Project Healing Waters Raffle -- Final Countdown -- MORE PRIZES!!!!

Time is quickly running out to purchase your tickets for the TTL Project Healing Waters Raffle. It will be closing ticket sales tomorrow (May 31st) at midnight, and I will announce the winners the following day, Wednesday June 1st. The response has been phenomenal, but I'd love to sell a few more tickets before I draw for the winners. To that end, I've listed the items below to push you in the right direction.

Email The Tailing Loop (thetailingloop@gmail.com) for more information or send funds through PayPal at the same address. Tickets are $2 each or 3 for $5.


Come on guys it is $2...  Do any of you know veterans or people overseas in Combat?  This is an amazing cause and helping is the least we could do to support the vets enjoy OUR favorite past time.


AGAIN HERE ARE THE ITEMS UP FOR IN THE RAFFLE!!


Allen Fly Co. Trout Series 5/7 Reel 

Fly Box #1 - Nearly 100 trout flies in a double-sided, waterproof box from Allen Fly Co. Thanks to Dustin (of Dustin's Fly Box) for supplying most of these flies! Yep thats me

Fly Box #2 - About 18 warmwater flies in a double-sided, waterproof box from Allen Fly Co. Thanks to Dustin (of Dustin's Fly Box) and Matt Smythe (FishingPoet) for supplying the flies. 

Fly Box #3 - A beautiful handmade wood fly box with a couple dozen trout flies.

Fly Box #4 - A second beautiful handmade wood fly box with a couple dozen trout flies.

Kodak Playsport Waterproof Camera w/ Video - The esteemed Owl Jones really stepped up when he sent this camera for the raffle. If you haven't checked out his site, do it. You'll smile a lot and you might even learn something!

If these items aren't enough to make it worth your while to pick up a few tickets, I don't know what is! You have until midnight tomorrow to make it happen, so get your money in for a chance at one of these great items!

Blog shout out week 6 -- Ulf Hadstom and Anglers Choice Flies

I know, I know two in the same week but I said it before I was a week behind so I needed to do 2 in one week.  Also I have some flies I need to post but I have been tying 3 weeks strait to finish all my orders and now done so I can post what I have come up with!!

1.  The flies and lives of Ulf Hagstrom -- Ulf has been a personal hero due to his amazing tying!!  I knew about him when I first started and try to tie everything he puts on his blog. He does have a lot of followers but if you don't know about him then you should!! He is a very innovative tier and his concepts are amazing!! CHECK OUT HIS BLOG!!

2.  Anglers Choice Flies --  Mike is an AMAZING tier.  A very efficient commercial tier and a round about REALLY cool guy. It has been really cool to see his orders go out the door and his passion for fishing and tying!   He recently made a post of being married for 1 year and it would be cool to congratulate him for that.  Congratulate Post.   He also has a website at Anglers Choice Flies

Website shout out goes to http://www.frontsidefly.com/  These young Scandinavian men have some very entertaining videos and they are very well thought out!!  Give them a look!  

Holy Snikies -- a little over 5 months and 150 followers

I don't believe it, 150 followers in a little over 5 months.  Just wanted to say thanks to everyone!  Why would you guys take 1 minute out of your day to see my dumb posts lol.  They are not interesting nor very informative, heck I am not the best writer nor story teller! Let alone you still keep reading and commenting!  You all hold a dear spot in my heart! I want to say thank you all!  It makes my day to wake up every morning and see your responses and even better to see your blogs and amazing  content you guys come out with.  It is my driving force to keep tying and helping others with their tying and blogging.  One last time THANK YOU FOLLOWERS!!

I was wondering how my fly boxes got filled while I was sleeping

Here is a great stop motion video I found

got it from this youtuber  http://www.youtube.com/frycdf

Blog shout out week 5 - Trout Magee and Trerton Fly

This is long over due. You will be getting 2 shouts out this week cause I have not been on top of it. Yes you get 2 in this post but you will be getting 2 more in a day or so. So lets get this started.

