Winter Tying

[Grannyknot]

I've been working on different stoneflies in sizes 12-16.

[old east tn boy]

Ever tie with a Lab in the room with you? She loves feathers, gets pretty worked up and wakes the chihuahua if I don't give her one to play with.

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[silvercreek]

Yes, I've tied with a Lab in the room many times, but not in several years. Give her a pat on the head for me.

[MadisonBoats]

Originally Posted by Heavynets

I don't think the flattened dumbbell eyes (tail) effect roll-over either positively or negatively. I've heard that crawdads which use stiff feathers for pinchers will spin or roll over. The zonker or squirrel strips that I use help that situation. Also, crawdads pull in their pinchers to align with their body when they swim. I think the zonker pinchers therefore gives a more realistic representation of a swimming crawdad.

However, I alway have to remind myself that every fish that was ever caught used a lure that had a big curved piece of pointed steel wire sticking out of it, so I'm not so sure that "realistic" is all that important.

Thanks for taking the time to reply and help with my question. I will try a few with zonker strips. I made some that had feathers as claws and a feather as a tail-tip. It looked pretty realistic out of water. However; its action was like a big blob moving through the water.

[olesmoke]

the first pattern works and will catch the brown painted fish




this is my new attempt with the weight between the pinchers--lots of action.

[old east tn boy]

SilverCreek, pat on the head applied, dog happy! What happened to your Lab?

[silvercreek]

Zeke died after 13 years. Your post just brought back some memories.

[old east tn boy]

SilverCreek, sorry to hear Zeke is gone. Until I got Ms. Annie in July I had miniature Dachshunds. My last one, Oliver, died in March. I was dead set against another dog but had mentioned to my daughter that if I did get another one I might like a Lab. So said daughter brought Annie to me when she was 7 weeks old and I now love her dearly. We are inseparable. Although she shows no interest whatsoever in fish, she loves to hunt. She generally sits on the bank and watches me fish or I put her in the kayak and tether her behind me as I wade tailwaters. We have a lot of fun together.

Have you given thought about replacing Zeke? My neighbor had a chocolate Lab named Scooter who passed away last year. He says losing her hurt so bad he will not get another dog but he sure loves on Ms. Annie every time he sees her. I think he might be about to change his mind.

Ms. Annie finds fly tying interesting especially the feathers. She will pester my continually until I give her an old nearly used up pheasant tail feather to chew on. Probably a bad thing to do if we ever go after pheasants. She will probably eat it instead of fetch it!

[Grannyknot]

Tied up this little black stonefly last night.
Recipe:
Hook - TMC Scud Hook #14
Thread - Danville 6/0 black
Weight - 1/8 bead & .015 wire
Tail , legs, antennae - Black Goose Biots
Body - Midge size Black vinyl rib
Wing case - Black Stonefly Scud Back
Thorax- Hareline Dubbin "Black"