80 Degrees Today – Tidbits To Tie Up

Getting ready to tie flies

So they say it’s going to hit 80 [ppw id=”133616389″ description=”North Texas Fly Fishing” price=”.10″]

here in North Texas today. This is one of those days when you know where you would like to be, but you have to do what you have to do.

To say I have been fortunate (less the fortune), thus far in life, to be able to make my own schedule, and sometimes stick to it is … an understatement. Take yesterday for example: After doing the obligatory grocery shopping, I was able to stop by my father-in-law’s shop (his medium is wood), and get him to make me a slide on vise shelf for my fly tying desk. I just got so tired of dragging those worthless weighted vise bases all over my desk as I put the quatche on a big saltwater fly. Now, the vises are firm, the desk is spring clean, and I am ready for tying in high gear. I can imagine the future of the new shelf includes some strategically drilled holes for tools that are being used at tying time, and imagine a time when the vise stems are actually mounted into the shelf. That said, this shelf is a quantum leap forward in stability and organization, and as always stays true to the simplicity in design philosophy.

Sure there is a lot of stuff in the cubbies and hanging around the desk, but you never know what strikes your fancy until the first thread is turned. Poppers are on the menu right now, and I am searching for some good efficient paint. There’s nothing cooler than a popper painted like a chopper gas tank is there?

[display_podcast]

LAST WEEK
A long moment of silence follows the stinking smell of a skunk after our outing to Possum Kingdom last week. JH got a few jollies catching some very green (as in stupid) Rainbows at PK just for kicks, while I remained true to our mission and pursued the mighty Carp. We left for PK with more questions than answers actually, like is the tailwater below the dam actually considered part of PK Lake proper, or the Brazos River? We assume it is the Brazos, in which case the records for the Brazos are quite secure. The PK records, on the other hand, should start falling this year … that is if things get back to normal. None of that mattered anyway; we could have caught Moby Dick, and we didn’t even remember to bring a tape measure. What a “bunch a marooons” as B.B. would say.

There is this problem at the Brazos below PK Dam and a big problem coming to that Lake and all lakes in this part of the State. Drought. What we saw happening below the dam was places that used to hold fish, little eddies and corner pockets are high and dry. The submerged vegitation is green – extremely green, and Carp are moving around lackadaisically licking up midges from rocky bottoms. No takers, and that is after throwing everything but the kitchen sink (there must be a fly called the kitchen sink) at them. I finally hooked one up close to the cliff nearer the dam, and the darn thing jumped and threw my Clouser. It happened so fast, and I was standing in such deep water I barely saw it happen. JH, who is not prone to exaggeration, estimated it at 15 pounds. Now that’s a Buffalo! Alas, I was going through my fly box last night – getting it back in shape, and I noticed that Clouser … it was one of my saltwater Clousers and has a circle hook … duh.

COMING SOON
It looks like JH has secured an aquarium to start testing a new generation of Carp Flies. I am glad I talked him down from the swimming pool idea! Chlorine just doesn’t taste like it used to.

I am still trying to stick to the idea of shooting more video and less stills this caster year, but what a time burner it is. And, I am looking for effects to make the stuff more interesting as well. If anyone knows where to find special effects to plug into iMovie or even Final Cut Express, let me know. There are a whole lot of little videos that I am looking to do, and add them to TIPS category this spring. With persistence, that TIPS category should be the largest by the end of the year. If anyone has any tips, they would be much appreciated by everyone I know.

[/ppw]

Tags: carp fly, possum kingdom, rainbow trout

Category: Fish Podcasting, Fly Tying, Life Observed, North Texas, TIPS