Quite A Party..........

Oh what a great time it was.................😁
The annual East Idaho Fly Tying Expo was another great success for everyone who participated - organizers, volunteers, vendors, and of course, tyers.

Coming home and looking back, now I realize I had had adrenaline surge since we got to the venue - which means I felt exhausted immediately all programs were marked off😓. That was because I took a workshop with one of the most skilled tyers as well as the greatest instructors in the world😲.
These are NOT my flies❗❗

 We worked on this pattern. How did I do? Ahhhhhh😅

On Day 1, Friday, March 29th, I conducted my own workshop - the topic was to tie elegant yet practical fishing flies for Steelhead and Salmon. Unfortunately my wifey was too busy on her own to come over and snap pictures for me. I even forgot to take pictures of flies we completed. Anyways it was very fulfilling and intense class for both instructor and students. Especially for me as an instructor, it was very meaningful in many ways.

Immediately after, my mentor conducted a very educational presentation at Tying Theater😲.

Then it was my cue😎. I traveled with frames I made through winter. And as I did last year, I tied one & only full-dress Atlantic Salmon Fly for the session.

I sincerely appreciate all the audience who stopped by and even spent with me through whole process🙇

Due to the unusual circumstance, compared to my own tying room in my house, I might have rushed a bit. This is the finished Powell's Fancy (G.M. Kelson).  I gave to a person who sat with me from the very beginning.

Day 2, Saturday, March 30th, was even busier😆
Wifey ran her own educational booth and our little one 👶 was with her most of time.

Ours will soon be one of them😊

 My session was again in the afternoon and again quite busy with good audience🙇🙏

I ran and managed time a bit better than Day 1. With some difficulties and mistakes, here's the finished Green Highlander (G.M. Kelson)😏 Also this was given to a young man who sat with me from the very beginning to the end.

Of course, there are some other reasons this Expo is our favorite annual destination.
This time, we tried Stockman's Steakhouse😋
Need I say more😋😋😋😋

 Although we didn't win these premium raffle or auction items,

Wifey had very good luck with her raffles and won something funny😉😊

Seriously I don't think there are so many events that host so many renowned tyers like this Expo.
Expo organizers have great visions and commitment to make this event happen every year. I hope it will go on year after year and I hope to be invited again and meet and interact with great tyers.
Till then👋

End of April

Since the last post, I haven't been fishing. But I feel it's been busy with something around me. Also, Yellowstone River hasn't started its annual runoff yet. It's been cold. That's why the River hasn't blown yet. Is it fishable?? How about Mother's Day Caddis?..........Hmmmmmm tough call....... I have actually just come back from the river. No baetis or midge actions in spite of cold overcast afternoon. No signs of caddis either. Floating and pitching streamers and nymphs are viable options. I saw several boats. Everyone is taking chances............ I keep serious eyes on the runoff. Not just for caddis hatches but also for predicting when we would be floating again..... 

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It's time to fill up fly boxes and fly bins.......well, actually time to wrap up that......., I guess.   I did another custom ties for Buzz at Spring Creek Specialists (www.springcreekspecialists.com), located with DePuy Spring Creek property (www.depuyspringcreek.com). It's quite an honor that my dry-flies are taken by Buzz!!

This makes 4 patterns of my original patterns at his shop! When you come and fish DePuy's and Armstrong's (www.armstrongspringcreek.com) or even Bighorn, Missouri (tail-waters), and Yellowstone Park waters (some spring-creek quality streams), check out his shop and pick up some flies!!

As you already know, but reminder, these are also seen at my sales site (http://leftytyer.blogspot.com) and can be purchased directly from me.
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Last Friday, I visited East Idaho Fly Tying Expo (www.srcexpo.com) in Idaho Falls. There were lots of vendors and some of great fly-tyers from the area and other parts of US.
I had an opportunity to drop by the booth of Sweetgrass Rods (http://www.sweetgrassrods.com/). For people in this "circle", no explanation needed that they make some of the finest bamboo rods in the entire continent!! I had a pleasure to test-cast and this was the first time I ever touched and cast with a bamboo fly rod!! Sweet.........

Some raw materials on the table....

There were lots of vendors that were very tempting and about to make me spend all the money I got!! One booth had lots of good old fishing books (mostly used then some new). I found this old yet very clean copy with a super bargain price!!

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Back to my tying bench with Atlantic Salmon Flies. I'm working on one last project for the season. Here's another interpretative/thematic design of mine. I will discuss about this later.

Corresponding framing and display. There will be a major update about Atlantic Salmon Flies at my sales site soon.

 I have just purchased a Jungle Cock skin, again for the very last project.

Well, I'm a good shopper......!!

I'd like to go fishing of course! 

I keep you posted about the runoff report and my very last Salmon Fly project.

Mid Jan Fishing Report & Some Refinement

This week has been some of the nicest and the most friendly weather I ever recall in Paradise Valley. Don't worry it's cold and there are lots of snow-packs in Yellowstone Park, which is the head-water of our rivers around here. It's not "dry & sunny warm". Rather it's been a cold & brisk weather but without dangerous winds or snow storms.

I hit DePuy's Spring Creek on 15th (www.depuyspringcreek.com). There were couple more friendly days to go fishing but due to some other projects, I couldn't.

