 10 dry fly hook

calf tail for tail and wing

stripped peacock body 

peacock hurl body near wing

brown hackle

grizzly hackle (not shown in this photo)

Hi Everybody!

Tonight we had a new guest instructor. Greg Sikora taught us two very useful patterns. The H and L Variant and the Quill Gordon. The H and L Variant is an excellent fly to prospect with on those eastern slope waters. Some like to use it as the top fly when fishing with a dropper. I have seen the effectiveness of this fly on many a cutthroat river. If you have read Barry Mitchell's  Alberta's Trout Highway, you would find out that the H and L Variant is an excellent pattern to have all along the Forestry Trunk Road.

I saw first hand how outstanding the Quill Gordon can be one evening on Mitchell Lake. Greg was into fish the entire evening stripping this pattern in quick 12 inch strips just under the surface. I always carry a half dozen in my lake box. 

Thanks Greg for a very enjoyable evening. 

Monday February 11th, 2008

Roy Saunders

Easy Bug

size 14 to size 18 nymph hook

olive dubbing for the body

golden pheasant tips for wing

grey ethafoam for shellback

olive dubbing thorax

Jock MacKenzie

Black Caddis

size 14 or 16 dry fly hook

black thread for body or peacock or black CDC Feathers

wing-black deer hair

Hi Everybody!

Tonight the dynamic duo of Roy Saunders and Jock MacKenzie demonstrated two excellent patterns to our Central Alberta Fly Tyers.

 Roy showed us a very cool emerger called the easy bug. Roy has successfully used this pattern when trout are feeding on emergers. It's a new pattern for me that I am looking forward to trying this season. 

Jock had us tie a black caddis. Jock has noticed black caddis on the Red Deer River several times. It was time to add this excellent pattern to our Red Deer River box. 

Thanks Roy and Jock for your leadership. 

...a very pleasant evening indeed!

Remember there is no fly tying on Family Day. We will continue the following Monday with Greg Sikora showing us the House and Lot Variant and the Quill Gordon. See you on the 25th of February.

Monday February 4th, 2008

Flying Ant

#14 Mustad R50 dry fly hook

red brown dubbing

black hackle

Cheerios cereal box liner

6/0 or 8/0 thread

Catatonic Leech

#79580 Mustad 4 XL hook

olive marabou

lead wire

3/0 dark olive thread

Callibeatius Dry

#14 Mustad R50 dry Fly hook

blue dun hackle

light olive poly dubbing-very fine

teal flank feather

light grey 6/0 or 8/0 thread

Callibeatius Nymph

pheasant tail

thin gold wire

light olive dubbing

peacock hurl

dark brown thread 6/0 or 8/0

#14 Mustad R50 dry fly hook

Hi Everybody!

It was almost a record tonight. Don Andersen was our guest fly tyer tonight and he filled the library with 28 students. Don taught the Central Alberta Fly Tyers 4 patterns. As usual, all four patterns will be worthy additions to all our fly boxes. Many of us just enjoy listening to the anecdotes that Don shares with us. Don, you are a colorful character and we appreciate the effort you made to drive in from Rocky Mountain House. Don almost convinced me that left handed fly tyers have the advantage. Good try Don! 

Do take some time to look at Don's web site:

http://www.telusplanet.net/public/dmanders/

Next week Jock MacKenzie and Roy Saunders are our guest tyers. See you then!

Monday January 21st, 2008

                                                                                                                                                                             Wow! What a night.  Evan Ritchie and Doug Pullen pull up at 6:20 pm with a truck load of fly tying stuff to sell off at bargain basement prices. The garage sale was a success. All the tying material went out the door. At the end of the evening, Central Alberta Trout Unlimited made $300. We all should remember that the tying material came as a generous donation from Harvey MacIntyre's family after he passed away.

Shortly after 7 pm our regular fly tying started with Doug DeWitt being the instructor. Doug had us tie a backswimmer pattern using beads for the body and a chamois shellback. We then tackled a Goddard Caddis. That meant spinning deer hair. Doug then made sure we took another crack at tying BWOs. Out came the size 18 and size 20 hooks.

Doug's persistence in having the 26 tyers learn to tie small is paying off. Karen and I used this Blue Winged Olive pattern several times with excellent success. Its hard to believe that a trout will key in on a mayfly that is size 20 or smaller.

Remember that the Canadian Fly Tying Exposition goes this weekend at Spruce Meadows. Check out the we site below if you are going:

http://www.flyfishingevents.com/

Next week we have Doug Pullen as our guest tying instructor. Doug has three patterns planned. See you then!

Finally there is a meeting Thursday night at 7 pm at Original Joes for those of you who could lend a hand with our Central Alberta Trout Unlimited Dinner and Auction.

Monday, January 8 Fly tying

Hi Everybody!

Another great turn out to fly tying tonight. Les Kolibaba did an outstanding job leading us in tying 3 patterns. All three will be excellent additions to our fly boxes. Thanks again for the pleasant evening Les!

Evan also brough

t his new "toy" along to try. The "One Part Epoxy" and UV light system was quite cool. It made an excellent epoxy head on a streamer in a mere 20 seconds. 

...next week, we have Doug DeWitt. Doug hopefully will be safely back from the Yemen Oilfields. if you read this Doug, Evan says he wants a pattern that does not require 3X glasses. Just kidding!

See you all next Monday.

Bob.