Tradition Winged Wet Fly Swap

[Andy B]

Well it's that time of year again and time to get a swap going. This swap will be for Traditional Winged Wet Flies, that means flies tied with Duck or Goose quills or paired mallard flank for the wings. No Soft hackles. The swap will be open to 13 tyers. That means if the swap is full you will half to tye 12 flies of the pattern of your choice. The flies will be received at my address no later than December 11, 2005. Sign up dead line is November 11, 2005. I will post my mailing address once the swap is filled or the sign up dead line is reached. Please provide me with the pattern you are tying A.S.A.P so every one can see it.

Thank You
Andy B

P.S. I will tye every one in this swap a show quality fly this year.

 

[Andy B]

Ok in the swap so far are the following tyers:

1) Andy B tying the Kineo

2) Rich T tying TBD

Only Eleven spots left.

 

[CR]

Andy,

I'm curious about your passionate interest in traditional flies. Do you tie/use them exclusively? What is it about them that interests you?

 

[Rich T]

Traditional Winged Wet Fly Swap

Andy,
Count me in. I will advise on which fly soon. It will be one with a brown turkey wing.
Hope to see you at the Fly Tying show in a few weeks.
Regards,
Rich T

 

[Andy B]

Hi Rich:

Welcome aboard and I added you to the swap list. I have taken this year off the show circuit to work on a few special projects that I wanted to persue pertaining to wet flies. Hopefully you guys will see some of my work in awhile all over various web sites.

Andy B

 

[Andy B]

CR:

My tying is truly dedicated to the tying of classic winged wet flies. I am Don Bastian's protoge. If you go to the International Fly Tying Symposium in Somerset New Jersey next month, stop by Don and ask him about Andy. Don has been teaching me for four years now. Our relationship has gone from Mentor and student to good friends. This past winter via invite I tied with Don in Williamsport PA in the Trout Unlimited show. I am also a classic wet fly fishermen and can tell you about a lot of the Classic winged wets and what time of year to use them. The on going joke with my friends is that I am the President of the Ray Bergman society. If you ever get a chance to buy or see a copy of Ray Bergman's book "Trout", you will see my Bible when it comes to tying wet flies. These wet flies or as others put it "classics'' is 80 to 90 % of what I fish with. After Wet flies it's Classic Streamers. These forgotten flies are a thing of beauty that truly are fish catching flies. These flies worked extremely well in the past from the 1700's up to now. As written by Theodore Gordon, GEM Skues, Mary Orvis Marbury, Ray Bergman that how affective these flies were and still are. Now also keep in mind that there was another wet fly fishermen that fished wet flies extremely well and was considered to be GEM Skues counter part in the USA. Leasenring was one hell of a soft hackled wet fly fishermen and a man way ahead of his time. I am truly haunted by the past far as fishing and tying. I am very honored to be called by my peers a throw back in time far as wet fly fishing and tying. I am also extremely humbled when I have listened to Don Bastian speak in public and have him introduce me as his protoge. Like others on this web site some are truly into tying and fishing Dry Flies, Others it might be Emergers and yet others just tye and fish with every thing. For me it's Wet Flies, always has been and always will be. Now far as tying goes, I believe every one can tye these flies. I feel to make them look the way they should it takes dedication and practice and a desire. Wet fly tying is my passion and love in life. I think Flyin who post's on this web site if he's around will tell you the same thing about me. Well, I hoped this answered your question.

 

[Lucci]

Hi Andy,

I happen to be very interested in fishing wets. It is pobably the first method/fly I use 90% of the time when I first hit a river. However, I have not been having much luck with them, and I wanted to know, if you don't mind, if you can point in the direction of some materials that would help me better my wet fly skills. Thanks in advance.

 

[Andy B]

Well far as information on wet fly fishing and tecniques there is not much on the Subject far as how to except for two books:

1) Trout by Ray Bergman which you can buy the 2000 edition by Derry Dale press

2) Wet Fly Fishing by Sports illustrated that you can find and buy on www.abebooks.com

Now if it's wet fly tying you do have some very good options:

1) Helen Shaw's book Fly's For The Fish & Fisherman. The book can be found on abe or Alibris and should go for around $40 to $ 75.00.

2) A very good DVD on wet fly tying by Don Bastian. This video is not for beginners. If interested I will hook you up with Don and let you and Don go about your business.

3) Attend a wet fly class taught by me or Take one of Don Bastians classes. Either of these two classes will teach you the exact same thing and provide you with the exact same techniques. I know this since I study under Don.

Lastly far as wet fly fishing you could hook up with me and let me explain a few things to you on this topic that I am extremely familiar with. Hope this helps.

Andy B

 

[Lucci]

Hi Andy,

Thanks for the information. I appreciate it. As far as tying goes, I have been fly fishing for just about a year, and I am still working on technique and not ready to take on tying as well (not yet, but I am interested in it). Furthermore, after all the money I have spent I cannot afford to buy tying equipment/materials right now. On the other hand, I am interested in fishing wets: I enjoy using them, more so than nypmhs, and I feel they can be quite effective--at least from what I have read, because it was the only way people used to fly fish way back when. I also happen to really like the look of the flies.

I am going to take a look at those books you suggested. I wouldn't want to burden you by asking for anything else, but if I have questions that come up I will probably post them here, and I would definitely liked if you chimed in. Thanks again!

 

[Guest]

Hi Andy,

Thanks for the information. I appreciate it...

I wouldn't want to burden you by asking for anything else, but if I have questions that come up I will probably post them here, and I would definitely liked if you chimed in. Thanks again!

Lucci, I wish more people had your good manners.

 

[CR]

Thanks Andy for filling me in on your enthusiasm for wet flies. I'm not really educated in all the classic flies that you deal with, but it seems to me that in their day they were utililitarian, whatever-materials-you-had-on-hand kind of flies. Is this correct, or were they pretty strict back then about patterns as well?

 

[Empty Creel]

Count me in

Andy:

Count me in if there's still room. I'll look at materials and patterns and write back with a pattern.