Big Flies for BIG Fish , ... a Day with Phil Rowley

Its a blustery Saturday and 24 members of the Central Alberta Fly Tyers spent the day learning to tie BIG flies with Phil Rowley. This was Phil's 5th trip to Red Deer and he taught us 8 great patterns. The group learned so many new ways to tie flies today. Phil is one of the best tying instructors. His seminars are detailed and very educational. We appreciate the "hands-on" approach that Phil uses. By the end of the day we were introduced to the world of tube flies, making double bunny flies, building articulated leeches and my personal favorite the MOAL (Mother of All Leeches). Phil's schedule is a bit crazy this time of the year and we are very appreciative of the time he put into today's seminar. A special thanks to Patsy Rowley for preparing all the materials. That takes a lot of time.

You can visit Phil's website right HERE.

Phil Rowley

The gang at work.

Paz and Doug concentrating on their flies.

Today's Patterns. All the images are from Phil's Presentation.

Monday January 31, 2011

Hi Everybody!

Evan Ritchie was our guest tyer tonight and 25 tyers spent the evening learning to tie several bucktail streamers. Evan's streamers covered brook, brown and rainbow trout. Many of us had our first opportunity to tie jungle cock eyes into our streamers. Jungle cock is hard (and expensive) to get. As always, Evan brought several neat patterns. Evan says try some of them on the Bow River. They work great there and he also bets they will do well in some of the trophy lakes in Manitoba. Thanks Evan, for an excellent evening of fly tying instruction.

Next week, Tim Maley is our guest tyer. Tim has requested that everybody bring a needle (sewing variety) as well as yellow and green antron (we will have the antron on hand if you do not have any).

Remember that the Big Flies for Big Fish Workshop with Phil Rowley is this Saturday at West Park Middle School starting at 9 am. Come a bit early and have a coffee. We are going to put in an order for pizza or bring your lunch. There will be a materials fee of $10. If you have the following material, please bring it:

〈 6/0 White Thread

〈 6/0 or 3/0 Yellow Thread

〈 Holographic or Red Flashabou

〈 Red Crystal Flash

〈 Pearl Crystal Flash

〈 Superglue for attaching eyes, Loctite Gel Type preferred (Wal-Mart)

〈 Gold Mylar, Tinsel, or Diamond Braid

〈 Dubbing Spinner

〈 Side cutters for cutting hooks and wire etc.

Tonight we also had a visit from Jason Cooper, a biologist, from Alberta Fish and Wildlife. He brought several donated boxes of tying material from Jim Currie(I may have the spelling wrong). I will take a look at the material and distribute it in the next week or so.

Little Brook Trout

Hook: Streamer 2-12 XL

Tail: Bright green bucktail

Rib: Flat silver

Body: White yarn or dubbing

Wing: Four hair layers, badger over green over orange over white bucktail

Head: Black lacquered

Little Brown Trout Bucktail

Hook: streamer 2-12 XL

Tail: small pheasant breast feather

Rib: Red wire

Body: White yarn or dubbing

Wing: Four layers of hair, dark brown squirrel over dark grey squirrel over red bucktail over yellow bucktail

Cheeks: Jungle Cock Eyes or sub

Head: Black lacquered

Little Rainbow Trout Bucktail

Hook: Streamer 2-12 XL

Tail: Green bucktail

Rib: Silver tinsel

Body: Pink-white yarn or dubbing

Wing: Four layers of hair, badger over bright green over pink over white bucktail

Cheeks: Jungle Cock Eyes or sub

head: Black laquered

Bernie says this fly is perfection.

Lining up the jungle cock eyes.

The Gang

Monday January 24th, 2011

Hi Everybody!

Bernie Peet was our guest fly tyer tonight. 22 fly tyers were taught 4 highly effective British fly patterns. Bernie is a very precise tyer. He likes to ensure that each pattern has the proper proportions. That certainly helps to make his patterns great imitations that trout find hard to refuse. Bernie did forget his vice and that meant he had to endure Bob's Thompson Vice. Another excellent evening thanks to Bernie's leadership.

We have but one spot left for the Phil Rowley Fly Tying Seminar on February 5th. Let Bob know if you want to come.

We now have 8 spots taken on the trip to The Parkland Region of Manitoba on June 9th-June 13th. Phil Rowley will be hosting the trip along with Bob and Karen Vanderwater. There are still 4 spots left although Phil will be offering those 4 spots to any interested fly fishers starting this Friday January 28th at the Canadian Fly Fishing Exposition. I would love to see the trip fill up with our gang. If you decide to go, contact Bob by Thursday.

Remember that the Canadian Fly Fishing Exposition is this weekend in Calgary at Spruce Meadows.

Next week Evan Ritchie is our guest tyer. Evan is one of the original members who got this fly tying group up and running. I think Evan is going to buy a new bottle of head cement before next week. He discovered that his head cement was "Hard as Nails." Grin!

Bernie Peet at the vice!

The Crisp Packet Buzzer

Hook: Size 12 scud/midge hook, eg. Daiichi 1130

Thread: 8/0 black or olive for the green version

Rib: Fine flat pearl mylar

Cheeks: Orange foil from Doritos tangy cheese flavour

Optional thorax cover: Medium pearl mylar

Coated with: Hard as Hull or Hard as Nails

The Shipman’s Buzzer

Thread: Black or red 8/0

Hook: Size 12, wet fly standard shank(2x long),, eg. Daiichi 1550

Breathers: White Antron yarn

Rib: Medium pearl mylar

Body: Black reddish brown, orange or green seal’s fur or other rough dubbing

Diawl Bach (Little Devil)

Hook: Size 12, wet fly standard shank (1x or 2x long), eg. Daiichi 1550

Thread: Reddish brown or red 8.0

Tail: Small bunch of red/brown or ginger cock hackle (Cheap Chinese or Indian will do)

Body: 2-3 strands of peacock herl

Rib: Medium copper wire.

Beard hackle: As tail

Bernie’s Daiwl Bach Variant

As above but:

Rib: Fine holographic red tinsel

Head/thorax: Small (ideally) or medium black crystal chenille (no beard hackle)

Bernie loves chronomids!

The gang at work.