Phil Rowley tackles a Blizzard and Chironomids

"Hey Bob, I have a great idea. I am travelling through Red Deer on March 5th. I could drop in and do a fly tying session before I travel to Calgary for a meeting. Put me down as a Mystery Guest Fly Tyer."

That was a conversation I had with Phil Rowley last Fall. I smiled and added the Mystery Guest down on the schedule. The night before, Phil calls from Abottsford telling me the pouring rain may cause him not to make it. So I dusted off the Emergency Lesson in the box. Of course here in Red Deer it started to snow, it was snowing A LOT. Well Phil made it back to Edmonton where it was snowing lightly so he headed south. Well the blizzard intensified. Luckily Phil made it to Red Deer. Craziness because it was snowing hard and I estimated at least 20 cm plus is on the ground. Phil says he only "fish tailed" once and that was on the Red Deer River bridge on the way from Sherwood Park. I hope that is your one and only white knuckle drive this year Phil.

Well after getting organized we headed over to fly tying class figuring few people would show. We had 15 determined fly tyers who were treated to a delightful evening thanks to Phil. We tied chironomids and a blood worm pattern.

The blood worm pattern called the Bionic Worm came from Jerry McBride, a member of the Inland Empire Fly Fishing Club. Jerry noticed so many blood worms on his anquor rope early in the fishing season that he had to make a pattern that would do the job. Well the bionic worm was developed and Phil and I saw how effective this pattern can be when a fellow memeber of the Inland Empire Fly Fishers had a stellar day at Tokaryk Lake in Manitoba.

We have seen several variations of a Grey Boy. They all are effective. We tied the original version that is beadless. Wary fish will fall prey to this adjustment. Note the orange wing pads as well.

Antistatic bag material is now marketed by Superfly International. It is called midge body material. You do not have to search the dumpsters around electronics stores any more. Tonight we looked at different materials for shellbacks. Consider Pearl Mylar, Mirage Opal, Mirage Blue and UV Light Pearl SuperFlash for shellbacks. Phil also finished his chironomids off with 2 or 3 layers of brushable superglue followed by a layer of Hansen's Hard as Nails.

Next week Tim Maley is our guest tyer. I bet the roads will be way better. See you then. We are down to our last three sessions of the year. Spring is just around the corner, ...maybe!

That is the scene outside my front window here in Red Deer.

Phil Rowley

Alex preparing his antistatic bag material (called midge body material from Superfly) for his chironomid.

Bionic Worm (Jerry McBride originator)

Hook: Mustad C49S sizes 6 to 12

Thread: Orange or red 8/0

Tail: Hot Pink Marabou

Bead: 1/8 hot orange

Underbody: Red holographic mylar

Overbody: Red Stillwaters Solution 1/8th midge flex

Rib: Fine gold wire

Phil cutting antistatic bag material with an exacto knife into very fine strips.

Red and Black Static Interference Chironomid

Hook: Mustad C49S sizes 10 to 16

Thread: Black 8/0

Bead: Stillwaters Solution super white bead 7/64ths

Body: Antistatic bag material (midge body material from Superfly)

Rib: black stretch floss and red wire

Thorax: black thread

Doug could cut his antistatic bag material so fine, it almost looked like flashabou!

Clearwater Pupa

Hook: Mustad 3906 sizes 10-14

Thread: Black 8/0

Rib: Red wire

Body: Black Stillwaters Solution Midge Braid

Gills: Stillwaters Solution White midge gill

Wing Pads: Orange SuperStretch floss

Shellback: Pearl Mylar or Mirage Opal or Mirage Mylar Blue

Clear Water Pupa-Grey Boy (original pattern)

Hook: Mustad C49s sizes 10 to 16

Thread: Black 8/0

Gills: Stillwaters Solution White midge gill

Wing Pads: Orange SuperStretch floss

Body: Black Stillwaters Solution Midge Braid

Rib: SuperStretch Floss White

Shellback: Pearl Mylar or Mirage Opal or Mirage Mylar Blue