Central Alberta Fly Tying Club: 2011

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Information about the Fly Tying Workshop with Phil Rowley

Hi Everybody!

Here is some valuable information about the fly tying workshop with Phil Rowley that starts at 9 am on January 7th at Mattie McCullough School. The school is located on Lawford Avenue. Travel east on 32nd Street until you get to the very end of the street (its almost 6 km from Highway 2). You will pass Hunting Hills High School as you travel east on 32nd Street. There is a traffic light right at the far east end of 32nd Street. When you get the end of 32nd Street, turn right and the school is immediately on your right. Use the front door!

The coffee will be on from 8:30 am. Come early and visit!

We will order pizza. If you prefer to bring your own lunch, feel free to do so! We will have coffee, water and juice at the workshop.

The workshop will continue until 4 ish!

If you have any questions feel free to e-mail me!

Bob

...here is a note from Phil

I have all of the materials and Patsy and I just have to sort them into the various sample packs for everyone. I will put 30 together per fly pattern.

In addition to their tying vise and basic tools, bobbin, scissors etc. the students will need to ensure they have a few things on hand specific to this class.

· Fine sewing needle
· Exacto Knife or small utility knife for cutting foam
· Gel Control Superglue from Loctite, it can’t be the runny stuff we use for chironomids. It needs to be viscous so it doesn’t flow.
· White, Olive, Black, Hot Orange and Brown 6/0 tying thread. Try to avoid 8/0 as it isn’t the best choice for foam.

Monday, December 19, 2011

December 19th, 2011 Cool Caddis Patterns

Hi Everybody!

Larry Prowse was our guest tyer tonight. Larry taught 32 students 4 cool caddis patterns. Three of the fly patterns were introduced for fishing on Montana rivers and spring creeks. None of the patterns use hackle which allows the patterns to ride right in the surface water. All of these patterns are quite straight forward. The use of antron and z-lon makes tying these patterns quite quick to construct. You can tie these patterns in a variety of sizes and colors. In Central Alberta, be sure to have olive and tan bodies on your caddis patterns. All 4 patterns will be effective on our rivers in Alberta. This was Larry's first time in front of the camera and he handled it like a seasoned pro! Well done Larry, great instruction tonight.

The Phil Rowley Workshop on January 7th is now FULL. The theme is "FUN with Foam."

Have a Merry Christmas everybody !

Larry Prowse

The library was full of fly tyers tonight.

LITTLE bro was showing BIG bro how to tie flies.

Iris Caddis

Hook:TMC 100 sizes 14 to 18

Thread: 8/0 color to match

Shuck: crinkled z-lon gold or amber/color to match

Body: Hares mask or antron -keep it shaggy and rough

Wing: White z-lon

Head: Hares mask or antron

Improved X-Caddis

Hook: TMC 100 sizes 12 to 20

Thread: 8/0 color to match

Shuck: crinkled z-lon gold or amber/color to match

Rib: pearl UV light crystal flash

Body: Hares mask or antron -keep it shaggy and rough

Underwing: White Z-Lon

Wing: Carabou hair or deer hair

Head: same as body material

Crystal Serendipity

Hook: TMC 2487 sizes 14 to 18

Thread: 8/0 Tan

Body: 2 to 4 strands of pearl crystal flash

Rib: small gold wire

Wing: Deer hair

Balloon Caddis

Hook: standard dry fly hook sizes 12 to 18

Thread: 8/0 color to match

Abdomen: antron/rabbit mix or natural hares ear

Thorax: Same as abdomen

Wing: Deer hair

Head: foam- you can use a variety of colors

Monday, December 12, 2011

Monday December 12th, 2011 Tying Large and Small

Hi Everybody!

Les Kolibaba was our guest tyer tonight. We split into two tying groups. Evan Ritchie did a lesson on basic skills for the gang who needed a lesson/refresher to help their tying. While that was going on, Les taught the rest of the gang three cool patterns. We started off small, really small; tying a trico spinner. We tied our trico spinner quite large although we should all be prepared to tie them size 20 and even smaller. That means Bernie is going to need three pairs of glasses on his nose. We then tied a very cool salmon fly that closely resembled a Gartside Leech. Finally the group tied a Marabou Jig. Les did a great job teaching us these neat patterns. Thanks again Les.

We have 3 spots left for the Phil Rowley "Fun with Foam" workshop that will occur on January 7th.

Next week, Larry Prowse is our guest tyer. Our theme is caddis patterns. See you then!

Les Kolibaba

Doug is evaluating Bernie's progress. His body fur collar looks good, right Doug?

Betty and Phil comparing their streamers.