1,  Trout magee --  I can't say enough about this chap. His pictures over the last couple weeks have caught me in awe!  He is an amazing father taking his kids fishing and his participation in the blog community!  He is a great fly tier and if you ever make a post be sure he will look at it and vote an opinion.  If you don't check out his blog you are missing out in life!

2. Treartonfly --  This is a young guy that found fly tying and fishing over the last year. You might not be able to see bu his fly tying has progressed vastly over the last year.  He now has videos on youtube and just loves to tie. Again like above I would check out his blog and help support the new generation of tiers!!

Found a good CDC find for a couple bucks at an estate sale

I can not stress enough to check out garage sales and estate sales. I was able to get a grip of CDC in a ton of colors just for a couple bucks.  Give it a try, most of the time I get skunked but when you make a good find it is all worth it. I got 2 bulk packs one in white and the other in dun.  The barred look really cool and have some patterns in mind for that. I can tell these are at least 10 years old but should work just fine

Caddis Larva Art -- I am without words

At first I had to watch it several times but after I was in AWE!

This is getting out of hand!

http://cgi.ebay.com/fly-tying-feather-hair-extensions-whiting-1-grizzly-/120727194031?pt=US_CSA_MWA_Wigs_Extensions&hash=item1c1be6c9af#ht_500wt_922

$10 for 5 good grizzly feathers with bids!!  If you have extra feathers now is the time to unload and make some money till this blows over!!!  Hell I might start unwrapping flies to supply the demand....  but that goes against the fly tying oath I took :)

Reversed Parachute Deer Hair Olive -- Step by Step

Sorry I did not come out with this sooner. My camera got lost and now it has been found again.  Since the low supply of hackle lately I started making some parachute flies with deer or elk hair.  They have been fun to tie but can be a little tricky to get used to.  So here is a simple reverse parachute pattern that can be tied quickly and has a great buggy look.  Also sorry for the shadows in the pics. My main light decided to go out so I had to use a behind light and the sun which drew this great shadow.

Reversed Parachute Deer Hair Olive

Hook:  Daiichi 1250 Size 12-16

Thread:  Uni 8/0 Black or Olive

Rib: Small Copper Wire

Body: Any olive buggy dubbing material

Post: Small Copper Wire

Parachute: Olive compara-dun Deer hair

These are really the only 3 main materials other than thread you will need to make this simple fly. I use a synthetic dubbing I made myself which is a mix between light olive, dark olive, and a light brown.

First off put the hook in the vise pointing slightly down. I do this so when I dub it is easier for me. Tie in your copper wire which will be used as your ribbing and take it to a little above halfway down the bend of the hook.  You can use a dry fly hook but I use the Dennin Brown glass bead hook cause it has a great bend and allows the eye of the hook to go below the surface of the water. Plus I like that it is offset.

You can start dubbing before you put the post in but I always do the post first. Make a loop with the copper wire and tie it in until it is just below where the hook starts to straiten. Look at the finished product above and you can gauge where to put it.

Now you can dub the body. You can put a taper in it but on this pattern to me it didn't matter much. After you dub I always put a whip finish in to hold the thread in place so you can rib next.

With the copper wire you tied in first make sure to do nice and evenly spaced ribs. I do 7 or 8 ribs and always do at least 2 before the post. That is my way of gauging that I went down enough on the bend of the hook. Now you can whip finish and cut thread.

I always do 5 or 6 at a time and set aside so I can spin the deer hair all at once.

With the hook in the vise cut a clump of deer hair. Make sure to clean out all the fuzz and stack it.  Run your fingers down the post from the middle to the fly itself so the wire is really close together. The hair should be  trimmed to about 3/4s of the bodies length. With the open hole on the top of the post run the deer hair down till it touches the fly. Since the wire is really close together it should hold the deer hair in place.

Any type of dubbing twister or even a opened paperclip would work.  While pinching the deer hair start twisting the wire. You pinch it at first cause the hair will try and crawl up the wire. Give it about 5-8 twists and then let go of the hair.  I twist about 25-30 times. Once you start getting used to it you will know what works for you.  DO NOT over twist or you will break the wire at the bottom.  Snip right at the twister so you can look it all over.

This is what it looks like from below. As you can see I still have the wire twist long.

