The little kitten
is out of control,
springing straight
to the ceiling!
She's full of Space
and now,
claws dug in,
setting her tail,
hunts Time
Friday, February 26
Wednesday, February 24
Fly-tying: Simon's Squid
Simon Graham's Tube Raccoon Bunnies feature Finn Raccoon zonker tails and zonker-collared bodies for the foundation and go on from there. I'm really impressed with them and chose to try that style with my new raccoon zonkers. I thought "saltwater squid" and since his work was my inspiration, decided on "Simon's Squid". [Update: check out Simon's own squid versions on Striper SurfTalk, or his blog for version 1, version 2, as well as a neat way to thin raccoon collars without sacrificing fullness. Simon also drew my attention to this video about tying collars without the hide in a dubbing loop].
Starting with a Eumer large orange tube over a small clear tube insert, I tied on a length of Eumer's orange raccoon zonker for the tail. Over that went a dozen or so long slender purple saddles (Ken Abrames' RLS saddles). Then 2 more slender saddles- off-white and mottled to hint at the squid's "grabbers". Over that went a small bunch of Christmas tinsel, pearl and holo silver. OK, tail section completed.
For the body, I started with small pieces of orange, purple, and red raccoon tied around the shank and covering the tail tie-ins. Then came the palmered orange raccoon collar, followed by purple arctic fox as a contrasting head. The nose is finished off with a Eumer large orange cone.
Thank you, Simon. Thank you, Eumer.
For the body, I started with small pieces of orange, purple, and red raccoon tied around the shank and covering the tail tie-ins. Then came the palmered orange raccoon collar, followed by purple arctic fox as a contrasting head. The nose is finished off with a Eumer large orange cone.
Thank you, Simon. Thank you, Eumer.
Fly-tying: Olli Ojamo from Eumer
This past Saturday I went to the Fly Show sponsored by Scott at Bear's Den in Taunton, Massachusetts. This is a great show with lots of talented and well-known tiers. No admission fee.
I was looking forward to meeting Olli Ojamo of Eumer.
He tied a neat little baitfish pattern for me and, truth be told, I could fish with nothing but this simple but thoughtful fly and need no other.
Recipe: Start with Eumer silver teardrop body with red tubing as hook holder. Add a small bunch of white fox fur for "body" and profile. Add bit of white Finn Raccoon for underwing. Add piece of pearl flash for accent. Add bit of chartreuse Fin Raccoon for overwing. Add "short pinch" of chartreuse Finn Raccoon gathered from scrap-cuttings to the front of the wing as a sort of hair-hackle accent covering top and sides of shank. For final step add 2 peacock herls longer than the wing as topping. Cap it off with a Eumer cone.
Olli turned the fly over to show the underside and said a lot of fish hit from below and this is what they see. The red hook tube makes for a trigger point. The raccoon gives it a perfect teardrop taper. And I'm thinking that whether the long herl topping is traditional or not, from the bottom it makes a perfect tailfin impression, adding even more length to the fly with this slightest of suggestions. Simple fly- great design! Hey, change the white and chartreuse color scheme once in awhile and I'm a one-fly guy. Over time, of course, mischief alone will produce more styles than I could ever need or use....
I was looking forward to meeting Olli Ojamo of Eumer.
Olli turned the fly over to show the underside and said a lot of fish hit from below and this is what they see. The red hook tube makes for a trigger point. The raccoon gives it a perfect teardrop taper. And I'm thinking that whether the long herl topping is traditional or not, from the bottom it makes a perfect tailfin impression, adding even more length to the fly with this slightest of suggestions. Simple fly- great design! Hey, change the white and chartreuse color scheme once in awhile and I'm a one-fly guy. Over time, of course, mischief alone will produce more styles than I could ever need or use....
Fly-tying: Finn Raccoon
I'd heard of Finn raccoon. Discovering Simon Graham's blog "Pike Fly Fishing Articles" showed me what you can do with it. Wow! Fly fishing for pike opens the door to a style of tying that is at once graceful and wild. I'd heard of Eumer tubes. Again, Simon's blog showed me Eumer in action. Simon's site is far-ranging and inspirational- worth a visit and a bookmark! I'd written to Simon with a question and in short order was tying with Eumer's Finn Raccoon.
My first raccoon fly might have become a Ray's Fly (white under yellow under olive under peacock herl with flash interspersed), but I've always had a fondness for adding lavender and/or violet. So I guess this makes it a variation of the Magog Smelt or maybe Silver Outcast, except for the glowing tarpon-style nose. No, I don't remember what I was thinking.
So, here's a "Rudolph", tied with flourescent red thread on an inline, wide-gap circle hook (Eagle Claw 7228), beginning just above the bend: white Finn Raccoon, over which is sparse pearl Angel Hair, over which is yellow Finn Raccoon, over which is sparse pearl Angel Hair, over which is lavender Finn Raccoon, over which is olive Finn Raccoon, finished with a tarpon-style nose with the red thread.
My first raccoon fly might have become a Ray's Fly (white under yellow under olive under peacock herl with flash interspersed), but I've always had a fondness for adding lavender and/or violet. So I guess this makes it a variation of the Magog Smelt or maybe Silver Outcast, except for the glowing tarpon-style nose. No, I don't remember what I was thinking.
So, here's a "Rudolph", tied with flourescent red thread on an inline, wide-gap circle hook (Eagle Claw 7228), beginning just above the bend: white Finn Raccoon, over which is sparse pearl Angel Hair, over which is yellow Finn Raccoon, over which is sparse pearl Angel Hair, over which is lavender Finn Raccoon, over which is olive Finn Raccoon, finished with a tarpon-style nose with the red thread.
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