Taking care of the basics.

Trico Spinner

Hook: standard dry fly hook sizes 16 to 24

Tail: 2 microfibetts

Body: thread-black or brown 8/0

Wing: white polypropylene

Shellback: craft foam/ethafoam

Popsicle Salmon Fly

Hook: salmon hook size 2

Tag: silver mylar

collar 1: body fur

Body: marabou (3 plums)

black/red crystal flash

Collar 2: cross cut rabbit fur

Marabou Jig

Hook: Small jig hook

Tail: Black and red crystal flash

Body: Two marabou feathers

Monday, December 5, 2011

Monday December 5th, 2011 Two Essential British Columbia Lake Flies

Hi Everybody!

It was a full house again tonight to take in Dr. Bill Young's fly tying session. Bill taught the group "Two Essential B.C. Lake Flies". I had to smile when Bill taught us how to tie a Tom Thumb. It was the first fly I ever tied and I was ALL THUMBS. Bill reminded us that A.K. Best always believed that you have to tie 20 to 30 flies of a select pattern before you get good at it. Getting the perfect sense of quantity of materials and proportion can be challenging. Bill's Green and Gold Fly is definitely going to be a welcome addition to my fly box. The Green and Gold could represent a damsel nymph. Thanks for sharing these two fly patterns with us, Bill!

The Phil Rowley Workshop on January 7th is almost full. Contact Bob if you want to take in the workshop.

Next week, Les Kolibaba is our guest tyer. See you then!

Dr. Bill Young leading the group.

The gang concentrating on their patterns.

Tom Thumb

Hook: TMC 100 sizes 8 to 16

Tail: Deer hair (try coastal deer hair)

Shellback and Wing: Deer hair

Green and Gold

Hook: Mustad 9672 size 8

Bead: green glass

Tail: fluffy part of a green dyed rump feather (not shown in the above picture)

Rib: Medium gold tinsel

Body: Olive antron (also try seal or mohair)

Collar: Olived dyed rump feather with a single strand of peacock herl

Monday, November 28, 2011

Monday November 28, 2011 P-Quads

Hi Everybody!

What an amazing turnout for the kick-off of another fly tying season. Twenty-nine keen fly tyers came out tonight to learn how to tie Mark Olinger's P-Quad Series. Welcome to the new fly tyers who came out today. We hope you will enjoy the learning and fellowship within the group.

A special thanks to the Central Alberta Chapter of Trout Unlimited for purchasing a camera and projector for the Central Alberta Fly Tyers to use during their Monday night sessions.

There have been a number of different P-Quad variations from both Mark and others depending on what they want the fly to imitate in the water. The original P-Quad included: pheasant, peacock herl, pintail (well barred teal) and partridge; hence the name " P-Quad." Many of the variations maintain the pintail wing and partridge collar. Below are 5 variations including the original. These flies represent damsel nymphs to forage fish depending on how you dress the fly.

Remember to let Bob (just e-mail me) know if you want to take the all day fly tying workshop put on by Phil Rowley on January 7th. The theme is fun with foam. A very appropriate theme considering the cost of hackle these days. For those of you who recall John Howard from Howard's Hackle visiting one of our tying session, he reminded us that hackle will be very hard to come by. The fashion industry is paying big bucks for saddle hackle. John right now is practically sold out!

Next week, Dr. Bill Young will be our guest tyer. I wonder what Bill has up his sleeve. Last year we tied mice and a Pike Popper we named All Sorts (after the licorice of course).

Below, you will see the patterns we tied tonight. See you next week.

Original P-Quad

Mustad 3609B hook sizes 8 to 12 (2xl nymph hook)

Thread: olive or red (6/0)

Weight: .020 lead free wire

Tail: 6-8 pheasant fibers

Rib: gold/copper wire (medium or small)

Body: 3 to 5 strands of peacock herl

Wing: Teal flank well barred

Hackle: Partridge neck feather

Crystal P-Quad

Hook: Mustad 3906B size 8 to 12 (2xl nymph hook)

Thread: Olive 6/0

Weight: .020 lead free wire

Tail: one strand of olive crystal flash doubled over and olive marabou

Rib: medium copper wire

Body: medium olive crystal dubbing

Wing: Rolled teal flank with good barring

Hackle: Partridge neck feather

Psychedelic P-Quad

Hook: Mustad 3906B size 8 to 12 (2xl nymph hook)

Thread: Flame orange 6/0

Weight: .020 lead free wire

Tail: one strand of olive crystal flash doubled over and olive marabou

Rib: medium copper wire

Body: medium brown crystal dubbing

Wing: Rolled teal flank with good barring

Hackle: Partridge neck feather

Neon P-Quad

Hook: Mustad 3906B size 8 to 12 (2xl nymph hook)

