What's in your vise?

2nd attempt and I'm finding getting a clean backend (the reverse muddler part). It's the transferring of hair after I trim it, they get a little out of line. And then either deciding to hold the short hairs with my left hand so I can wrap with my dominant hand, or holding the longer hairs (more secure) and wrapping with my non dominant hand. Whereas when I tie just straight sparkle duns I trim after I tie them in so I still have longer hairs to hold with my non dominant hand and can wrap with my dominant. Ironically, I think my #18 sparkle dun came out better than my #10 spundun came out. Although the #10 is super buggy and will still catch fish. I do just feel like I'm missing something.

View attachment 135641View attachment 135642

watched this video, and it's interesting, feels more like a traditional sparkle dun rather than a spun dun.

Your fly looks a hell of a lot better than my first attempts; I would eat it if I was a fish.

Here’s part of an old SBS showing the sequence I use

Clean, stack, measure (shank length) a hefty clump of deer hair

51135641141_642a11a275_c.jpg


Trim butts, tie in tips forward with 2 soft loops; tighten, spin, trim butts

51136419009_1fa6589d6a_c.jpg


51135641116_7d006f366f_c.jpg


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Holding the hair in my right hand, I loop the thread over the trimmed butts with my left (a little awkward, but it gets easier with repetition), steadily pull the thread tight without letting go, and as the butts flare on top of the hook, slowly release it and it should spin around the hook uniformly.

One real basic thing that it took me a few flies to figure out, and you may have already, is to have the tips facing forward when you take them out of the stacker; you’ll have to transfer them in order to measure for length but the tips will stay pretty much in alignment if you’re careful.

Hope this helps,
Scott
 
McPhail’s Carrot Nymph (variation)

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Here’s his video if you’re interested.

hook - WFC Model 20 #14
thread - Uni 8/0 fire orange
tail - Cree
rib - small wire red
body - bleached pheasant tail dyed orange (1 Tbs Rit Sunshine Orange/1 cup water)
thorax - Ice Dub peacock
legs - deer hair
bead - 1/8” gold

Regards,
Scott
 
Your fly looks a hell of a lot better than my first attempts; I would eat it if I was a fish.

Here’s part of an old SBS showing the sequence I use

Clean, stack, measure (shank length) a hefty clump of deer hair

51135641141_642a11a275_c.jpg


Trim butts, tie in tips forward with 2 soft loops; tighten, spin, trim butts

51136419009_1fa6589d6a_c.jpg


51135641116_7d006f366f_c.jpg


51135855483_9042d392d7_c.jpg


Holding the hair in my right hand, I loop the thread over the trimmed butts with my left (a little awkward, but it gets easier with repetition), steadily pull the thread tight without letting go, and as the butts flare on top of the hook, slowly release it and it should spin around the hook uniformly.

One real basic thing that it took me a few flies to figure out, and you may have already, is to have the tips facing forward when you take them out of the stacker; you’ll have to transfer them in order to measure for length but the tips will stay pretty much in alignment if you’re careful.

Hope this helps,
Scott
Thank you Scott, I’ll try tying it in again while holding the long side with my right hand—like you said—it’s a bit awkward.
 
Just got into tying, uh, yesterday. Kinda winging it on chironomids with the supplies that came in the kit my dad got me for the birthday. Here's my fourth fly. Is the hat too big, proportionally?

View attachment 135851
I'd call those at least 4 microns too long and you should remove 2 fibers for sparseness...

I'm kidding. If this is your fourth fly stop whatever else you're doing, you found your thing. Great fly!
 
Pheasant Tail Cephalopod

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hook - WFC Model 6 #10
thread - Uni 8/0 camel
tail - yarn sunburst
rib - small wire copper/brown (twisted)
abdomen - pheasant tail
thorax - Ice Dub pheasant tail
hackle - brown (thorax only)
shoulder - golden pheasant body feather gold
veil - Ice Dub pheasant tail

Regards,
Scott
 
@Zak

Hey nice looking Chromie. Would you be willing to share how you made those wingpads? They look really good.

Bob
Thanks! Those wing pads are simple. After everyone else is tied in, I fold a length of sexi leg material around the thread and tied it in behind the bead (underneath/hook point side).

Then I grab both ends of the leg material and pull them back toward the bend while wrapping back with the thread, keeping the leg material on the sides and a bit underneath.

Then build up the area a bit with thread and pull the two ends forward and up, one at a time, and tie them in.

Here's a similar fly with Lazer dubbing and a dab of orange sharpie instead of leg material:

image.jpg
 
Thanks! Those wing pads are simple. After everyone else is tied in, I fold a length of sexi leg material around the thread and tied it in behind the bead (underneath/hook point side).

Then I grab both ends of the leg material and pull them back toward the bend while wrapping back with the thread, keeping the leg material on the sides and a bit underneath.

Then build up the area a bit with thread and pull the two ends forward and up, one at a time, and tie them in.

Here's a similar fly with Lazer dubbing and a dab of orange sharpie instead of leg material:

View attachment 136157
Sexy
 
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