Do you know where your hackle is?

So I have been in 3 fly shops in the last 2 days and for some silly reason, all the colored grizzly saddle hackle is gone.  What is the cause of this?  Well it is fashionable women.  It seems that the new fad is to have your hairstylist add long colored saddle hackle (known as feathers) to the roots of the hair.  It is expected to last around 2 months and you can even curl the feathers.  So in the Colorado Springs and Denver area, hairstylists have been calling and gobbling up any of the colored Whiting and Keough saddles.  They can then turn around and add these to their clients hair for $20-$45 per style.  So it seems that these individual feathers cost the clients about $10.00 per feather.  Dang, if I only I could have seen this coming, I could have bought up some of the finer hackle and held on until all the supply was exhausted and I could have been rich!  Check out some of the following pictures to see what I am talking about and the next time you need some of that saddle hackle for some buggers and all the fly shops are out,  just remember that you might have to call up some of the hairstylists and beg for a few hackles to tie a few flies.  And don't be surprised if they don't know why the heck you would need some feathers or what a Woolly Bugger is.  Just remember, this too (thankfully) shall go the way of the hammer-pants...

Click here for more info...if you want.   

"Bundles"

Happenings this weekend

1.  Copper John Fly Tying Class at Ghillies Fly Shop.  Friday Night, 6:30-8:30.  $25.00 All materials provided.  This has been a very popular class and it will not only teach you how to build a bombproof Copper John, but it also teaches you tricks to use on other patterns.

2.  Vincent Sue Tying demo at Ghillies on Saturday, 01/29 at 10:00am.  Free!
Vincent is the creator of the 720 Vise and if you want to see this thing in action, stop by and check it out.  Vincent ties some of the best looking flies out there including some parachutes and extended bodies.  Don't miss this demo!                        

3.  Juan Ramirez (That's me) Tying Demo at Hook Fly Fishing in Denver 12:00pm ( I think!)
     I'll be tying up some of my patterns including the new iStone.  Stop by for some stickers and some general B.S.  

Tying the U.V. Pearl Jam Midge Video

Here is a short video on tying my U.V. Pearl Jam Midge.  It's an easy tie and a good winter pattern.  Tie some up and give them a shot.


Tying the U.V. Pearl Jam Midge from Juan Ramirez on Vimeo.
This is a variation of the Disco Midge that I call the U.V. Pearl Jam Midge.  It works great during the winter when midges are always on the menu.  Easy to tie, I make sure I have plenty of these on my midge box.

What type of angler are you?

Some famous dude that's been on TV

Are you the type of fisherman who goes to all the fly fishing show, free tying demos, and T.U. meetings and know who's who in the fly fishing /fly tying world?  or...

Are you the angler who just fishes and has never been to any shows, tying demos or T.U. meetings?  Are you the type that bought a new rod when top of the line rods cost $495 and could care less about the new Silica Nano Matrix now being used in rods?  You know how to use it and it's not what's being used, but how it's being used.  Or.....

Do you just know someone like this?  :)

I would definitely fall into the 1st category more so than the 2nd.  I am a gear head and just love to have the newest products out there.  I hang out in fly shops and find reasons to buy new materials and love to see other people tie flies.  I have friends who have the crappiest gear, but know how to use it and could care less about what's happening off the stream.  Some of them can't pronounce the names of fly patterns, but can sure catch fish on them.  So where do you fall or where does your buddy fall?

Jamie

She loves to tie flies.
She loves her stuffed kitty, "Meow".
She knows the difference between a rod and a pole.
She is 4.

Just a lazy Sunday

I watched the 2 games on today and in between I played around a bit.  Here is something I tied.  It's a Caddis Pupa, tied with glass beads as the body and covered with epoxy.  Added to it are hen feather tips tied as wing buds and pheasant tail antenna and ostrich herl as the head.  Super buggy, it looked good in my test tank (the sink).  Now to tie a few more to stash away and hope to remember I  have them when the time comes.

#16 Caddis Green

Fly Tying Class-01/14 Tying and Fishing Foam Flies

Many people love to throw bigger flies during the summer, but they often complain that they cannot keep their standard flies dry and floating and that they don't know how to tie foam flies.   Well for you, on Friday night, I will have a class on how to tie these flies as well as how to fish them.  We will cover the Hopper Juan, a standard beetle and the Club Sandwich.  As mentioned, we will discuss how to fish these patterns.   If you know how to tie them, but not how to fish them, then they will just be a pretty fly in your box.  

Ghillies Fly Shop

6:30-8:30PM

Friday 01/14/11

$25.00

All materials provide.  Projected onto a HD TV.

Call Ghillies to sign up.  Space is limited and this has been a popular class.  719-531-5413

Images from The Fly Fishing Show.

After spending 3 days in Denver at The Fly Fishing Show, I looked through my photos and realized that I  didn't get nearly as many photos as I wanted to and I didn't get any shots other than the flies that everyone was tying.  I had planned on getting shots of some product and some presenters, but never got the chance to do so. So, you will just have to settle for pictures of flies.  I hope you don't mind.  

A peek into Shea's "reject box".  I don't see any rejects in there, do you?

More of Shea's box.

More Splatte patterns.

Flies from Kevin Compton.

Deward's little Midge Larva

Beadhead version.

Tim Mack's San Juan River Midge

I think this one was tied by Deward.

Mark Boname tying "spoon flies". 

Tube Flies!

Carl's Purple Prince.  This thing was sweet!  

Carl Pennington's Golden Stone.  

Casey Dunnigan, fellow MFC designer with an awesome Stonefly.   

Rick Takahashi's Chrinomids.  

Got Eggs?  

Walt Mueller (AKA "The Otter") is the egg man.  

Jason Goodale, another MFC designer, was spinning up some sweet bass flies.  

Deward's realistic mayfly.  This was in a display case.  

Same display case.

Tim's Foam Back.

I think this is an Envy Midge.  

 Tim tying away.

 Mark McMillian's Display.  Some really sweet flies on this display.  

 Jake Ruthven, a young tier, twisting up some bugs.

 A couple boxes of mine at my table.

One more shot of my boxes.  

Representing at the show.