Thread: Fire orange 6/0

Weight: .020 lead free wire

Tail: hot orange marabou or burnt orange marabou

Rib: medium copper wire

Body: Flat orange diamond braid

Wing: Rolled teal flank with good barring

Hackle: Partridge neck feather

Squirrel P-Quad

…Mark Olinger originator

Hook: Mustad 3906B size 8 to 12 (2xl nymph hook)

Thread: Tan 6/0

Weight: .020 lead free wire

Tail: 6 to 8 strands of pheasant

Rib: medium copper wire

Body: Gray squirrel

Wing: Rolled teal flank with good barring

Hackle: Partridge neck feather

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Central Alberta Fly Tyers Slide Show 2011

Hi Everybody!

Many individuals from our fly tying club submitted pictures from their fishing season. I have put them into a slide show. Grab a coffee and take a look right here:

Central Alberta Fly Tyers 2011 slide show

Bob

Thursday, October 20, 2011

The Upcoming 2011-2012 Fly Tying Season

Hi Everybody!
The fly fishing season is winding down and its time to get the Central Alberta Fly Tying Club organized for another year.
The plan is to get rolling on Monday November 28th at 7 pm. We will be again back to West Park Middle School (right across from Red Deer College) in the library!
The plan is to have tying sessions every Monday until the end of March with an added all day fly tying session on Saturday January 7th with Phil Rowley. At this momemt, the Theme is FUN with Foam. With the cost of hackle and its poor availability, its time we examined alternative ways to tie flies that work.

To get the ball rolling, we need to get members of our club to led a session or two. There is an incredible amount of knowledge withing the club that over the years we have shared with our gang at the vice on Monday nights. We want to encourage newcomers to join us as well.

We will also have a new camera and projector that the Central Alberta Chapter of Trout Unlimited is going to purchase that will add a great deal to our Monday evenings.
Please contact me by e-mail if you are willing to run a fly tying session on Monday nights. We usually share two or three patterns. All your expenses will be covered. That includes materials like hooks, dubbing, feathers, etc.
Finally, if you have have some pictures you would like to share with the group, please e-mail them to me. I am doing a slide show for the first session that will include images from our club trip to Manitoba and pictures from our cutthroat trips this year as well a a trip to chase coho on the west coast.

Pass the word. We're gearing up for another educational year of fly tying.
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Bob

Friday, September 16, 2011

Fly Fishing for Salmon on Vancouver Island

Roy's Dad stalking a salmon!

Roy and I headed over to Vancouver island to chase coho salmon during the first week in September. It was a memorable trip that included perfect weather, fabulous camping and fly fishing for not only coho, but springs, jack springs, pinks and dolly varden. Roy and I are do it yourself types so we coordinated with his dad and a few of his Vancouver Island buddies. We flew over to Comox and by supper time, we had camp set up north of Campbell River. I was worried that there would be lots of fly fishers. That was not the case although one day the river we fished, the river got busy and so we moved out to fish in the estuary of the river. The pink salmon were still heading up river in good numbers so we did fly fish for these hard fighting salmon! Every afternoon we fished in the estuary for coho! Coho are hard fighters that will take a rather small fly considering their size. Almost all of the coho that we caught, were sight fished. These fish will rip off 100 yards of line in a blink of an eye. They leap out of the water many times when hooked up.

A typical day had everything to do with what the tides were doing. At day break were fished in the river where we encountered pinks, springs and coho. By late morning, we headed back to camp for a late brunch, fly tying and a break. The afternoon fishing started as the tide was ebbing. The aggressive feeding coho would come into the estuary to feed and they would leave as the tide came down.

The evening camp fire had lots of fun stories and laughs. The only part we did not like was how fast the week flew by.

Coho

Roy and his Dad.

Roy with a 9 pound coho that gave Roy's arms a real workout!

A nice coho caught in the estuary.

Another great scrap with a coho.

This coho had me in my backing at least 6 different times before bring it to hand.

This spring salmon was a real surprise. I could see this monster and was surprised to get a hook up and actually land it!

Monday, June 27, 2011

2011 Fish Stocking Report

Hi Everybody!

If you are interested in what waters have been stocked this year, take a look right here:

2011 Fish Stocking Report

Bob

Larry and Ken's Pictures from Fly Fishing in Manitoba

Hi Everybody!

Here is a selection of pictures from Larry and Ken Prowse from our club trip to the Parkland Region of Manitoba. Thanks for submitting the pictures fellas.