Some rainbows are already in spawning mode. See this beautiful color.

One of those fish.......... I go in!!

He was the one. Not super big but these guys can fight very hard by using current!!

Then I got the first trophy of the year!! See her (I think) belly!! Before she inhaled my fly, she must have swallowed a football or potentially muskrat!!??

 The first trophy shot of the year!! Thank you!!

Still amazed...........

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OK, following may sound & look like that I'm repeating from the previous post. Right after I had posted the last post, I worked more and harder on the same project = converting regular loop-eye hooks to blind-eye hooks. I made some improvements. Seeing is easier than reading. If you are casually involved in fly-tying, can you tell the difference? Or do you care? Probably not. Unless I tie special ones for display or high-bid jobs, these will suffice.
Here's a 2/0 comparison.

Here are some larger sizes.

With those converted & refined blind-eye hooks, here's THE BARON, 2/0.

And 4/0 from the other side.

Here's a Red Spirit 4/0 that I finished last night.

So both fishing and Atlantic Salmon Fly tying are going well and keeping me busy.
Let me see what I may have for the next post (trout & flies)
Have a good weekend everyone!

Flyz & Materialz Only

NEWS: In my fly sales site, http://leftytyer.blogspot.com, I have just started a gallery of my Atlantic Salmon Flies (along with purchase info for someone interested in). Please refer the page among the top tab "Atlantic Salmon Flies Gallery & Sales Info" (linked).
I will add more fly photos oftentimes.

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So any fishing done this past week? No......... There were a few afternoons that could have been OK but I was busy with something. Friday afternoon could have been a good one. As of this weekend, it's actually warm but super windy. Dangerously, I would add.

I haven't tied many Atlantic salmon flies either. Just a few. The biggest reason was that I had been waiting for the new pair of glass, prescribed solely for FLY-TYING.
Meanwhile, I have done this remarkable work!!

For those who don't tie Salmon flies, it may look like "what's the significance of this?" but there is not much detailed online information about this simple matter. Someday when either one of you come to be interested in Atlantic salmon flies, I hope this will be useful to you.......

Now I figured out twisted-guts, I started pondering easiest and least expensive ways to attain blind-eye hooks....... Answer? I started to make them (make them look like) on my own!! I have just made this before lunch today! Sounds like getting crazy!?

This is the new assignment from my Master, Baron. This is my last night's work. Not bad but it will be improved more. Tonight, I may come with the better one. If it's not too late tonight, I may update with a new picture or two.

So, though I'm not fishing and that may sound lazy, I keep myself very busy.
I may even go out fishing with these flies (!?) when winds is cooperative.
Have a good one everybody!

Fishing Report (in a while), More Flies, & Season's Greeting

It's been a serious winter so far. As of typing this, snow is falling like raindrops. As long as we don't get stuck or spun, and as long as air temps don't go 20 below 0 like a few weeks ago, this "Good Ol' Montana Winter" is welcome.

I could finally get out fishing for the first time in this month on 18th. After the cold front, it had been discouragingly windy. Though I love to spend at my tying bench, I needed time to relax fishing at DePuy's (www.depuyspringcreek.com). I picked up the day just right!! Wind was not bad all. With layer of clothes, I even felt sweaty. (And now it's all of snow again......)

Nice Rainbow!!

There are still good browns left in the creek!!

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With the acquisition of the odd & unique Mustad hook (posted last), now I'm taking a little side-track from Atlantic Salmon flies and working on Carrie Stevens classic streamers. Of course I'm tying seriously. But also it's a good break from intense tying session of ASF and to use up some materials that I don't use for regular trout flies or ASF.

Allie's Favorite.

Colonel Bates with married wings. This is what I mean. Though I don't have yellow hackles, I could use goose shoulders that are used for Atlantic Salmon flies. Too short? Yes, I know. But if I had long barbs, I would save for 4/0 or larger ASF! This should still serve as wet-fly style wings.

Toppings............what really turns me on the most........

Especially the one like this........

Here's Rosy Dawn 2/0.

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Then time has matured.
Thanks to my Master's critiques and advises and my own bloody and undaunted effort, I reached the first goal I had set before; I want to learn Atlantic Salmon flies and be good enough to show and present to people around me. I don't intend to invent "original" or "style", as in trout flies, but since there are lots of beautiful materials available, would be nice if I could create or dress up something. As I learn traditional patterns and learn techniques and methods through them, I started to draw and write down my idea on paper. It wouldn't come shortly. But I really liked the process and time to mature what was going on in my head.

Finally I sat on my bench with great concentration and willingness to make it right. This one for Parks' Fly Shop (www.parksflyshop.com), "Salmonfly on The Gardner".

Coupled/framed with "Sir Richard".

Unlike trout flies, it's hard to produce multi flies quickly (mostly because of motivation....). This is the only one ever tied. I don't have one myself but these pictures.I honestly like it!

For Montana Troutfitters in Bozeman (www.troutfitters.com), here's another inspirational/interpretive tie.

Then last but not the least, here's "Merry X'mas" to every one who visits my blog!!

Hopefully I can get out fishing for 1 or 2 more days within this year.
Merry X'mas to all of blog readers, friends, clients, and family!!
Wish the same for trout and insects in many great waters!!