Now snip the wire right at the top of the hair. Sometimes the hair goes too far up. You can snip into the hair. This one I tied I did have to snip a little into the twisted hair. You can tell from 2 pictures above how high the hair went versus how far I clipped down.

This is what the fly after it has been cut looks from above.  Thanks everyone for reading this and let me know what you think. I will be making hoppers, adult stones, spinners, and blue damsels using the hair parachute in the future.  Have fun tying!!!!!

Really???

I found this link on google.. All I had to say is really??  On a hair styles website. Tomorrow I will come out with some new flies :)

http://www.top-hairstyles.net/20111505-dustins-fly-box-deer-hair-parachutes-new-concept-i-found.php

Deer hair parachutes.. New concept I found

Well I was searching for new ways to make parachute flies cause my hackle storage is getting low. I saw on Fly tying new and old blog a couple months ago a way to use deer or elk hair for your parachutes. I have deer hair in just about every color so I gave it a try today. These were my first 2 flies I tried so once I perfect it I will do a step by step.

This was my first one I tried. It is very rough but starting to get the hang of  it.

As you can see it leaves a great silhouet on the water.

This is my first attempt of a reverse parachute. Of course since I did a blog shout out I needed to try Roy's creations but with a deer hair parachute.

I got a lot of patterns in mind to try this with!

Blog shout out week 4 -- Reversed Parachutes and My Leaky Waders

First off I have 2 very deserving shout out bloggers!  I have been following these both since I very first started. So lets get to it.

1.  My leaky waders --  I have really enjoyed his blog!  From his try at winning a new rod from owls contest (came in 2nd but my opinion should have won) to his love for life and beer. I got to see pics of his fishing outings and his goals for 2011.  He is a great writer of poetry and I am sure you guys will all enjoy his blog. He has been around since 2009 and about time got some good recognition!

2. Reversed Parachute --  From a fly tying perspective how does this guy only have 23 followers??  He has only been blogging since Sept of 2010, so that may be the cause.  Roy Christie is his name and has been published in 11 magazines so far over the years he has been tying.  He also has his own website at http://www.reversedparachutes.com/  His flies are very original and fun to tie.  If you look at fly tying clips and find his name you will see a lot more of his patterns. He was the first tier I knew by name when I started. Never met him of course but saw an article in fly tier he wrote and I was HOOKED from there. (Yes the pun was intended)

So I suggest you guys get off your butts and check these great blogs out!!!

Website shout out goes to http://www.realisticflytying.net/ .. This is another amazing realistics tier!  Fred Hannie has been tying for years and years and has some amazing patterns that I can tie with his instruction and step by steps.  Which is saying a lot!! He has an instructional CD where he teaches you how to do things step by step.

Don't stand in the way of hair dressers and their hackle!!!!

I went to bass pro shops and as usual there were several hair ladies picking up feathers. Of course I tried to convince them to buy online so it does not deplete my local stock. I picked up some popper bodies to give them a try. I was driving my friends car cause mine is in the shop getting repair and the ridgeline was getting a full service. I felt happy coming out of the shop and started the journey to the car. I was parked sort of in back cause the car I was driving was only a week or so old and didn't want to be the product of the first door ding. As I got closer I saw something was wrong. I got closer and noticed a big hole in the truck... I made it to the car and WHATTTT??????  A freaking bullet hole in the back. I knew the car was gangsta but this???  Soooo.. the car got shot while I was in the Bass Pro Shops.  I opened the trunk and heard something rattling inside. I took off the plastic in the back of the trunk and saw a spent bullet round. I called the cops, got a police report and the cops took the bullet to see if it matches another bullet from any crime. So now I am waiting for my friend to call back cause she is in school to let her know her car shot  :(   What a great start to a day

Green Caddis Pupa and Pink Squirrel variant

I have to make this quick, I may or may not update this but I would like to do a step by step of the caddis pupa. The pink squirrel if you ever fish in the north east or well I guess anywhere you would recognize this pattern. I didn't have the pink chenille nor the pink dubbing but found these large pink beads.  And thus this pattern was formed. Sorry for the crappy pics but I have to meet my insurance adjuster and to make this was on my list to do before and.....  I have to abide by the list :)

