Happy New Year Post

Hook:  Mustad 33903 Size 2

Tail:  Spirit River Mottlebou (Brown)

Body:  Homemade Airhose Dubbing <see below>

Eyes:  Aluminum Sea Eyes/Spirit River Holographic Eyes

Weed Guard:  30# Nylon

This is my first attempt of tying something fishable for a long while.  My apologies for the roughness of this one.  To be honest I am not wild about the color scheme and the head portion the fly in the picture, but not bad for a first attempt.  The fishy elements are sure there...

Last year I caught my largest fish on something I made just like this, but in a larger size.  Had the homemade dubbing and large Sea Eyes.  The large size made it hard to cast....I am hoping this smaller size will be friendlier to cast.

I have been watching a videos from Missouriflies on YouTube over the holidays.  He really ties some nice patterns that catch fish.  Take the dubbing above, it is made out of various yarn colors blended in a container with an air hose.  Here is Missouriflies video on how to make your own dubbing:

As you can see, you can create some super buggy stuff in minutes.  The pattern above is a blend of brown, red and black yarn from Walmart.  My kids and I made bags of long(er) dubbing in an hour, it was fun to do!  Sky is the limit here...color, fiber length etc.

The other element I love is the weed guard.  His are much better than mine, but with practice mine should get more refined.  Here is Missouriflies showing how it is done:

The use of the Mustad 33903 Kink Shank hook comes from Joe Cornwall at Fly Fish Ohio.  The kink is a perfect place to park eyes and leave enough room for a head - especially if you incorporate the weed guard.  I could have wrapped the dubbing further up past the eyes and still had room to anchor and finish a guard.  If you don't have any 33903 hooks they are worth picking up for weight forward flies (like Clousers).  See below from Joe Cornwall:

Thanks again to Missouriflies and Joe Cornwall for posting all of the information and inspiration.  Missouriflies sells flies on his website if you feel like supporting his efforts.  Visit Fly Fish Ohio for more information on fly fishing and fly tying.

Happy New Year everyone!

Drew Chicon's Tuscan Bunny

Joe Mahler ties the Straw Boss

Here is a step-by-step link for the Straw Boss courtesy of FlyTyer Magazine. 

HMH Spinner in-line rotary tube vise - CABELA'S SCORE

Photo From HMH Website

I picked up this tube vise for $39.88 at Cabela's today.  Unbelievable deal!  Top quality tube vise that sells for $210 elsewhere.  Check your local Cabela's if you are into tubes.

A Letter From Lefty Kreh

To my friends,
 
I was 92 in January and had a carotid artery operation. During testing the hospital determined my heart was only pumping 35% and must limit my physical activities followed by a rest. The industry was extremely helpful and last season was able to attend the shows, clinics, etc.
 
Several weeks ago, I realized I was developing another problem, which is normal for someone nearly 93. It turns out I have congested heart failure. My pacemaker revealed there was a series of very rapid hear beats, which could cause a stroke. Fortunately a lot of doctor/friends are fly-fisherman and worked with me. In summary I have to give up travel and presentations as in the past.
 
Everyone produces a certain amount of fluid in the body and excretes the excess. Because of the low heartbeat my body is not getting rid of all the fluids and I gained weight.  My best friend Dr. Mark Lamos put me in the hospital and with back procedure they twice removed a liter and a half of fluid from my chest. After five days in the hospital. I lost weight.


A week or so later I starting gaining weight again so it was back in the hospital for the same treatment. They reduced most of the fluid and returned home. I determined I was not going to continue back to the hospital. Mark decided to use medicine to control the excess fluid. It’s been a fine-tuning situation but looks like it’s starting work.
 
This means the schedule I lived for decades is no longer valid and will spend most my time at home. As we get older we learn to adjust to what we can and cannot do. I have a number of interesting computer home projects on the computer and busier than a Syrian bricklayer. I’m not frustrated and I’m content My problem is I don’t have a lot of stamina and have to work around that. If Marks medical system works I should be busy  and around for a year or two.
 
I would like to be able to send this email to my friends but I don’t really know how to do this. So I’m asking others to help me spread the word through email. Because my lack of energy and stamina I having trouble answering emails (there are more than 400 on the computer) and not talking much on the phone. This is not meant to be unfriendly is learning to adjuster my situation.
 
In summary I’m busy and content but I want you to know I am so appreciative you’ve have shared your lives with me.    
 
All The Best Friends,
Lefty  

Chequamegon Bay Trip 2017

Well...my trip to Ashalnd Wisconsin to fish the Chequamegon Bay was excellent again this year.  My youngest son came along and had a blast.  The trip was one of my highlights of my life too.  Captain Luke Kavajecz is not only a fantastic guide he is a great teacher!  He took my son under his wing and showed him the in's and out's of casting a fly rod, he also knew when to switch my son over to a spinning rod.  Making that switch to conventional gear was a good move as we all know how frustrating a fly rod can be when you are just learning.

My son had a ball casting plastic grubs while I spend the day casting the Murdich Minnow.  The fish were very healthy and fought hard.

We had a beautiful day out there with temps into the low 70's.  The wind was not even a big factor!

If you want to hire out a guide for the trip of a lifetime you should call Luke and get on his schedule.

Protect Yourself From Lyme Disease - Link to Gink and Gasoline

Here is a link to a great article on Gink and Gasoline.   Lymes disease is no joke, I have a few close friends that suffered before the disease was identified....untreated Lymes can have serious consequences.

I thought the article was excellent.