New Addition to the Bench

With all of my recent traveling and starting a new job, I really wasn't tying that much, and my boxes showed it.  In the last couple weeks, I've been tying more and more, filling up boxes for upcoming trips.  One thing that has been a very nice addition to the bench has been a Carson LED Magnifier.  I haven't felt that I needed a magnifier to help me tie, but it has been just the thing to help me tie those small San Juan midge patterns that I love to tie.  The extra magnification and light really help reduce the strain on my eyes, and I can really feel a difference after I've spent a couple hours at the vise.  I highly recommend a magnifier to any tier out there, as it really does help tie a better bug.



Thanks Dad for ordering two!!!!

Carpsicle- Fly Carpin Fly Swap 2013 Entry

I don't pretend to be a carp guy.  Sure, I've spent a fair amount of time chasing them around in the Denver South Platte, but really, spooking every fish in the river is mostly what I've done.  The construction project I have been involved in the last couple years is at Metro Wastewater, so I've become fairly familiar with the brown water up in Commerce City, and my carpin' adventures have also taken me south towards Invesco Field and further down Santa Fe.  I watched firsthand the cleanup efforts by Suncor on Sand Creek, and was even involved in some plant wide evacuations due to benzene levels at MWRD.  Rick Mikesell, Assistant Manager at Trouts Fly Shop first helped me out with my initial fly selection for the DSP, mostly sticking to Carp Breakfast and Backstabbers for most of the carpin' I've done.  I have landed some very nice carp in the last couple of years, but I am the first to admit that trout fishing will always be my first love.

But regardless of species, one thing that is a constant for me is my love for learning and tying new flies.  And carp flies are no exception.  And the best place, at least for me, for learning about anything carp is Fly-Carpin.  McTage, the author of the blog does a great job of helping keep people up to date with all that is carpin'.  Most of the flies that I've tried tying are either his flies, or flies that he has spotlighted on his website.  But above all, I learned the most about carp flies from the 2012 Fly-Carpin Fly Swap.  Never had so much information from such prominent fly tiers been so readily available, all collected and posted on one page.  So I literally jumped at the chance to be included in the 2013 Fly Swap, and am very excited to be a part of it this year.

I decided to enter a fly that I call the Carpsicle for the fly swap for this year.  It's a fly that I started tying last summer, and I spent a few of my carpin' outings using this pattern.  When I thought of flies that had worked for me in the past, it was always the heavier patterns that allowed me to present the fly better to the fish, and I really liked the action on flies like McTage's Leather Head Stand Carp Worm.  I put the tungsten bead and the dumbell eyes to not only help the fly ride point up, but help give it a little more action when stripping it in front of a feeding fish.  I used a marabou tail, and the rubber legs to give the fly some of the alive, pulsing action in the current which I believe helps entice a carp to eat.  I've used different styles of dubbing on the Carpsicle, but settled on the Orange Ice Dub, because I really like the way it looks in sunlight, and it gives me more confidence in the fly as well.  I am happy with the progression of the pattern, and I hope you tie some up.  If you do, let me know if you have any success with the Carpsicle!!

Vibber's Carpsicle

Standard Recipe

Hook: Gamakatsu B10S Stinger- Size 2 or 4

Bead: Red Tungsten 5/32"

Eyes: Dumbell Eyes w/ red accents

Tail: Black Marabou

Body: Orange Ice Dub
Rib: Red UTC Wire- Brassie

Legs: Black Sili Legs

Collar: Black Saddle Hackle

Colorado Midge Box

I made a very worthwhile trade with a buddy of mine, consisting of very nice pair of ski boots for a fly box loaded with top Colorado patterns.  Even if he didn't offer the boots, I would have done the box for him anyway.  I just love having a blank canvas, and watching as the box fills up.

I decided the first side would only be midge patterns, as I can crank those out quickly, and make a quick dent in the new C&F fly box.  I borrowed my buddies nice camera to make my first attempt at some macro shots of the flies in the box.  I really enjoy looking inside other peoples fly boxes, so I hope  other people are interested at what I've been tying at the vice recently.  If you have any questions on specific patterns, let me know and I can give you more details on them.  Most of these patterns are tried and true midge patterns, enduring the test of time on rivers such as the South Platte and the San Juan, but I do have a few of my own sprinkled in there just for fun.  Enjoy the fly box porn!!!

