Odds & Ends – & a few
new things.
Answer to a question that has
been asked a couple of times recently:
Q: “Do you fish beadheads? I
notice all your flies are tied without bead heads.”
A: “I think the reason beadheads
are currently popular is because they fish well under a bobber, a method that
is currently trending – though not without a legit place, to be sure – albeit
overused, by my own reckoning. On those rare occasions I do fish with a bobber,
I’ve found that the nymph will sink equally well weighted with a bit of lead or
copper wire wound under the thorax section of the fly, thereby saving me the
added cost & confusion of beads that may serve to make my flies look &
fish like jigs – which might reflect a lack of confidence & commitment to
the pure, spotless ‘D’. But okay I admit I’m aesthetically biased, somewhat. Joking
aside, I do like those versions of the Pheasant Tail Nymph tied with a
colored bead thorax. Everything has its day. And to each his own, I say.
Anybody so inclined is perfectly welcome to affix a bead to any of the patterns
featured here. Feel free to bead, or simply envision the flies with beads on
them, as you like, without fear of retribution or ridicule from the staff.”
As there are a bazillion
angling/fly blogs out there, I’m surprised at how much SHJ readership has grown over the past year, & I’m also
surprised who is reading. I am humbled & thankful. It is my idea to produce
an online journal that is zen-free of extraneous clutter & entirely useful.
I am slow to add content, as I am fairly discerning of what material gets
included in SHJ. Though I tie a lot
of experimental flies, most of the designs featured here are the tried &
true. I mean this to be a journal of workhorse patterns &, for the most
part, I keep the fanciful to myself until the time comes it is fairly realized.
For those who haven’t checked
it out, but may be interested, I’ve added some new content to the right-hand column (in addition to the old stuff which is still cool & still there) that I think is entertaining & worthwhile. Beginning at the top &
working down:
The Spring (or seasonal) pic links to my guide site & a monthly
profile of conditions & hatches for the upper Columbia & NE Washington
lakes.
The Seasonal Favorites pic links to SHJ
articles featuring those patterns most relevant to the season.
Under Genesis is a Subscribe
box, for those who’d like to receive email notification of new posts.
Under the Journal Archive, you will find The Bookshelf, each book pic a link to
where the book may be purchased.
Under the books you will find
the insignia of the International
Brotherhood of the Flymph, which links to the Flymph Forum, a major archive of all things related to the
soft-hackle approach. I know of no better inspirational/technical source than FF, & the tyer/anglers who hang out
there are, to my mind, among the most knowledgeable & creative fly
designers around. If you’d like to see state-of-the-art soft-hackle designs,
check out the pattern index at Flymph Forum
& be inspired.
Proceeding down, you will
come upon Our Heroes, G.E.M. Skues,
James Leisenring & Charles Brooks. The pic of Skues links to his complete
masterwork, Minor Tactics Of The Chalk
Stream, which you may read for free. The pic of Leisenring links to an
excellent 1960 article by Vernon
Hope everybody enjoys the new
material & finds it useful. Some have written me with good ideas, &
that is inspiration to make Soft~Hackle
Journal better. Your comments are welcome & appreciated.
~Your Compatriot
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