Tie of the Month: April 2020 We're in Lockdown - Improvise!

[Fergal1975]

Yes. It’s an old chess board my dad made years ago. I have my vice clamped to it.

 

[Zamora]

Capercaillie & Silver

Ok, something quite familiar to me. As I live here in northern Finland, things has to go really worse before we run out of capercaillies. So, this is tied only by using capercaillie feathers. Which one this is, I don’t know, as as a hunter I usually shot several during the season.

recipe:
hook: Sawada black spey #4
tag: oval silver sx
tail: capercaillie neck feather
body: capercaillie back feather hackles wound around the hook
ribs: oval silver sx
hackle: capercaillie breast feather (nice green glow, shame that it doesn’t show in the picture)
wings: capercaillie wing feather (under & over)
head: black thread & clear varnish (had to add couple of layers still)


And an example from possible source of materials (at left ):

 

[PerryPoker]

Mudder

My attempt for this month is a small size 10 Muddler. Will catch trout, sea trout and salmon on its day. No artificial colours added.



Tag: Extra small gold wire
Tail: Pheasant tail feather (taken from a road kill a few years back!)
Rib: Extra small gold wire
Body: Natural Possum dubbing
Wing: Pheasant tail feather
Head: Natural Elk hair
Thread: Tan Uni thread

 

[Gpu]

Ok Gents here is my attempt at this months fly. Not sure what you would call it but I’m sure it would catch a daft fish?

Tag = fuse wire
Tail = corgi
Body = mint tea wrapper and dubbed tennis ball fluff
Wing = spaniel
Hackle = grey partridge



Really enjoyed putting that together but not sure the dogs did!

G

 

[Rainclouds]

Great minds GPU, tennis ball fluff by pure coincidence. I have not just compromised on materials but also tying skills I'm afraid.

Body: Tennis ball fluff (embarassingly)
Rib: steel coloured kitchen scrub
Hackle: Rook feather (most likely)
Wing: elderly labrador mane
Cheeks: red Christmas tree tinsel
Head: The very finest red nail varnish


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[CharlesW]

March Brown

It's a very plain dressing, but it might make a very effective low water fly.




Tag : Flat silver tinsel
Tail : Teal
Body : Hare mask dubbing
Ribbing : Flat silver tinsel
Hackle : Partridge
Wing : Hen pheasant wing

 

[Gpu]

Great minds GPU, tennis ball fluff by pure coincidence. I have not just compromised on materials but also tying skills I'm afraid.

Body: Tennis ball fluff (embarassingly)
Rib: steel coloured kitchen scrub
Hackle: Rook feather (most likely)
Wing: elderly labrador mane
Cheeks: red Christmas tree tinsel
Head: The very finest red nail varnish


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Great minds indeed Rainclouds! It’s actually a really good dubbing - might even start using in ‘normal’ flies. Dubbs easily and brushes out nicely too!

G


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[Rainclouds]

My thoughts also. I was looking for something bright yellow such as high vis fabric (which might be explored) when I saw a tennis ball lying around. As also available in orange, a jointed body would look good too.

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[Slaneybs]

Binder Shrimp

I was having trouble with finding something to recycle and was trying to make a body out of white beard clippings but it just wouldn't dub on. To my mind this inability to dub wiry body hair casts considerable doubt on the alleged pubic origin of some dubbing.
Problem solved when I thought of blue binder twine. Perhaps it would have turned out a brighter blue if tied over white thread instead of black. I would have liked to have added Jungle Cock but felt that despite the rules it was a bit on the exotic side. Even without the JC I might give it a swim later in the year for fun.





Tag: silver oval
Tail: natural golden pheasant breast feather
Body: 1st half blue binder twine
Rib: silver oval
Body hackle: natural ginger cock
Body: 2nd half deep blue knitting wool
Rib: silver oval
Collar hackle: natural badger

 

[Jockiescott]

Yet another use for binder twine! Is there anything it can't do???

 

[Doublehooked]

Tube-Bootlace Ferrule.
Butt-Small Oval Tinsel Silver.
Rear Body-Orange Seal's Fur Ribbed as Butt.
Tail-Rear of natural Bucktail.
Mid hackle-Natural Brown Hackle.
Front Rib-Medium Oval tinsel.
Front Body-Black Seal's Fur.
Wing- As Tail.
Front Hackle- As Mid Hackle.