Thread midges

Worm patterns; Shot Glass Midge; Disco Midge

Rojo Midge; Mercury Black Beauty; Cheesman Emerger; Mercury Midge; Iceman Midge Pupa

Annelid; Micro San Juan Worm; Various worm patterns

Midge pupa patterns; Desert Storm midge

Thread midge pupa; UV Pearl Jam Midge

Cheesman Emerger; Mercury Midge 

Purple Urquel; Midge pupa

Yong Special...Is there really another midge that you need?

Yong Special; Top Secret Midge

Mercury Blood Midge 

Yong Special

Bubbleback Midge

Annelid

Top Secret Midge

                           

Mayfly Nymph Side

After spending almost 10 weeks in South Texas, I am coming back home on May 11th for good.  And I am coming ready to fish!!  I am nearing completion on the other side of the Umpqua fly box, meaning I have tied nearly 500 flies since I've been down here.  I tied mostly classic Colorado nymphs, but messed around with some of the other cool patterns out there.  Also, I have a few newbies that I played around with (not to say I didn't borrow some ideas from other tiers).  I cannot wait to get home and try them in the mountains to see if they work out.  I will be showing some tying steps for the ones that I have created in the next few weeks.  All I can say is I have never been more excited to get home, and attack the rivers, and I know I will be ready to roll as soon as I get home!!

From Bottom Right: Pheasant Tails, Biot Emergers, Turkey Tail Nymphs, Beadhead Flashback Pheasant Tails, Mercury Flashback Pheasant Tails

Dorsey's Mercury Mayflies, Gray and Olive Mercury Sparkle Wing RS2's, Ramirez Glossy Back Baetis, Pennington's Stuffed Olive Nymph

Ramirez Glossy Back Baetis, Pennington's Stuffed Olive Nymph, Craven's Flashback JuJu Baetis, Cutthroats' Nymph TBD #1, Tyvek Baetis

Tungsten Skinny Nelson, Cutthroats Nymph TBD #2, Cutthroats Nymph TBD #3, Gunkels's Shot Glass Baetis, Cutthroats Nymph TBD #4

I still have one full row to fill up, and I'm thinking that variations of Barr Emergers will fill that row.  The bottom row is a collection of throw aways.  I will probably give those to my father, and fill that up with another pattern when it feels right.  In the last 10 weeks, I have either done two things, work or tie flies.  After looking back at what the box has become, I am happy with the results.  My fly tying is continuing to improve, and I look forward to building off what I have started.  It makes me more excited to start the next box, and just keep stacking them up.  You better watch out Colorado, cause I am coming for you!!

Midge Box

My job has recently taken me very far away from my beloved Rockies, and forced me to miss out on the fantastic spring fishing that I have been reading about.  South Texas is home for me for a few months, leaving me to only dream about the caddis hatch on the Ark, and the rainbows on the Dream Stream.  Luckily, I brought along some of my tying stuff to keep me busy down here while not working.  I bought an Umpqua Fly Merchants medium box, with the goal of filling up the entire box by the time that I get back to Colorado.  My plan is to fill one side completely with midges, while the other side will be a mixture of BWO, PMD, and caddis nymphs.  It took me three weeks to finish the midge side, and I think it turned out pretty swell.  I focused on small patterns for the midge side, tying nothing larger than a size 20.  Most of the patterns are South Platte River patterns, focusing mostly on midges that I have had success with in Cheesman Canyon.  I feel confident that I go to most tailwaters in the state, equipped only with this fly box, I will be successful.  Being down here in South Texas,  at least tying helps me to stay connected to the sport that I love, dreaming about the day I get back to Colorado, grab a fly rod, and chase trout in the mountains.

My tying desk in the Marriott I've been calling home.

Midge Side of Box

From Right: Dorsey's Mercery Black Beauty, Ramirez's UV Pearl Jam Midge, South Platte Specials, Variations of  Garcia's Rojo midge, Shuck Khan midge, and Kleis' Mojo midge.

KF Midge Emerger, Dorsey's Mercury midge, Cream thread midge, Yong Special

Assortment of Yong Specials, Assortment of Barr's Pure Midge Larvae, Red Hot midge, Red Mercury Brassie, Cinnamon midge, and a white variation of Mercury Blood midge

Dorsey's Mercury Blood midge, Christmas Tree midge, and annelids