Two Fly Tying Classes

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Field & Stream, Medford Oregon

Fly Tying Programs – Beginning Class Info and Sign Up Sheet

Winter 2018

            Welcome to Beginning Fly Tying!  In the weeks to come we hope to take you step-by-step and introduce the basic elements and techniques to tie simple but effective fishing fly patterns.

            Since we have a very short time to cover a considerable amount of knowledge, it is important for you to bring the required tools, equipment and materials to each of the sessions.  You will receive a weekly schedule at that time and all future tools and materials will be discussed prior to the next class.

           

            I am providing the following information about the beginning class this year:

Dates:                    7 Tuesday nights starting 02/13/2018

Class time:                        6 pm to 9:00 pm

Place:                     Field & Stream, Medford Oregon (Fishing Department)

Fee:                       There is no fee. Those signed up for and starting the class will receive 20% off their purchases of fly tying materials and tools purchased from Field and Stream for the class.  Additionally, those completing the class will receive a one-time coupon for 20% of their next purchase of fly tying materials, tools, hooks and books.

Tools:  You will receive a separate email of all tools and materials needed to do the homework for your classes.  You can purchase the needed tools/materials prior to the first class or attend the first class (I will have tools for you to use in the first class).  You can then buy the items needed from Field & Stream (20% discount) and other local establishments to do the first week’s homework.

Please bring all tools and materials (and the ones I hand out) to each class!

Class 1:      Getting Started, Vice, Other Tools, Thread Mounting, Duck Quill Pinch

Class 2:      Working with Hair Types, Control vs Spinning Hair, Posting Wings and Tailing with Hair

Class 3:      Working with Hair, Spinning Hair Bodies

Class 4:      Nymphs and Dubbing Techniques

Class 5:      Floss Bodies, Tails and Peacock Herl

Class 6:      Hackle Types and Tying Techniques

Class 7:      Homework follow up and instructor to tie 3 complete flies (student’s choice – students to choose 3 flies they want to see tied)

If you signup and cannot attend, please notify us right away (call F&S 541-772-0462 option 4, or Dave McCants 541-973-3508) so another person may take the class.

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Rogue Fly Fishers - Intermediate Fly Tying

Location: Dave McCants tying den – 1884 Sonya Circle, Medford, OR 97505

Date: Each Thursday for 6 weeks starting February 15^th, 2018 (6pm to 9pm)

Fee:   $0

Coffee provided, seating for me and 6 people, first come, first serve.  Contact Dave at 541-973-3508 or at Davetyer@comcast.net to reserve a spot.  If you cannot make it for the class let me know right away as there are a limited number of spaces.

Class 1:          Catskill Fly’s (March Brown/Light Cahill/Quill Gordon)

Class 2:          Parachute Fly’s (March Brown/Adams/Blue Winged Olive)

Class 3:          Soft Hackle and No Hackle Fly’s (Partridge Orange & Yellow/Slate Gray No Hackle)

Class 4:          Classic Steelhead Flies (Jim Prey’s Thor / Boxcar)       

Class 5:          Stoneflies!

Class 6:          Midges for everyday use!

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Dave Hamilton flies and LNG Letters

The step by step tying instructions for all three of Daves flies have now been added to the previous post.  

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Two new tabs has been added to the top of the home page.  The new tabs are LNG Letters, Share LNG Letters, and Copy and Paste.  Click on it to see sample letters.  More letters will be added as time permits.  Please use them, feel free to modify them, or write your own.  When you write your own, send me a copy.  I will remove your name and we will have a new sample letter for others to use.

January 2018 Meeting

Southern Oregon Fly Tyers

Meeting on Tuesday, January 9, 2018

6:00 PM

8401 Old Stage Road, Gold Hill

The January SOFT meeting will feature a demonstration by Cathy Hamilton.  Rather than tying flies that she's tied many times before, Cathy will pay tribute to Dave by doing her best to tie three of the flies that he most enjoyed tying at the shows they attended together.  Cathy will have some stories to share about how Dave came to tie these flies.  If you wish to tie along, bring some tying thread -- black 8/0 and red UTC 70 (or any red 8/0, if you don't have UTC), along with any of the materials you may have from the recipes.  Cathy will bring some of the hooks and beads, as well as some of the more "exotic" materials used in the flies she'll be tying.  

