Recent comments

Great article! Thank you!

Great article! Thank you!

When developing leaders for my custom leader company, I’ve found that Maxima Chameleon offers the stiffest nylon. This I generally use for the first two butt sections. We switch to Maxima clear for the middle taper sections. For the final taper and tipett, we’ll use a supple material.

The above allows for great casting and line layout, depending upon the application. The diameter of the the line used can be changed as needed, also depending upon the user’s requirements for casting delicacy.

indicator

One good reason not to use indicator is that... it can be forbidden!

About Leader Material

I am a fan of Maxima and have used it to make leaders for many years but would like to add a word of caution. I use a micrometer to check diameter of every spool of material I buy and over many years, Maxima's diameters has been very inconsistent (diameter understated between .002 and .003 in heavier lb. test). Might not sound like a lot but unless you check, you're leader will be far heavier than you thought.

True enough

Leonard,

It's quite true that the synthetics we use as fly tyers and fishermen will most likely add to the vast amount of plastic and other synthetics that litter the world - including micro plastics. I'm not quite on the wagon with tying using natural materials only, but I certainly do think about the nasty footprints we set on this planet - and anglers and as consumers.

In fishing as well as in all other matters I try to recycle, make sure I treat waste properly and limit my use of plastics, but it's still very tempting to add some color and flash to a fly using some of the many materials shown here.

Martin

Synthetic materials

Great article and there’s certainly a wide choice of inexpensive materials available today however are these same materials adding to the micro plastics problem that does pose a very real threat to fisheries and the environment?

alternative eyes

Ive used different size nail heads to do this job. I set the nails into a wooden handle and ended up with a set of four in sizes I use the most.
But I will try the dowel trick to see if I prefer it.
thanks Bob

Super ingenuity

Thank you Michael!!!... for this demonstration of ingenuity, knowledge of material propertys and wisdom. Simple and definitely Effective!

Lots of new stuff

Eric,

Sure I do promote older material now and then, but there's also new material coming out. Not as much as I'd like, but certainly some.

Published until now in January:
https://globalflyfisher.com/period_articles/2021/1?type=all

Published in December 2020:
https://globalflyfisher.com/period_articles/2020/12?type=all

You can see an overview over all publishing activity here:
https://globalflyfisher.com/about/rhythm?type=all

I'm constantly trying to add new reviews, articles, patterns, galleries, videos and such, but I'm a one man show and depend on others to contribute if I am to increase the frequency of new articles.

Martin

Activity

Hi - I love the site and I am concerned about the future of it. All of my favorite posts are several to many years old. Is this site going to continue bringing wonderful articles, fly recipes, photos, and other information? I hope it will - I only recently found it and I don't want to lose it.

Flytying and fly for rivers and stillwater

Very nice and eficient fly
Thank you for your video
Albert

Ian Warrilow

Hi , this might be a long shot but I’m looking to get in touch with a mr Ian Warrilow who made a comment on this post please.
I bought a used 2 piece fly rod with his name and date the rod was built on it in 92 . It’s a beautiful rod that he built but would like some more information on the rod .

Many thanks
Spencer

LED Panel - DIY flex arm

Recently saw this video on Youtube illustrating how to make a flex arm lamp using a LED panel: it's surprisingly inexpensive. https://youtu.be/JL3uZ88vA_0
I've filed this on away just in case; my 30 year old Giraffe lamp with an LED bulb is still a terrific light source and no where near the end of its useful life.

Trevor Morgan lines.

I know it’s a long shot, but I seriously love the Trevor Morgan fly lines I have. I really want to buy more. Nobody has found him or a source for his lines have you?

"what is the melting temperature of hot glue?"

I’d say it is in general between 110°C/230°F and 200°C/392°F. When I tie flies with hot glue, I normally prefer as high temperature as possible, when I purchase a hot glue gun it should be rated 220°C/428°F to 230°C/446°F. But there is a big difference in melting temperatures of commonly available hot/melt glues and how runny the get at a given temperature. I used to tie/make shrimp flies for the salt with hot glue combined with "Super hair" or "Ultra hair". It was a quicker and practical alternative to epoxy, that always set without sticky surface, smell and the melt glue on its on actually floats, which i not a bad thing for lot's of fly designs.

Well Done

A very nicely done video. Beautifully photographed and displayed. Speaking is not necessary unless there is a special tecnique that requires some explanation. I always like to see a list of materials in tying videos. Keep up the good work.

Hey Alberta Al !!

Personally contact me, please.

Vern

@flytyer57

@flytyer57
Why do you think I started this Thunder & Lightening discussion? A demonstration of how smart I am? I guarantee you that the answer is NO! I don't think I need to prove anything to you. ... and then I ask you again, why? I was waiting for a concrete reaction from you, which would materialize in something visible, but maybe you didn't understand why I commented. Maybe now you understand that I tried to suggest something with my intervention. :)

You're welcome

Tom,

It was an offer I couldn't resist as it's said in a famous film...

When Darren reached out there wasn't much doubt in my mind, and even though the conversion was a fairly tough job, the result is great, and a valuable resource is preserved online.

Martin

Streamers365

Hello Martin: I think this is wonderful that you undertook this colossal merger and helped preserve all this beautiful information and keep it accessible for all of us. Thank you very, very much!
Tom

Nowhere to be found

Dan,

I have no idea where to find Trevor Morgan's Javelin lines these days. I have lost contact with him many years ago, and can't find anywhere online where they are sold.

Sorry to be of so little help, but it seems like a dead end.

Martin

Buying your lines.

I have a Trevor Morgan 7 wt single hand line and because I used it to cast bigger flies into a new area code, I started popping sections of my running line. I lone this line a lot. It lasted a really long time. However, I need another one badly. Where can I get one? Take my money please.

Pretty confident

Darrel,

All the threads that have actual measures in millimetres have been measured by me. That gives me a pretty good confidence in the results, but of course with all the factors mentioned in this section regarding measuring the thickness of tying thread. It can - rightfully - be debated if these measures are the actual diameters of the threads, but the fact is that they are what I found using a consistent method and measuring all threads in several places - and from several spools if possible.

The whole point of this table and the article is to point out that almost any label on any thread has no direct connection with the actual thickness of the threads. Deniers, aughts and other designations simply don't compare to the physical thickness - oftentimes not even within the same brand. So it was no surprise to me finding two UTC threads, one "heavier" than the other, and the heavier one measuring as thinner than the light one.

Martin

UTC Ultra Thread 210 & 280 Denier

How confident are you with the diameters listed for the UTC 210 and 280 denier threads? By definition, the 280 is a "heavier" thread but the diameter is listed at 0.069 while the diameter of the 210 is larger at 0.081. That seems odd because they are both made with the same nylon construction.

Fly tying

Great article. Just started tying wet flies, after reading George Barron’s book. This article has added another dimension to my tying. Thanks