 

[Grassy_Knollington]

A quick rummage in the shed and look what I’ve created! The worst looking thing I’ve tied in many years, I call it the WTF Shrimp.:lol:



Tag Orange Baling twine
Feelers Long and short fibres from an old brush
Eyes Mono burnt & varnished
Body Baling twine & yellow garden twine in dubbing loop & brushed back
Head Black


Great theme,

 

[iainmortimer]

A quick rummage in the shed and look what I’ve created! The worst looking thing I’ve tied in many years, I call it the WTF Shrimp.:lol:

View attachment 44426

Tag Orange Baling twine
Feelers Long and short fibres from an old brush
Eyes Mono burnt & varnished
Body Baling twine & yellow garden twine in dubbing loop & brushed back
Head Black


Great theme,

Arrghhh has the world ended!!!!! Its a blob for salmon. What have I done :wow: :shocked:

:lol:

 

[iainmortimer]

Entries now closed. I'll get the poll up later and post the challenge for May.

Can I just say thank you again to everyone for all of your continued enthusiasm in taking part. Its great to see so many entries and such a high quality of tying every month and really makes the small amount of effort required to admin TOTM very much worthwhile.

Iain

 

[Grassy_Knollington]

Arrghhh has the world ended!!!!! Its a blob for salmon. What have I done :wow: :shocked:

:lol:

Ha ha!

I like the way it manages to look surprised, despite the lack of eyebrows.... that’s the only thing I like mind

 

[iainmortimer]

Half way through the month and just 24 votes! Cabin fever or finally giving in to do the DIY? Maybe this wee bump will generate some more interest

 

[woodcockandsewin]

Half way through the month and just 24 votes! Cabin fever or finally giving in to do the DIY? Maybe this wee bump will generate some more interest

Hi Iain,

I log in most days, and have been waiting for the poll...just haven't seen it...and this was on the old format too. Today I went to TOTM page and dug it out to vote.

Love McAndy's wonderful creation...got to win some sort of special award for that...but voted for Zamora's silver caper.

 

[keirstream]

McAndy's creation is definitely something else and I was tempted to vote for it simply due to the zany factor.
However, being a great fan of chocolate and empty wine bottles, I voted last week for the good Doctor.
It is also coincidentally, the fly that I would prefer to swim.
Good luck to all, great innovation throughout

 

[ryan houston]

congratulations McAndy on the win hero to zero as far as my own entries but Logan is happy hes beaten daddy by 4 votes lol

 

[iainmortimer]

I think this month has highlighted that improvisation and fun can be the winning formula as opposed to the most likely fly to empty a river of fish with an excellent win by mc andy showing a flare for interpretation that's hard to beat! A great example for anyone who thinks their creations are not worthy!

The winning podium is as follows:

1st place with 8 votes, gaining 10 points: mc andy. I'm sure it raised more than just a few smiles!

2nd place with 7 votes, gaining 8 points: Andrzej. A beautifully tied spey pattern that truly shows what can be achieved with a minimum of materials

3rd place with 6 votes, gaining 7 points: Gary D. A really innovative pattern with a lovely blend of the classic and inventive.

A special mention is also warranted for our youngest entrant Logan who clearly is now in a precarious position at home having soundly whooped his dad! Great tying Logan. Its wonderful to see how your tying is progressing so quickly under the very capable teaching of your dad. Just don't beat him to often because I'm sure he's about as proud as he can be already!

Congratulations gentlemen and to everyone for showcasing some wonderful improvisation and innovation that truly demonstrates that fly tying needn't involve lots of expensive materials!

Just 3 completed months of voting and so far the competition has generated over 27,000 views which just goes to show the high level of interest that your creations generate.

 

[Jockiescott]

Brilliant mc andy!!! I remember seeing that for the first time and it really brought a smile to my face! Superb, outside of the box thinking. I love things like that! Well done! ??

Congratulations to the rest of the podium finishers and thanks to all who entered.

Personally, another month for me with proof I don't vote for my own entry! ?

Thanks to Iain for running another superb thread. Definitely my highlight of the forum!

 

[Fergal1975]

Well done everyone

 

[mc andy]

I appreciate the kind words gentlemen, thank you.

It was all meant to be a bit of fun, but there you go you poor souls voted for it, of which I'm thankful.

Big thanks to iain as always for putting it all together also to all entrants.

Cheers andy

 

[Andrzej]

Well done mc andy I think it'd be funny to check if a few rainbows could get infected with this fly Thanks Iain for your effort and all others posting flies and voting in the TOTM.