The Northern California Fly Fishing Board

From the Archives - Hud's First Fly

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K, now you guys gotta remember that I have no idea about tying flies. I didn't know what dubbing was. Ribbing??? What is hackle? I thought peacock was used for a uniform for go-go dancers. You mean I gotta tie knots? Ok as long as it is a triple surgeon. I honestly though our friend "Duke of Hurl" was so named cause he could throw up on command. I am green!!!

 

Now I got this book a few days ago. The thing that impressed me about this book is that it had a chapter on bodies, a chapter on tails, wings, dubbing hackle ribbing and all that stuff. When it came time to tie a fly, they didn't just say "OK add some muskrat dubbing". They had already told me what it was and how to do it. All you had to do was refer back. I read this book in the mid day and evenings (when I shoulda been fishin a caddis hatch…rookie) so I figure I got it covered. I'm gonna tie a fly. Since I had pretty good luck on an Adams (and the book choose this pattern to tie) I was gonna make an ADAMS. I will kick tail.

 

OK outside where the light is good, got my glasses on, got the stuff that a friend gave me, got the brown and grizzly hackle and dubbing I bought, I am ready. Maybe just 1 Jim Beam and Coke to settle my hands.

 

Chapter one, put the hook in the vise… Got it done. 1 sip of Beam. Start thread, apply equal pressure and wind thread over the top and towards the eye… BOING Where'd the hook go. I applied equal pressure so it must have gone either straight up or straight down. 1 sip of Beam. There it is. How could it land in there. Oh well it will sink and I will get it out after I finish this drink. Get another hook. Who cares I got 98 of those babies left.

 

Got the hook in the vise and the thread started forward and back, trimmed excess, this ain't so hard. Equal "easy" pressure. I got this. Tie on 2 hackle point wings as shown on page 64. The wind had blown my book to the glossery while I was looking for that danged first hook. Page 64 …OK wrap here, figure 8 and wrap here. I got that. A sip of Beam. How is this bug gonna fly with one wing going to the front and the other to the right??? Big deal. The wings are out of the water anyway. Fish don't care. Just twist them a little. There perfect. A sip of Beam.

 

Tail??? That chapter never said that I had to hold grizzly and brown hackle at the same time and tie on separate sides of the hook. Remove some of the hackle from each color. The dad-gum brown hackle doesn't have long enough sections to make a tail. Oh well the grizzly does. It looks cooler anyway. Tail is on. Sip of Beam.

 

OK this dubbing looks easy. Wait, nobody ever said anything about wax. I gotta have wax? I ain't quittin now, where is the Vaseline?? There dubbing on, even twisted it all the same way . Wind it forward almost to where the wings are. Wait the thread is forward of the wings. How did it get there. Musta been the wind. OK there wind on the dubbing. Perfect. Sip of Beam.

 

Alright, all I gotta do is put on the hackle. Book says to get the correct length of hackle from each color. CORRECT LENGTH??? Yea right. THERE, THAT LOOKS RIGHT. Take that, NO FEAR. A BIG SIP OF BEAM. Strip off some at the bottom (I'm lovin that instruction) and tie facing back at a 30 degree angle. Yeah right. Me and Beam really know what a 30 degree angle is. That looks 30 degrees. Hurry and tie it before you change your mind. Perfect!!! Wrap the brown hackle 3 times behind and 3 times in front of the wings. That shouldn't be so tough. OOOPPPSS. That wing wasn't layin down a minute ago. A sip of Beam. Man this thing is lookin good. Tie it off (what a knot Beam and I made) and add cement. CEMENT no chapter ever said anything about cement. I gotta have some super glue here somewhere. I get up from my chair… WWOOOOOAAAA, I musta had more Beam than I thought. Here is some Super glue. A drop here… perfect. A sip of Beam and take it out of the vise.

 

ADAMS huh. Yeah right. Finish my Beam. UH OH where is that hook.

 

My wife hollars out side, Hud have you seen the glue from my finger nail kit. Not now woman, I gotta tie another of these Adams. Right after I make me one more Beam and coke!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Hud