Sparse Grey Matter

Nik, Lovely SBS and history lesson. I've been a fan of Baillie's (Stewart's) Spiders for some years. The black especially, has saved the day more than a few times fished upstream to rising fish. I usually tie them on a Daiichi 1640 (2X Short) hook in a size 14. I've been told by a couple of folks wh...

Pacific Salmon (coho), Steelhead and Sea Run Cutthroat are running in the area rivers right now. I've been down to my local river (10 minute drive) swinging flies with a two handed rod for Coho and Steelhead. Managed a couple of salmon and a solid tug and headshake from a steelhead. My river closes ...

Janne,

The H&L Variant is an old favorite of mine. It somehow lost it's place in my dry fly box, probably to the newest, latest and greatest fly that didn't prodice as well as the H&L. It's my understanding that it was a favorite fly of Dwight "Ike" Eisenhower as well. Well dressed fly.

REE

Saw that pet salons are now adding feather extensions to dogs. Wouldn't that just drive a good bird dog nuts?

REE

The vise (vice) arrived today and all I can say is "Damn". That is one beautiful, functional tool. If the commercial vise makers could, or rather, would, make a clamp as sturdy as the one CJ built there would be no need for pedestal bases. I'll put up some pics of the beast in use as soon as I unpac...

Finally found some really slooooow Wi-Fi. The weather has been pretty good to us, the fish have been tougher this year. Not as many fish, but better quality fish. Everything is running late so the fish are still hitting hopper patterns with abandon as there are still many naturals still hitting the ...

I'm heading out in the morning for a trip to Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. A little trout fishing and steelhead fishing are in store. Gonna be a tough trip, but someone has to do it. Gas tank is full, dog is in the kennel, fly tying stuff is loaded, an obscene amount of fly fishing gear is loaded, ten...

Mark,

Haven't seen that site before. One of my favorites now. Thanks.

REE

I guess I'm the tie breaker with a buying is cheaper vote. If you only fish a few patterns in limited sizes, tying might be cheaper, but really...who does that. After 40 years of tying I can outfit a small to medium sized fly shop with the materials I have, yet find I always "have to have" something...

Thanks Ed. I love fishing these upstream to rising fish. If two flies are allowed I'll use the Greenwell's on point and a Baillie's Dun Spider of top dropper.

REE