Big Streamer give away!! And I won and received. Hosted by Fontinalis Rising

I live in Vegas but never gamble cause I ALWAYS lose!!  So when I saw free flies for just making a comment that is a gamble I was willing to take. The contest was here at Frontinalis Rising .  Who would have guessed my luck has turned.  In one sense it had, this morning someone decided to back into the front on my car at 5 or so in the morning and not have the balls to leave me a note saying they did.  I woke up to a crunch and spinning of tires. Of course me being the dumbass and living in vegas this is normal so just rolled over and went back to sleep. I had my car in the driveway which I backed into the night before. The person looks like they were trying to do a u-turn and just ran into the front. My street is wide and they had to be drunk or just a dumb ass!  Anywho  I won and the flies came in today. I just wanted to say thanks to Jason from fontinalis rising.  The flies look awesome!!  THANK YOU SO MUCH

Also this is what I woke up to. I didn't even know it happened till after I went to breakfast and saw it. It couldn't happened in the parking lot due to the way I was parked.   ARRRGGGGGG...  Luckly I still have my ridgeline to drive till I get this figured out.

Lastly which is another good part of the day is that it looks like it will be my most page viewed day as of now.  Right now I only need 9 more views to beat it.  I have three more hours to get that and I will have 200 page views in one day.  Its a big thing to me and makes my day a little brighter.  Thanks to all my followers. I tied some cool flies this morning and working on making the post now, but my memory card is giving me some issues

Anyone else having tech issues with blogspot?

I'm going to make this quick. When I get on my dashboard about half the day my blog updates are saying I am not following anyone. Is this happening to you as well???  This has been happening for the last 2 weeks. The worst was this morning when I said I had no followers but that only lasted about 20 minutes.

The quote "  You are not currently following any blogs. Use the "add" button below to enter blogs you'd like to follow in your Reading List. Learn more"

Foam Bullet Frog Bass Bug -- Step by Step

I have been trying to find or come up with a very effective/fast to tie frog pattern.  I found this head concept on another site but it was tied with a completely different fly.  So I started playing around with it and this is what I came up with.  Let me know what you guys think

Foam Bullet Frog

Hook:  Any Good bass bug hook 1/0 to 2

Thread:  UTC Black 140 Thread

Tail:  Chartreuse Marabou

Side:  Green 2mm craft foam

Top/bottom:  Chartreuse 2mm craft foam

Legs:  Black Rubber Legs

Eyes:  Xtra small doll eyes

Marks:  Brown Sharpie

First off start your thread and take it to the back of the shank. Tie in 3 plumes of marabou. You can tie in all 3 at the same time but I usually do it one at a time. You  can vary the colors if wanted. Make sure to take it almost to the eye cause that is your dam to hold  the foam in later steps.

With your thread at the halfway mark between the tip and the barb tie in a piece of green foam. Mine are usually about 2 1/4 inches long cause it gives me a little room to work with. Have the sides at the rear cut off a tiny bit after the hook starts to bend.

With your bodkin make a hole in the center of the foam.  Don't make  the foam really tight. Put a little superglue at the end of the dam you made.  Now thread the foam over the eye and let the glue set.

Now tie off the other side of the foam in the same spot as the original size. Now trim the foam to match the other side. I cut it at an angle.  Why?  No real reason I just do. 

This part can be a little tricky. Tie in the bottom piece of chartreuse foam the same length as the sides.

Same as above make a hole in the middle of the foam and thread it over the eye and tie it off. Cut it just a little longer than the sides. I also cut it in an arrow shape.

This is what it should look like from the top and sides.

Tie in 3 black rubber legs on each side. They length us up to you. I always tie them in bunched up.

With your bodkin, separate your rubber legs.

Now glue in your doll eyes. Make sure to get them center vertically on the green foam.

Tie off your thread and the fly can be done if you want. I take a brown sharpie and just make random dots all over the chartreuse foam.

Here are some other variations you can do. You can make shiners and other bass style bugs with this concept.