Monday, March 16, 2009

Thanks to Our Presenters

Lets see 14 fly tying sessions with almost 35 patterns. That is a pretty decent season of tying. I learned so much again this year. Remember that we all can learn a lot from each other. I want to thank the following presenters:

Evan Ritchie
Doug Pullen
Phil Rowley
Dr. Bill Young
Don Anderson
Bob Vanderwater
Roy Saunders
Jock MacKenzie
Doug Cook
Byron Stearns
Willy Spijksma

A special thanks to Dave and Amelia Jensen for their incredible video/photos of fly fishing in New Zealand. 

We started the first of December and finished up three weeks into March. Monday nights certainly helped get us through those long winter nights with no fly fishing.

Keep tying everybody. Take a look back through our patterns. All of the patterns will be useful at some point during the season. Try to fish some new waters this year. Venture out, it's all part of the fun.

Please take lots of photos of your your trophies and destinations. We will post them again next year.

E-mail Bob with any neat pictures and places you wish to share. Have a great fly fishing season.

Bob and Karen Vanderwater

Monday March 16th, 2009

Hi Everybody!

Tonight was the final tying session of the year. Bob and Willy led the group in the final two patterns of the season. Willy's lake nymph has paid off big time at Ironside Pond and local caddis patterns, especially the X-caddis are a must have in your river/lake fly box.

Willy leading tonight's group.

Lake Nymph (similar to a damsel pattern)
Hook: size 10 Mustad 9671 nymph hook
Tail: Green marabou with some green crystal flash
Body: Green rabbit with some green ice dub added in
Rib: Green flashabou
Shellback: Brown raffia
Thorax: green rabbit with a webby white hackle palmered through

X-caddis
Hook:Standard dry fly size 14
Trailing Shuck: tan z-lon (or antron, try an amber color)
Body: tan phentex
Wing: Deer hair

Elk Hair Caddis
Body is dark tan superfine dubbing (Wapsi)

Elk Hair Caddis
Hook: Standard size 14 dry fly hook
Trailing Shuck: tan z-lon
Body: orange phentex
Hackle: brown
Wing: Deer hair

Monday, March 9, 2009

Monday March 9th, 2009 Stellar Stoneflies


Hi Everybody!

It was nice to see 14 tyers come out on such a frigid night. The theme tonight was stoneflies. We attacked three patterns that are quite useful in Alberta. Try the Montana stonefly on our local trout lakes. The Brooks Stonefly is big and imitates the nymph of a salmonfly. Charlie Brooks liked big flies for BIG fish! The Bitch Creek Nymph is an excellent pattern when the cutthroat are not rising. Remember to get all three patterns down, bottom bouncing. Number 5 split shots are your friends unless you hit yourself in the back of the head. Ouch!

Our final tying session is next week. Willy and Bob will be the final presenters. See you there!

Montana Stonefly

Hook: size 6 to 12, 3X
Tail: Brown goose biots
Body: Black Chenille
Thorax: Yellow chenille
Wing Case: Black chenille
Hackle: Black or brown
Weight: lead substitute (0.20)

Originator: Charlie Brooks

Brooks Stonefly

Hook: size 6 to 12, 3X
Weight: lead substitute (o.20)
Tail: Brown goose biots
Rib: Copper wire
Body: brown yarn (try uniyarn)
Gills: white ostrich herl
Hackle: brown and grizzle

...try this pattern with black or gold yarn


Bitch Creek Nymph

Hook: size 6 to 12, 3x
Weight: lead substitute
Tails/Antenna: white rubber legs
Body: Orange and black chenille (woven)
Thorax: Black chenille
Hackle: Dun, black or brown


The gang tying stoneflies.







Monday, March 2, 2009

Monday March 2, 2009

It's hard to believe it's already March. Tonight 17 fly tyers learned two patterns that Byron Stearns taught the gang. Byron was part of the guiding team with Fly Fish Alberta last year. Byron taught us a neat skwala pattern he developed and a traveling sedge pattern that paid off big time at both Ironside Pond and Mitchell Lake. We HAD to name the skwala pattern.  Byron, its now the "BS Skwala!" The BS  stands for Byron's initals, of course, nothing else (grin). 

Byron, you were very impressive tonight. Your detailed descriptions made it easy for the group to successfully complete both patterns. Way to go! 

We have two sessions left for the season. See you next week!

Byron Stearns


BS Skwala (originated by Byron Stearns)

Hook: Size 8 standard dry fly hook
Tail: Black 2 mm foam
Body: green dubbing
Wing: Black deer hair
Legs: Rubber legs
Hackle: Black
Thorax: green dubbing


Traveling Sedge

Hook: Size 6 dry fly
Tail: elk hair
Body: golden dubbing
Wing: Deer Hair
Hackle: Brown

-a variation of the BS Skwala with an over wing and an under wing 
(black and natural deer hair)


...some of the gang tying their skwala and sedge patterns