[Liam Stephen]

Hey folks,

Got plans to leave Thailand and return home soon. Obviously it's close season now so I'm determined to get a box full of flies before April. I have a starter kit with a few bits n' pieces back home somewhere. However I think the reason I got so  frustrated before was because my tools and vice was so crap.

I've decided to start of with the following patterns: D.H.E, CDC n Elk, Michaels Caddis (a beast of a fly which Windknot tied for me), Klinkhammer, JT Olive, Jingler, CDC Sherry Spinner, Griffiths Gnat, Goolagers PTN, GRHE, March Brown Spider and Black Pennel.

I feel these patterns are pretty straight forward to tie and i know they are bloody effective. I'll add a few more here and there but I think I've got the hatches covered.

I know what materials will be required more or less.  I have a few questions though...

Has anyone tried FishOn Productions barbless hooks, if so how are they?

What is the best thread to use, I experienced a lot of snapping and fraying before? Might have been due to my bobbin.

I have £125 for a Vice, Ceramic bobbin, scissors, hair stacker, hackle pliers, dubbing needle etc... Any thing else I may need or any suggestions for the above?

I'm going to give this a proper try this time. So any info would be great.

Cheers
Liam

[Hamish Young]

I have £125 for a Vice, Ceramic bobbin, scissors, hair stacker, hackle pliers, dubbing needle etc... Any thing else I may need or any suggestions for the above?

Mainly as I like their kit, I'd opt for a Stonefly tool kit: http://www.anglingactive.co.uk/stonefly-tool-kit.html and maybe this vice: http://www.anglingactive.co.uk/veniard-no1-rotary-vice.html but there's plenty of choice out there.

H

[Liam Stephen]

Thanks Hamish 

That's kit is definatley a contender. Should of said I'd prefer a pedestal vice, would I be right in thinking they are more expensive?

Saddle hackles for dries are causing some confusion. What's with all the grades and types? For the patterns I hope to tie I will need the following colours black, brown or light brown, grizzle and dun. Who does the best and where can I buy them?

Cheers
Liam

[Iain Cameron]

Has anyone tried FishOn Productions barbless hooks, if so how are they?

hi Liam

Aye, I use these a lot - the range is simple and solid - I like the shapes and colour of the hooks, and I've had no problems with hook ups or hooks straightening or failing. Nice simple range - dry, nymph, wet, curved, emergers and jigs.

cheers
iain
ps, welcome back!

[Liam Stephen]

Hey Iain 

Cool sounds like just what I'm after. Very reasonably priced as well, I can get all my hooks in one go - awesome. It's all starting to come to shape now. I sat down last night and made a list of materials that I will need and a rough estimate cost wise, not as bad as I thought it might have been  .

I'm excited as hell now! Bring on April   

Cheers
Liam

[Euan Innes]

Liam,
The Stonefly tools are good but the bobbin holder isn't adjustable so can be hit or miss depending on the spool used. When it's good it is very good but when it's bad you'll want to chuck in the bin. However salvation is your for under £20.
Get a Tiemco bobbin holder and you will have no regrets.

http://www.fishingmegastore.com/tiemco-ceramic-bobbin-holder~614.html

or Google for cheaper shops.
Judging by the weather today, stay in Thailand for a wee while longer!

 

[Allan Liddle]

Yup Liam the tiemco bobbin holder very good, i use the Stonefly one for holding spools of Glow Brite Floss as it makes tying with this material much easier and with the bobbin holder being pretty loose it doesn't break as often as you would in a 'better' holder. 

[Liam Stephen]

Ewan and Alan  

Thanks for that. I'll go with the Tiemcos. Would I be rightin thinking the Anvil Apex is the best quality vise for £100? Any other recommendations?

Cheers
Liam

[Eddie Sinclair]

Liam,
I have used one of these for many years tying many many flies from small trout to big saltwater patterns. Even though I managed to break a jaw collet last year I was reminded by Rob that they have a lifetime guarantee. I took it into Somers and it was replaced with no fuss whatsoever.

For the money it is a good piece of kit.

Eddie.

[Liam Stephen]

Eddie 

Thanks for the feedback. Looks like this will be the one I will end up buying.

 
Liam

[Eddie Sinclair]

Liam,
I could have one for sale second hand, recently replaced assuming that Steven does not want it as my wife has bought me a new vise. I will check with Steven and let you know.

Eddie.

