Deal of the Day

Check out Performance Flies Deal of the Day.

A while ago I posted about Performance Fly Wire.  Kevin has it on sale so get it while it last.

Tight wraps.

Hijacked and more

Wow,  It has been a while since I have last posted. Boy how time flies, when you are having fun, recovering, learning something new, working hard, enjoying life and keeping busy.

Well lets recap the year to date.  The year started off a bang for me, busy tying at shows, orders, and creating a few new patterns.  Only got out to fish a handful times early in the spring.  Had a minor longboarding accident that kept me away from the rivers, as did my son's lacrosse practices, games and just a busy spring doing many other things other then fishing or tying.

After recovering from my little longboarding accident I suffered and son's lax season came to an end, I found some fishing time. Spent a longweekend fishing the yampa, fished the dream, fished the colorado, and fished a few other places I have since forgotten, but in all was a great time.

 In the mean time my blog was hijacked and I lost control of it for while. I didn't have the time to spend trying to recover and work things out all summer and just kind of let it go.  As I also did with fishing and tying.  I took the month of July off from work and spent it camping and on the beach. Gave my hand at some salt water fishing.  I also picked up the banjo and began lesson learning how to play the banjo.  I am slowly learning my way around the banjo, it is coming along so hopefully in due time I will get it together.

Back to fishing, after returning in August.  I made it out and fished a few places, Cheesman, Gore Canyon, San Miguel, Deckers, and floated the Colorado Pumphouse to Statebridge.  I also fished the Williams Fork and had a great time right up until I broke my rod, no biggie there, Ill send it back to be fixed.

Worked with Google and got control of the blog back, and now the crisp is in the air they are calling for Snow this weekend here in Denver, which has me excited to think the change of the season is coming and my favorite time of year is coming up.  Yup winter, because the fishing is still great, no crowds, and technical fishing at its best.  Always up for the Challenge.  Have a few demos set up this year.  Ill post the dates and places here in the next few weeks.

I am about to get ready and start twisting up some patterns again, Got some new materials, hooks, and ideas, but Ill have to knock the rust off.    Other then that, hope everyone had a great summer.  Looking forward to tying and more fishing moving forward.  It was good to take a nice long break and do some other things.

Denver Fly Fishing Show

Well the Denver Fly Fishing Show is done and has moved out of town for another year. I tied flies again this year at show Saturday and Sunday. Had a good time as always, got to see old friends, made some new ones, received a few custom orders, Thanks Gents! Want to thank all who stopped by to watch me twist up a few bugs. Here is a photo of one of Sunday's more popular bugs. The photo was taken by Carl P. Check out his blog CP's Fly Fishing and Tying.

This fly is my Prince Nymph Hybrid called The Stoned Prince.

Hook: Partridge CZ #12

Thread: Benecchi 12/0 Brown

Bead: Gold Tungsten 1/8

Tail: Dubbing Mix of Performance Flies UV Black Ice Dub and Life Cycle Golden Stone

Body: Same as above

Rib: Mono Chameleon

Wings: Spirit River vinyl wing material Wings and Things Clear motted

Legs: Partridge

Thorax Same as tail and body

Prince Style wings: White Goose Biots

Hot Spot: UV black Ice mix with blue fine sybai flash.

other version tied over the weekend, had hot spots added by using Glo Brite Thread Fl. Pink and Fl. Yellow. Thorax's had Bronze Siman Peacock. Will try and post pictures later this week.

Soldarini Barbless Hooks

Just a quick update on Soldarini Barbless Hooks! I have received quite a few emails about where to get these hooks, they are available at http://www.performanceflies.com/ Check them out. I think you will enjoy these hooks.

Also I will be tying at the Denver Fly Fishing Show this weekend, Saturday and Sunday. Come by and check it out.

Go Barbless in 2012

2012 is here and the world is upon a re-birthing of sorts. The Mayan calendar comes to an end this year and all sorts of folks have different views to what is going to happen. From the complete destruction of earth, to Alien invasion, to higher level of consciousness, and many other crazy ideas have emerged.

I am going to suggest another crazy idea for 2012! Let us as fly fisherman, go to barbless hooks! I have been using barbless for years, I find they are easier to release a fish without using forceps, because the hooks easily slides out. I have also found it is easier to remove from my skin on an errant gone bad cast. I think they some of the barbless hooks hold better then barbed hooks, they are easier to penetrate the fish lips for a good hook up. The barb sometime complicates the hook up and you lose your fish. There are some great barbless hooks on the market from some of the well known names you know and use daily, to some European style models, and this year landing stateside is yet another new barbless brand.

These barbless hooks are called Soldarini and come from Italy and the mind of Sandro Soldarini himself. He is introducing a very well thought out and strong barbless hook. These Hooks went through years of ongoing research, development and testing and is made from some of the best steel on the market. The series of hooks has four different models. The D-Series is a classic nymph hook straight, black finish and in sizes 10-16. The J series is a jig hook(not pictured) black nickle finish in sizes 10-16. The G series is the grub/scud hook, bronze finish in sizes 10-16. The S series is a long shank streamer hook, with a black nickle finish in sizes 8-10.

At first glance of the g or grub/scud hook it should intrigue the tyers here in the U.S. because of the uniformed shape of this particular hook. When looking at it, it appears to be the same shape as most scud hooks that you are used to tying on. Like the TMC 2487, 2457, Dai Riki 135 and the Daiichi 1120 hooks. This hook resembles these hooks with its very uniformed curved shape that will appeal to tyers here in the US. Take a glance below at the continued curved shank. They also have a brownish bronze-patina finish, and hook spear is pointed up much like the Dohiku Grub hook, but the curved shank is what is appealing about this hook and the hook gap looks to be a sure fish holder as well.

Grub/Scud Hooks

Classic Nymph Hook

Streamer Hooks

Various Twists

Just finished up a few orders of flies. Here is some various pics of flies that were twisted up.

Have a Happy Holiday Season.

Dynamic Nymphing

Once in awhile comes along a good read and here is the newest good read. This book is worth checking out and learning a few new tricks. I think its actual release date is in January. But you can get a copy now for the Holidays from Performance Flies.

Here is book worth looking into.