# Beer, Tie, Beer, Tie.....



## JRH (Mar 18, 2007)

.....I think I could get used to this tying fly shenanigans.

I decided I was going to start tying flies so I stopped by Orlando Outfitters this evening. Chris was very helpful and showed me the ropes. [smiley=thumbup.gif]


I started with some simple clousers tonite. Here are my first two:












Not that I needed a reason to drink beer before my trip to OO...but in the future, if I ever do need a reason, I can now go sit down at my desk and start tying.


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## Guest (Jan 25, 2008)

Very nice but I'm sure you would rather hear that from the "circle". 


Bheer sparks creativity.


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## tom_in_orl (Dec 9, 2006)

Very cool. How did you like Flies and Lies Thursday night get together they put on?


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## ucfsae81 (Dec 5, 2007)

very nice i need some in chartuese color now


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## JRH (Mar 18, 2007)

> Very cool. How did you like Flies and Lies Thursday night get together they put on?



They didn't have it last night. He told me they're gonna start it up again the 1st or 2nd Thursday in February. 

He's also gonna start some fly tying classes for beginner and advanced tying. I can't remember the exact details, but anyone can call him at the shop and get the info. Sounds pretty cool.


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## Spook (Apr 6, 2007)

Nice job. My first attempts were way crazier looking than that. Those will definitely catch some fish for you. As far as I'm concerned, beer, tie, beer, tie, etc. is the perfect way to wile away the time when when it's too windy/rainy to fish. Check out the Borski DVD's. Cool stuff, and they'll give you some good ideas for coming up with your own patterns.


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## deerfly (Mar 10, 2007)

Jason, those look excellent. Like spook said, my first attempts were pretty hideous too, hell even some of my recent stuff is pretty hideous.  Now go catch something on them and you'll be ruined for life to fish with anything but your own flies. - eric


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## iMacattack (Dec 11, 2006)

I don't get it... where are the pictures of the beer? ;D  

Nice work!

Cheers


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## JRH (Mar 18, 2007)

First couple attempts at seaducers. I think I need less material and maybe a little better selection in the size of saddles I pick out for the tail and body. The chartreuse has a loop weedguard, which was also my first attempt.


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## tom_in_orl (Dec 9, 2006)

Looks good. I would like to see how you make a weed guard properly. Anyone have pictures or a link?


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## ucfsae81 (Dec 5, 2007)

i really like the chartreuse and the size is good too b/c i haven't seen any that big before looks like they would work good


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## JRH (Mar 18, 2007)

> Looks good. I would like to see how you make a weed guard properly. Anyone have pictures or a link?



Not a loop like I tied, but here is one example of a weedguard(and a great website with videos):
www.fishbuzz.tv (Click "Fly Fishing" --> "Tips" --> "Weed Guard")


Another website with pics:
http://flyfisherman.com/ftb/jgweedguards/index.html


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## deerfly (Mar 10, 2007)

Not trying to be critical because you are just getting started, but those tail hackles are a bit big. Almost look like wing feathers.  Not sure how you bought your hackle material, but the strung hackle bundles tend to run on the large side. When you get a neck patch where you have to pluck em out, you generally have a lot more variation to choose from. I like to have both around depending on what I'm doing, but especially for anything on a #1 hook or smaller the neck patches tend to be the better hackle source. 

Regardless, I bet you could get baby tarpon, trout, red's or jack's to eat one of them. Seaducers are one of my favorite flies. - eric


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## JRH (Mar 18, 2007)

Thanks for the tip, Eric. I'll take all the constructive criticism I can get. 

I noticed after tying the chartreuse seaducer that I got a little carried away in the tail section. My saddles are the strung bundles.


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## Guest (Feb 1, 2008)

This is a great thread. Thanks for sharing.


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## aaronshore (Aug 24, 2007)

Tied this Bonefish Bitters tonight. Came out ok for the first one. Not real good with epoxy yet. Whatcha think?


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## deerfly (Mar 10, 2007)

looks good to me, but then again I ain't a bonefish.


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## jbuch1 (Feb 17, 2007)

JRH,

Just further compliments here. The clousers look really good.
I need to get back at it again. thanks for sharing.
Kevin


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## JRH (Mar 18, 2007)

Went down to Flamingo this past weekend.

Got my first ever snook on fly and it was also my first fish caught on a fly I tied - olive and white clouser. Pretty cool.











There is a fish in that picture...you might have to put on your glasses and squint really hard.


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## Spook (Apr 6, 2007)

That's awesome man. My first red on a fly I tied was half that size. It literally was the smallest red I've seen to date, but it came with such a feeling of accomplishment. Here's to that little dude being the first of many. [smiley=1-beer.gif]


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## deerfly (Mar 10, 2007)

Congrat's Jason.  The size of the fish doesn't matter as much as trying to catch them on a fly and one you tied at that. The bigger fish will come in time and its probably better to have a little practice on the smaller ones first.  My last couple of trips down there produced a lot of juvenile snook too, maybe the most I can ever remember, which I think is good. Means they're breeding well and the little jewfish aren't eating everything in sight.  The big ones are around though, you just have to find mangroves with good current flow and at least a couple feet of water depth and deeper water close by.


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## JRH (Mar 18, 2007)

Trying a few new patterns that are easy for a beginner.

Flats Bunny (This one produced a red on the Lagoon last Sunday)











The Inhaler (for juv. tarpon in the keys this summer)











Merkin style crab (I need to get a wire brush to fluff out the yarn better)


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## deerfly (Mar 10, 2007)

lookin' good, how many beers were required?


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## JRH (Mar 18, 2007)

> lookin' good, how many beers were required?


Lost track. I find that's easy to do while sitting at the vise....and it also explains why some of my flies look like fur balls coughed up by a cat the next morning. [smiley=40s.gif]


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## Spook (Apr 6, 2007)

A lot of them are supposed to look like that. ;D


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