The Central Alberta Fly Tying Club meets during winter months. Weekly tying sessions begin at 6:30pm. Call Bob Vanderwater 403. 347. 3802 or email rdvanderwater@gmail.com
It was cccold last night and 10 of us gathered at Reliance Oilfield Services Learning Centre to learn how to tie stimulators, ... Christmas style! We then put them in a Christmas "Bulb" for our tree!
Fly tying takes a break until January 5th! I will still be posting some tying stuff and perhaps some trips to look forward to!
Our last fly tying session before Christmas is tonight! Just bring your regular tools. We are tying some "Christmas Stimulators" and placing the flies in Christmas ornaments. It is going to be lots of fun! See you there!
Dr. Bill Young spent the evening doing a tribute to A.K. Best who passed away this past summer! A.K. was a master fly tyer who was very detailed in his tying. A.K. published several books. Dr. Bill spent time talking about A.K.'s advice for tools and then we went over how to construct a dry fly, specifically a parachute dry fly!
The 18 fly tyers who attended this evening then tackled a quill parachute dry fly that was a signature fly of A. K. Best.
Next week, we will be working on a fly with a Christmas theme. It will be lots of fun! See you there!
Dr. Bill Explaining dry fly construction!
A.K. Best's Parachute Quill
Hook: size 12-14 standard dry fly hool
Thread: 8/0 black or grey
Tail: Hackle fibres
Body: Peacock quill stripped (we used an eraser)
Post: Calf body hair, white
Hackle: Brown
This book is still available. It is an excellent reference!
Dr. Bill Young is our presenter this Monday December 15th. Dr. Bill has asked everyone to bring black or grey 8/0 or 6/0 thread as well as an eraser. Sounds like an interesting tying session!
I hope to see you on Monday at 6:30 pm at Reliance Oilfield Services Learning Centre!
Bead: White, either brass or tungsten size to match hook-3/32nd-7/64ths
Thread: UTC 70, wine
Body: Mirage Flashabou or Mirage Opal Tinsel, medium
Rib: Mahogany micro tubing (you definitely can use black or red micro tubing as well)
As I get started on my winter fly tying, I take the time to see what I have used and needs to be added to fly boxes. I have chosen to start with chironomids. Karen and I have used John Kent's Rusty Nail chironomid a lot this past season. That is where I am beginning!
Bob Edens at Stream Weaver Flies (right here in Red Deer) has all you need. I also order from Canadian Llama Company because I often order bulk when it comes to hooks and beads!
Karen laughed when I started in on chironomids. There are 1000s of sub species of chironomids. I try to focus on about a dozen different chironomids that I like. You could head down the chironomid rabbit hole all winter but I try to limit myself to what I have used with success. There are definitely times when a specific chironomid is needed, then I get busy and tie that specific pattern.
I love fly fishing with chironomids. The action can be explosive. Throat samples can certainly help solve the riddle of what the trout are dining on! Once you have the depth figured out and then what the fish are feeding on, you are likely going to have a decent day on the water!
Another tying season is upon us and tonight we got off to a great start! Twenty fly tyers filled Reliance Oilfield Learning Centre. We started off with tying a Blue Flash Damsel, tied woolly bugger style as well as the tried and true Pumpkin Head that was originated by John Kent. In the late season, I used both flies with a lot of success. I matched these great little streamers with an intermediate sinking line. Rainbows, browns, brook and tiger trout were aggressively hitting these flies.
Next week Dr. Bill Young is going to do a tribute to A.K. Best who passed away recently! A.K. was an amazing fly tyer. He left us many fly patterns to use that he designed! See you next week!
Seat sale, to Belize; book it! Karen and I always wanted to know what it was like in late November to go fly fishing around Ambergris Caye. We were pleasantly surprised. We did have a few showery days but when the big blue sky showed up. It was beautiful, less wind than we are used to and the fly fishing was excellent! We had excellent chances at permit and tarpon but did not land any. Karen hooked three permit and they all got off. For the first time we tried to catch a snook. No luck. The bone fly fishing was superb. Shawn and Hailey have been helping on Hilian's boat lately! Extra eyes on the water sure helps the sight fishing! We chased jacks that were quite skiddish but we managed to land several. San Pedro was all decorated for the festive season. That was lots of fun to see. We even saw a water spout for the first time. The prevailing winds are usually from the SE but we had mainly north winds. That made fly fishing off of the dock out front quite handy! As always, the sunrises and sun sets are spectacular. It is our happy place. We will be back in March!
A barracuda ate my jack! The tax man got his fee!
Bar Jacks are great fighters and are beautiful!
Water Spout!
Supper at Hilian and Addy's place is always fun. Local lobster, yum!!!!
Karen and Addy
Another spectacular sunrise!
A great picture of Ambergris Caye as we headed back on our direct flight to Calgary!
