ronr wrote: ↑Fri Feb 05, 2021 10:30 am
thanks Wayne... I too have tried all sorts of things... the typical magnets on split rings suck... and at different times I use a vest, a sling pack and maybe other times a waist pack... trying to find a cost effective way to keep the darn thing in place and out of the way is a bear.... so much so that I rarely carry a net these days...I presume these magets came with the attachment points that enabled you to connect them to the carabiner, etc...having the flies on the magnet is better than tangled in the net webbing?
Yes, the magnets came with the attachment points. If you can not find them at Lowes, Harbor Freight, or Home Depot, you can get them on Amazon.
For me magnets go hand in hand with fly tying and fishing. I glue them to the side of and on the base of my tying lamp to keep hooks and flies I am tying organized.
I glue magnets to the bottom of my hook organizers to keep them in place.
I have a few hundred of these little magnets ready to be used somewhere, sometime.
How about telling us about that midge pattern, looks real tasty !
Mike B.
International, North American, National champion taxidermist specializing in "catch & release" fish mounts
Custom bamboo and glass rods www.prairiedrifter.com
FlyFisherMann1955 wrote: ↑Fri Feb 05, 2021 5:10 pm
+ 1 for what Boarmountain said!
I too would appreciate the list of materials and any tying tips for that fly.
Thanks- Ken
Boarmountain wrote: ↑Fri Feb 05, 2021 1:55 pm
Enough about magnets, lol
How about telling us about that midge pattern, looks real tasty !
Someone wants to know about a magnet setup, then someone wants to know about a lowly midge larva!!
A little back ground on this pattern. From Late November thru February, a size 16 Olive midge larva is the most prevalent food source that I have found on the Gunnison River. I have been mentioning this bug in my journals for the last 15 years. The bug also shows up on the stretches of the Colorado and Roaring Fork rivers From December thru February. This is the largest Midge larva that I encounter during the year. I do well imitating this larva. 15 years ago an Olive thread midge ribbed with Brown wire worked well. I keep trying to improve on the patterns I use.
The hook is any scud hook. This pattern I tie in size 16 and 14. That being said I use this technique on a variety of hooks, a variety of colors, in sizes 24 thru 14
Start the thread behind the eye of the hook, then secure the Micro Tubing
While stretching the Micro Tubing to the breaking point, wrap the thread back past the bend of the hook. This will maintain a slim profile.
Advance the thread forward to an eyes length away from the eye. Once again while stretching the Micro Tubing to the breaking point, wrap the tubing forward. Secure it when in intersects with the thread. A true rotary vise comes in handy here. After securing the tubing with a few wraps behind and a few wraps in front of it, stretch the tubing tight, then trim it off. This will make it easier to cover the cut end of the tubing. Build a bulbous head while covering the cut end. Whip finish and cut the thread.
For this pattern I use a dark Brown Bic marker on the top of the head. I try to get the Brown to bleed down the sides without coloring the underside of the pattern. On this pattern, I am trying to color the top half, while maintaining the Light Cahill color of the belly.
Margarita Green is the lightest color of green that I have. It makes a nice Olive when it mixes with the Light Cahill thread. To keep the ink on the top half of the pattern, and keep the under belly light, I make one swipe with the marker, on its top. I use enough pressure that I know the ink is touching the thread, and not just the ribbing. Swipe from just behind the head to the tail end of the pattern.
One swipe is important. If I try to go back and do it twice, where ever the marker touched the thread, ink will bleed down to the belly. To stop this, make the swipe with the pen, then swipe the top with your finger. This will clean up the excess.
I then cover the the entire fly in thin UV resin, hit it with a torch.
This is a super easy pattern to tie. Once you tie a couple, and get the hang of the technique, it should not take more than 2 or 3 minutes to crank one out .
A few other patterns in different colors and different hooks using the same tecnique
This pattern is a combination of two patterns by Juan Ramirez. The Pale Ale, and The Money Midge.
In the link below he demonstrates how he colors the top of the pattern
Last edited by DUBBN on Sat Feb 06, 2021 7:37 am, edited 1 time in total.
Mike B.
International, North American, National champion taxidermist specializing in "catch & release" fish mounts
Custom bamboo and glass rods www.prairiedrifter.com
thanks Wayne... sorry to interrupt the beautiful flies with the magnet stuff.. but those are great ideas for the use of the little magnets. And as usual, I will be tying your patterns with delight.