olive/claret Guides Choice

[Terrestrial12]

You absolutely killed it! That micro pine squirrel collar looks amazing! I think I just may need to buy some for a casual dress variant! So that YOU for the inspiration and fish it with confidence!

[Mike62]

Wayne.... ok if you insist.... I'll just screw around and perhaps screw up the Guides choice... so with proper credit to Terrestrial12, Ohlie's flies, Kelly Galloup, and Fly Fish Food... here's a mash up Guides choice

FM 50-45 size 12
3.8 copper slotted bead, burned with torch ala Ohlie's flies
tail partridge fibers
rib twisted krystal flash pearl ala Kelly Galloup
under "leg" krystal flash ala Kelly Galloup
body bleached hairs mask in dubbing loop ala Ohlie's flies and T12 and Dubbn (no dun dye ava)
thorax peacock eye ala Galloup
hackle micro pine squirrel tan in loop ala Fly fish Food

oh thread UNI 6/0 fire orange...

any chance I may have overthunk this dude

Very nice tie, Ronr. I like the patina that the bead took on, it reminds me of an old sleigh bell.

[ronr]

MIke.. I've played around with burning the beads as suggested in Ohlie's Flies. The copper beads have been accepted well by the fish, you still get the copper without the flash. For some reason burning the silver or gold beads doesn't yield the same results all the time. Probably depends on the finish on the bead and the appetite of the trout on a particular day.

[Terrestrial12]

I have heard of that and forgot all about it. Never tried it. If I remember right you can heat up copper and brass beads? Might have something to do with them being nonferrous metals so the bead is likely actually copper and brass? Where as the silver beads are not actually silver and the tungsten beads obviously respond differently?

[ronr]

T12 true that the various beads react differently to having the coating burned. I play around with how long I heat them to achieve the patina I want and I keep a little wet sponge on my table to quench the bead after heating. I first saw this done on Ohlie's Flies Youtube channel. Cant remember the exact episode, but he does some interesting things.
I may have too much time on my hands too do these things and the guys in my tying group here in Redmond, OR think I'm nuts burning beads....But, it makes for a unique looking fly that the fish don't see everyday.

[Terrestrial12]

Ronr well if you like playing with stuff like that you might be interested in putting an actual patina on some brass beads with vinegar and salt or ammonia. This is a technique I use sometimes in building rat rods or various other metal fabrication. You can get anywhere from a dull aged look all the way up to green oxidation depending on the solution and concentration.

[ronr]

T12 excellent suggestion. I'm not sure the shiny beads are a problem... I've certainly caught plenty of fish on the traditional store bought colors. But, I'm liking the variations created by the burn technique, but I know Dom Swentosky uses a chemical bath to take the shine of of jig heads that he uses for drop shot weights....oops sorry... another nymphing reference here... I'll look his up and and try yours, too...

[Roadkill]

Just when I think I have too many flies to test dunk, you guys post more that I have to make!!

[DUBBN]

I tied some size 12 Dun, Guides Choice Hares Ears. They did well on Arctic Grayling, and Cutthroat yesterday. Not aswell its big brother the standard GCHE, but enough I can say it is a good pattern.

[Terrestrial12]

Glad to hear it! I've been working on my standard, old school GRHE lately. Every so often I like to go back and kind of re-learn some of those old school classics. Especially the easy ones. I tend to just learn them till they are good enough, then fill a row in a box and fish them. Just kinda glossing over it without truly perfecting it. So I like to go back and research the original, and tie it till its absolutely perfect.