The Artistic flies of Mark Romero

[tie2fish]

Sounds like a 'shroom moment ...

[hankaye]

wh, Howdy

Some may refer to your experience as a "ZEN" type of event...

hank

[willowhead]

Yes it does tie2.....and your right hank.....i've had the experience before when at work mixing (sound), and everything was just incredably perfect, and "other" times as well. But it had never happend when i was tying before.....and what was such a trip was that it happened exactly as i was getting this little problem solved just right, and everything was falling together just so......."Something Else."

[willowhead]

OK, here it is...........Misa took a whole bunch of pics........and sent me 9 of them. Here's 3 of those. We just got home from our local TU Chapter meeting.........headed outta here at 7 a.m. So these will be my last pics post for at least a couple weeks. We just signed up for an all day streamer tyin' class (morning half), float trip (second half of the day), on the White when we get back. It includes lunch for $200 each. Half day at the vise, half day on the river......pretty good deal. We've never fished the White from a boat, and this is the time of year when on any given day (depending on what's happening with the turbins), til the end of Feb., there can be a Shad kill.....and the fish just go BONKERS. BIG White streamers is the ticket for Browns from 4 to 40 lbs. Ten pounders are very common. i can't wait.....
i couldn't think of a name for the fly, so don't take what i called it to heart......i'm in a rush to finish loading the ride. i'll come up with something much better soon. OH! ****, i got it. The official name is African Sahara Morning.

Vicki, your latest stash went out today.....the Macaw feathers, the 100 Mustad Chestertowns, and i threw in some more (BIG this time) beads.....

[hankaye]

Willowhead, Howdy;

Mark, Big IS beautiful...
Have a SAFE and profitable trip.
Lookin' forward to the updates when you able to.

hank

[willowhead]

Hey hank.....just in case your wondering.....the "above" veiling over the rear bead is a single Ringneck rump feather dyed olive.....the veiling over the front bead is 4 Ringneck rump feathers (stagered), dyed orange.....needed more support in the front because that's where the major portion of the weight in the synthetic wing is.......there are 3 different colors of Polar Chenille in the body.........Tkx., for the nice thoughts and wishes. We had a very nice sunny day on the road today. Live from Hays, Kansas.....

[letumgo]

It is amazing how different that fly looks in each of the three photos. The color of the hook itself catches my eye in the first photo. The second and third photos capture the splendor of the fly better. Did you capture some of the color of the hook in the gut eye? Lovely detail.

[willowhead]

Ray, the first thing i did with this fly, is paint the hook. They eye didn't go on until after the second (most foward) bead, and everything to the rear of that, had gone on. And it got painted as soon as i got it on there. With heads and eyes.....i usually try to do things (the coloring), in opposites. Like, (a simple example), if i have a blue and red head, where the head has one or the other color more predominate on one side or the other, i'll do the eye the opposite way. Or if i have 4 colors in the head, i may only use three of those four, in the eye......just always switchin' things up......jugglin' things. Commin' up with opposites, and juxtapositions. Anything to keep a piece of art from being boring or mundane or ordinary or predictable or average or commonplace.
These hooks i get from Alex Hayes, ( a kid in Michigan.....i think he's bout 17 or 18.....?), are the only ones i've ever painted. The gut i usually use when i tye on a hook this large (diameter), is antigue Violin string or Ukelele string gut. Generally, Salmon fly tyers who tye on blind eye hooks, try to match the diameter of the gut they use, to the diameter of the hook shank they are tying on......that's a pretty logical way of lookin' at design basically. The word continuity comes to mind.
As all your fans know.....you got a good eye.

One more thing.........as far as the whole color (and elsewise) concept goes.......it's all about the bead(s)........
Here's how i see it..........
i'm the hook.....the foundation of it all.
The bead is life, in your face, every day.....are you gettin' outta bed or what?
And all the rest of the dressing, is how you deal with that.......simple.
Live from the Comfort Inn, room 101 , 401 E. 58th AV. Denver, Colorado.

[willowhead]

Here's a fly i did a couple years ago.....couldn't think of a name so Polar Candy will have to surfice.....wing and throat are all PB. Collar is Blue Eared......bunch of different fibers in the bead veiling above and below. Can't remember exactly where i got that bead..........Tail is Peacock shoulder. Some kinna antique tinsel for the tag........Butt and body is MoHair.....antigue silver tinsle for the rib......antique violin stright gut for the eye.......that's an Alex Hayes hook.....

[kanutripr]

That bead is quite amazing and the way the materials are put together very imaginative. Makes me ashamed when I can't figure out just what I can use for a wing. I'm going to check out my materials right now.



Vicki