[Liam Stephen]

Eddie 

That would be brilliant. If Steven does not want it, could you please hold it for me until I'm home?

 
Liam

[Eddie Sinclair]

Liam,
will do.

Eddie.

[Liam Stephen]

Hi folks 

Still trying to put a list of tying gear and materials together. Hooks are something I've been debating over barbless FishOn, Partridge, Varivas or barbed Kamasan (crushed of course). The barbless hooks seem to be fashionable at the moment and to me look a lot nicer. However the models I've looked at tend to have a fine gauge wire. The Kamasans are solid looking hooks and are cheaper but is the heavy gauge wire necessary? How many people experienced losing fish due to hook failure last season. I know some very big fish were caught, what hooks were you guys using?

One more thing does Lakeland regularly update their stocks. Most things seem to be sold out... Where else can I try?

Cheers
Liam

[Sandy Nelson]

Liam

I'm fishing Kamasan almost all the time Confidence is everything.
Only exceptions are the Partridge SLD's

But as you know its entirely subjective and we all have our own favourtites.

been getting the Kamasans off Fishteaserflies on the bay of E, excellant service and plenty stock at good prices.

Sandy

[Liam Stephen]

Thanks Sandy   

I might just settle for those. I'd probably cry if I lost a good due to a poncy hook straightening. No chance of that with a meaty hook.

 
Liam

[Sandy Nelson]

Nothing particularly meaty about a B100 or B405, great, strong, light wire hooks

B110 and B175 are meaty, but great for nymphs and wets.

I don't really use any others except B160's for heavy spiders

Sandy

[Liam Stephen]

Sandy 

I think I'll just go with the Kamasans. Just shy of 1000 hooks in all the sizes I need for £65, now thats good value.That means I can tie all my river and loch patterns and still have a few hundred hooks left over. If I was to go with the FishOn range I would get just over 500 for the same price  .It's a no brainer really. What are people tying there Klinks on these days, Partridge Klinkhammer extremes or Varivas 2200BL?

Cheers
Liam

[Liam Stephen]

When buying CDC what's  best? I've come across two options, CDC and Wild Mallard CDC. What is the difference?

 
Liam

[Eddie Sinclair]

Liam,
I spoke with Steven and he has claimed the vice. Sorry about that.

Eddie.

[Marc Fauvet]

hi Liam, it's maybe a little bit more complex than you'd want. here's a really good lowdown on cdc feathers  http://globalflyfisher.com/tiebetter/tying-with-cdc/

[Liam Stephen]

Eddie  

No problem, I did think that might be the case. Thanks for letting know  .


Hi Marc

Thanks for the link. Some really good info but I'm a little more confused now . I'll get there eventually...

Cheers
Liam

[Marc Fauvet]

but I'm a little more confused now . I'll get there eventually...

yeah, sorry about that mate but (most) retailers don't either know s--- about these feathers or don't care to explain. thing is, it all depends on what fly you intend to tie and it's size, whether you'll be winding the feather or just tying in fibres, floatability or not, etc, etc, etc.
think of it as a challenge ! 
cheers,
marc

[Liam Stephen]

No worries Marc. The flies I would like to tie include all those methods i.e wrapping for CDC n Elks, tying in the tips for JT Olives, I also need some nymphs with collars. So a little bit of everything really. Does the bird the feathers come from make much difference though?

 
Liam

[Marc Fauvet]

Does the bird the feathers come from make much difference though?

yup, they may all be from the bird's preen gland but different birds have different fibre qualities, some excrete more oil than others, etc.
best seems to be from wild ducks but a lot of distributors are selling crap from farmed ducks and other fowl. specially the more-known bigger brands.
another issue is the dying process when choosing unnatural colours which necessitates removing the feather's natural oils. some processes are 'better for the feather' than others, if you will, but either way, some sort of oil needs to be put back on the feathers before being sold. standard procedure is putting farmed-duck oil but that oil isn't very good...
it's all a pain in the a-- really 

outside of gathering them from hunters, these from Lucian at Troutline.ro are as flawless as it gets for wings and general fiber-only use http://www.troutline.ro/ultra-selected-campbell-cdc-feathers-in-natural-colors.html
another great option is to give Steve @ Cookshill a call and tell him exactly what kind of flies you intend to tie and he'll sort you out good. http://www.cookshill-flytying.co.uk/cdc.htm
cheers,
marc