Fly Fishing BS thread

Try Flyfisher's Paradise in State College, Pa. They may still have an actual catalog, but they have online info. There used to be an Orvis shop in Ravenna and one in Tionesta, Pa.....Not sure if the Ravenna shop is still in business, but the Tionesta shop is long gone - the original owner (Tom Greenlee) sold out and moved to Virginia. The new owner ran it into the ground within a year or 2....very sad.

 

Mom and Pop hunting and fishing stores are slowly dying. It sucks because the best advice is never from the 16 year old kid in the fishing dept of Dick's Sporting goods. The best advice always come from the old, tanned leather skin guy behind the counter of a small local shop. He's usually smoking a Paul Mall as he tells you where to go. When you get there you can't believe the old timer gave you such a great spot. Then you realize it's probably his 20th or lower best spot. So the next time you go by the shop you grab a six pack and have a few beers with him hoping you can break the top 10. Then you actually become friends and end up having a great time fishing together. Truth.

 

There is an Orvis shop listed in Chagrin Falls and another in Volant, Pa.

 

Tom Greenlee was like that!!! He was mayor of Tionesta, on the Pa. Game Commission board, an entomologist and a Penn State Grad (his wife also raised Brittanies - we bought one of those, too)!!! My buddy and I were both Penn State grads and lived in Ohio....Tom would refuse to sell us licenses or whatever we wanted since we were 'foreigners'. All in good fun. As you said he told us where the fish were hitting and what flies were working at that time. He passed away a while back unfortunately.

The new owner had NO personality and didn't care to wait on customers.....he would just bullshit with his buddies while he was trying to be a bigshot guide - NO ONE who fly fished for trout in that area needed a guide!!! The last time I was in there I had maybe $75 worth of flies and accessories at the register waiting to pay, but he would just look over and ignore me and keep talking to his buddy. Left the shit there and never went back!!! The shop was closed within a year.

 

Yes I’ve been to the one in chagrin falls. This was a couple years ago before I got into this hobby. I remember walking in say man this is over whelming. There’s too many flies in here. We have to go.

if only I realized where I would be two years later.

can’t wait to go back.

 

I was fishing in Roscoe one weekend when I was 17. After the morning I headed to a local fly shop to shoot the shit with the owner. I was there a few minutes when Lee Wulff walked in the door. After I picked my jaw up off the floor I asked him if he was really him. He assured me he was and spent the next 30 minutes answering every fishing question the 17 year old me could think of. It's not often you get to meet the legends on any sport much less have them give you their time. Such a great and innovative guy. Sadly, about 3 years later he died at 86 years old while flying a Piper Cub. Yep. Still flying at 86. Fucking rad.

 

While at Penn State from '75-79 we had to take 3 years worth of phys. ed. classes (if I recall correctly). I took the typical ball sports plus fencing, raquetball, squash, etc. If I had to do it over again, I would have taken fly tying and fly fishing which was taught by Joe Humphreys. He is in the fly fishing Hall of Fame!!! At the time, I didn't fish much at all. Hind sight is 20 20 right???

I do have some of his books and also bought them for my son. Charles Meck was his predecessor at Penn State (also in the Fly Fishers Hall of Fame)......got a few of his books, too!

 

Live the Stream: The Story of Joe Humphreys is one of my all time favorite documentaries. Great story.

 

Anyone interested in a very lightly used (3 times max) Patagonia sling pack?? $75 or best offer shipped to the lower 48.
Just couldn't get used to it and went back to my Fishpond vest.

There is a small stain on the back of the larger compartment - not sure what it is or how it got there??? Floatant, Xink???

 

I got a kit for like $20 at llbean a while back but I think just buying what you need is better. I'd just find a good pattern you like to use that's fairly simple and go to town. Just make a bunch and see how it holds up. Then find a new pattern and start again.

 

I wanted to give a shoutout to @blind cowboy . Such a great guy, really appreciate all you've done in helping me out the last week or so. He was kind enough to sell me his Renzetti vise, a ton of tools, material and reference books.

Last night I did a little fly tying. Most of the evening was just messing around and getting some practice and technique down. I really struggled with the whip finish knot. And still havent quite figured it out. I think my first fly came out decent though, cheated a bit and just used head cement to finish it off. Very excited to get more into this now that I have one done.

Kids had so much fun watching too. Glad I can get them involved in this hobby.

 

Looks like you scored a great haul there and love the kids being involved. I've still got the first flies tied by my daughter and son in 35mm canisters still sitting on my desk from 20 years ago. Even old red necks like me are sentimental in our own way sometimes. Plenty of youtube vids to help with the whip finisher, head cement is really just insurance for it. Congrats on the new hobby that I am sure you will very much enjoy.

 

Glad that stuff went to a good home. Enjoy

 

An attempt. Not a very good one but an attempt non the less.


first attempt


second attempt

 

Practice, practice, practice!!!! Fish (trout) aren't always specific as to what they bite.....My buddy, who taught me to tie would take 15-20 minutes per fly going for 'perfection'. I would tie 4-6 in the same time frame - no where near 'perfect' but they caught trout!!!!

Try simple patterns first - ants, beetles, wooly buggers, streamers until you feel comfortable. Then go to the wet flies, nymphs and dries.

 

So far

 

Looking good. That wet fly up top will hunt. On those bead head flies you want to use a wet hackle, something supple that'll take water and move. Looks like dry fly hackle on fly #2 & 3. Normally uses a hen hackle or partridge of some kind. Not throwing rules at you, just trying to help. You want to take advantage of the materials for function. If I'm wrong on the what the hackle is just ignore me. I can't remember how many times I was catching fish on a tattered fly with thread unraveling and either broke it off or retied a fresh fly to find the fish catching magic suddenly end.

 

Got a few epoxy back nymph variations tied (16s and 18s). These have been hot for the big browns, especially the orange and tan ones.

 

Like giving crack to a dope head. LOL! Good on you and keep those kids in on it.