Davie is a machine. He has been producing killer video for the youtube tying community and bloggers alike. The Kate McLaren is another wet fly, this one a palmered wet and popular in the UK for trout. It’s always a joy to watch Davie tie, he keeps his heads super clean and the commentary is always spot on.

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It’s been a while since I posted up any youtube video, so I’ll be adding a few over the next few days as there has been lots of great content added over the past few weeks. To the tune of “Stairway to Heaven” the Duck A L’Orange is a nice looking classic wet fly. Sit back and enjoy the tie.

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I keep an eye out for collectibles on eBay all the time and you know there is always bound to be something on there that I can add to my collection of famous tyers. This week I found a couple great auctions from one of my favorite sellers and some art by a UK artist I have admired for some time.

Auction 1 is for a Dick Talleur feather wing streamer called the Shushan Postmaster. If you are not familiar with Dick, just open up a copy of Fly Tyer magazine to find some of the many articles he has written or head out to your local bookstore to pick up one of the numerous books he has authored. Years ago when I first started tying, it was one of his books that helped guide me through the ins and out of the art of dressing flies. Click here for the auction.

The second auction is a mounted, framed and signed Jock Scott from the famed tyer Ron Alcott. Surely a piece to be treasured in any collection. Click here for the auction.

The last item today is some artwork by Sarah Briston. She is a talented artist and her work is on display in my living room featuring flies tied by Damian Welsh. This auction is for 5 limited edition prints featuring flies from internationally renowned tyer Fabrizio Gajardoni. The prints include Popham 12/20, Sicilian 2/50, Speyside 3/50, Childers 7/50 and McIntyre 2/50. If you plan to bid, hurry as the auction closes later today. Click here for the auction.

Happy eBaying.

The Alaska Fly Fishers have been busy video taping one “Flashback Max” and his handy work on the vise. i just finished tying up a batch of these flies myself. Sadly the aren’t destined for my fly box, but for a client who is taking a trip north for the fall salmon season in Alaska. If you have both zonker strips and cross cut rabbit, it really makes this fly easy to tie, but because it’s flesh that you are trying to imitate, random chunks will work just as well and perhaps even better.

Try tying this in light shades of pinks, tans and ginger colored rabbit. You can vary it further by using a two-tone approach, using say a pink tail and a creamy tan body. Happy tying.

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I’m sitting at my desk, just back from a good morning of fishing tiny #22 gnats and caddis, so it only seems logical to present something I could actually see in the water. I have a poster from The Complete Sportsman showing some 100+ Rangeley styled streamers, many of them tied by Mike Martinek and wanted to share this one today. Mike Martinek is one of the best known tyers of the style today and has helped to elevate this style into the mainstream. If you want to read up on Mike, see Bob Petti’s article - here.

The streamer below was tied up by another famous name in streamer circles, Chris Del Plato.

Hook: Martinek 8xl
Thread: Black 6/0
Tag: Flat Silver Tinsel
Body: Red/scarlet Floss
Ribbing: Flat Silver Tinsel
Belly: Red Buck tail
Throat: Golden Pheasant Crest and Red Schlappen
Underwing: Peacock Herl and a long Golden Pheasant Crest
Wing: Red Hackle two per side with one slate gray hackle outside 2/3 as long
Shoulder: Silver Pheasant
Cheek: Jungle Cock

Another great video from The Weekly Fly. This blog is fast becoming one of my favorites to visit each week. This weeks offering is a sweet dark spey fly called The Black Eye developed by Dave Tucker. The video offers up some great tips on how to properly build a spey, wrapping spey hackle and counter ribbing. For those of you who struggle with setting wings, check out the last 2 minutes for some great instruction.

Dave Tucker’s Black Eye Spey
Hook: Daiichi #2051
Thread: Black 8/0 Uni Thread
Body: Purple Wool
Ribbing: Oval Silver Tinsel
Hackle: Blue Eared Pheasant Palmered Full Length of Body
Throat Hackle: Peacock Neck Feather
Wing: Bronze Mallard

Alex from The Day Tripper is closing up shop for good. It’s sad news really as it was one of those blogs I read on a weekly basis. He has promised to open put up a new site in its stead after a short break, and is planning on a site targeted to more of an informational destination with some articles and patterns. Here is a pattern from his archive, the Madonna. Click the image below to bring up his entire fly pattern archive.

Hook: Standard Streamer Hook
Tail: Shredded Sparkle Braid, or flash material of your choice
Tag: Medium Red Wire
Rib: Medium Red Wire
Body: Same as Tail
Underwing: Red Rabbit
Wing: Rabbit Strip
Over wing: 12-15 strands of Krystal Flash
Collar: Stacked Deer Body Hair
Head: Spun Deer Body hair

The newest wallpaper from Fly Fusion’s Fly Tyer’s Canvas is now up and this issues centerfold is graced by a fly of Ronn Lucus’ creation. You have seen a few of Ronn’s flies showcased here before and this one is no exception to the unique style Ronn lends to the communnitty.

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Another vid coming from the anglers at Tight Lines Fly Shop. I don’t fish the hex hatch, as I’ve only ever seen a couple around my lakes and streams and the fish around here don’t key in on mayflies this large it seems. At any rate, here is a great technique demonstrated for tying a tight buoyant extended body for any mayfly. If you want to change up the species, just switch the scale and colour to suit the hatch. I like the use of caribou on the fly, I have a clump of it on my bench that is suddenly calling my name.

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Here is the latest offering from the guys at Rise Form Studios, episode 22 featuring a sweet looking soft hackle tied up by Eric Stroup. I’ll be honest in saying I don’t fish this stage that often, but Eric’s advise of fishing this in tandem with a dry sounds like a great idea. There is a small creek nearby that has this pattern and a nice heavy CDC caddis written all over it.

Material List for the Sulphur Spinner Soft Hackle

Hook: Daiichi D1560 #14-18
Thread: Danville Orange 6/0
Tail: Med Dun Hen Feather Fibers
Abdomen: Danville Orange 6/0
Hackle: Med Dun Hen Feather
Thorax: Light Rust Rabbit
Head: Orange or Red Danville 6/0