BLOOD WORM

HOOK: 2X heavy wire, 2X short, 2X wide gap – TMC 2457, Dai-Riki 135, Daiichi 1120; size 12

BEAD: 8/0 seed bead – transparent red, silver-lined

THREAD: 8/0 red

BODY: Spanflex – red – Medium, cut 2 ¼  inches long

COLLAR: Rhea – dyed red

Smash the barb and place the seed bead on the hook.  Lay in a thread base right behind the bead, going back 1/16”.  Tie in one strand of Spanflex right behind the bead on top of the thread base on the top of the hook.  Attach a hackle plier to the other end of the Spanflex.  Attach a dubbing twister to the hackle plier and give two good spins, creating a tight twist.  Grab the twisted Spanflex, leaving 1/8” of the tag end.  Tie in the tag end right behind the bead, keeping a finger inside the loop of twisted Spanflex.  Replace your finger with a bodkin, pull it back to straighten out the loop, grab the end of the loop between your thumb and index finger, and pull out the bodkin.  Release the loop, allowing the Spanflex to twist on itself, thus creating a furled body.  If it turns into an ugly knot, re-insert a bodkin in the twisted loop right behind the tie-in point and slide it back to the end of the loop to straighten it out, and try it again.  Position the thread 1/16” behind the head and tie in one “herl” of Rhea by the butt on top of the hook, and take one half turn over the top of the hook.  Wrap 3 turns of the Rhea clockwise round the thread, creating a rope.  Wrap the rope forward to the bead and tie off.  Whip finish behind the bead and apply head cement.

A note about the materials: Transparent silver-lined seed beads can be found in bead shops and some craft stores.  Spanflex is a rubber-leg- like material.  Rhea is like a very fine ostrich plume.  Spanflex and Rhea are available from fly shops or through mail order.

DAVE’S REAL SKUNK

Bead Head: 1/8” black metal bead or 8/0 glass seed bead – translucent green with red center

Hook: Daiichi 1560, Mustad 3906B, TMC 3761; Size 8-12.

Lead: .015 Lead Wire for size 12 hook

Thread: Black 8/0.

Tail: Black Guard Hairs from a Skunk skin.

Rib: Fine Copper Wire.

Body: Black Fur (Guard Hairs and Undercoat) from Skunk skin, Dubbed.

Hackle: Black CDC (Optional).

Collar: Black Ostrich Hurl.

Smash hook barb and put bead on hook.  Wrap 8 wraps of lead on hook for metal bead, or 4 wraps for glass bead, and slide into the bead.  Cover the lead with wraps of thread and wrap back to the bend of the hook.  Cut a clump of black fur off the skunk skin (about the size of a wood pencil), cutting as close to the skin as possible, and remove the undercoat from the guard hairs.  (Save the undercoat for dubbing the body).  Stack the guard hairs and tie in for the tail.  The length of the tail should be equal to the length of the shank of the hook.  Add the trimmed (waste) guard hairs from the tail to the undercoat for dubbing the body.  Tie in the wire rib on the bottom of the hook.  Dub the undercoat (and trimmings from tail) for the body from the tail toward the beadhead, leaving room for the hackle and collar.  Counterwrap the rib and tie off.  If used, wrap the CDC hackle 1 - 1 1/2 turns.  Wrap the ostrich herl collar (1 strand) 2 - 3 wraps and tie off.  Whip finish, tying off on the bottom of the hook.  Apply a small dab of head cement on the bottom of the hook at the bead.

CRAFT STORE CHIRONOMID

HOOK: Scud; Daiichi 1120, Dai-Riki 135, TMC 2457 – size 12

HEAD: 8/0 seed bead -- red stripes on white

THREAD: UTC 70 red

BODY: Stretch Magic – size .5 mm

GILL: White Antron

Smash the barb, slide the bead onto the hook, and place hook in vise.  Attach tying thread to hook and bind down a wisp of Antron, so most of the material protrudes over the hook eye.  Wrap it down, whip finish and remove bobbin.  Trim off the excess Antron, leaving just a small tuft above the eye of the hook.  Then slide the bead into position and reattach the tying thread right behind it.  Tie on a piece of Stretch Magic right behind the bead, and lash it down the length of the hook, stretching it as you wrap your thread, and ending at the midpoint of the bend of the hook.  Wrap the tying thread back forward, in touching wraps, so that the Stretch Magic and the hook will be completely covered with the thread.  Then wrap the Stretch Magic forward, placing each wrap next to the previous one.  Stretch the Stretch Magic firmly as you start, and gradually reduce the stretch, to create a bit of a taper in the body of the fly.  When you reach the bead, tie off the Stretch Magic with 2 - 3 tight wraps, and cut it as close as possible.  Whip finish and apply head cement to your thread wraps.