March Brown design drafts

[gingerdun]

Question for GingerDun - Have you been able to identify the hook that Pete used on the March Brown pattern photographed on page one? I thought he used Mustad model 94842 (new number R50U), but the shank looks way too long to be the same hook. I'd be very curious to know what hook was used...

William - I am in complete agreement. Great thread, huh? If you can't tell, I'm buggin' too...

Donald & Ruard - Great photos & patterns.

OK guys, I'll check out the hook. May take a day or two. This hook ID is something I've been avoiding since it it seems complicated, with so many variants here in the collection. But I'll give it a shot.

Can you wait? Glad you liked the fly too. Didn't make sense to me that MB would have such a pale body, but what do I know? This pattern grabbed me first time I saw it.

Ginger

[daringduffer]

That is a great looking fly...any thoughts on the hook? That looks to be a two or even three XL--exactly the kind of turned-up eye hook I've been looking for.

CB,

One of the hooks proposed by Hidy was sold by E. Veniard - a whole-saler, not a maker. I have reasons to believe that the old stock of hooks from the old professional fly tier Margrethe Thomsen, which is now owned by a small swedish company (one man band), comes from the same source. I think most of her stuff came from Veniard. This is where I found my complete set of gossamer wooden spools, for instance. Stendalen has aquired a lot of old stuff from there too. I just received materials from him that I will pass on to a forum member on your side of the pond. As luck would have it, he gets it with a discount of 30%.
(I have said it before; I have no connections with this company. I am only a customer, paying full price).


forged flat, IX long shank, up eye. sz 6-8-10-12-14-16-18. (Wet fly)


Wide Gape, Reversed Bend, Medium shank, up eye sz 6-8-10-12-13-14-15-16-17. (Wet fly)


Engelsk Mayfly Snecky Limerick Hook 2x long shank sz 6-8-10-12-14-16 (Dry fly)

There are of course down eyed hooks too. http://www.flyhookfiller.se/krok-1/orin ... etfly.html

A package contains 10 hooks and cost 10.00 SEK = 1.47415 USD minus 30% discount. If anybody wants assistance of some kind, feel free to PM me.

dd

[gingerdun]

Stefan, you get the prize for turning up great stashes of hooks, silk, etc.
At some point I will do an inventory of the hooks here. A bewildering and intriguing assortment of vintage metal.

Last night after tying three dubious March Brown variants, I spun a dozen bodies of a darkish brown blend of rabbit and hare, from ginger-yellow to natural hare's cheek to some darker reddish brown. Looks boring from a distance, but sparkles with color up close. I'll use them tonight, along with some of the feathers I found.

Ginger

[Roadkill]

The tying epitomy of "A Chip off the Old Block", great work! Looking forward to seeing the finished flymphs!!

[CreationBear]

DD-- Amazing irons! There really seems to be a "Swedish Connection" when it comes to flymphs. To be honest, since I'm mostly concerned with C&R, I'd worry about removing the barb on such an old school hook, but they're exactly the profile I've been looking for.

Ginger-- I've been thinking about your "March Brown Challenge" in terms of replicating that brindle of the natural:

-- First, instead of creating a uniform dubbing mix, have two mixes of contrasting colors, then lay them down in segments along the waiting waxed thread before spinning up tight.

-- Alternately, if you're using a big enough hook, you could tie-in two dubbing brushes at the rear--one, say a nice, soft fawn color, the other loaded with darker, coarser material like seal--tighten each brush individually, then twist the brushes together before wrapping up toward the hook-eye. (A "Redneck Watchet," anyone? )

-- Otherwise, for smaller flies, you might use one dubbing brush and simply drop a loop of your working thread at the rear and do likewise (or, if I were feeling fancy, a loop of separated Pearsall's floss. )

Gilding the lily, no doubt, but it might give you some ideas...

[daringduffer]

I haven't come around to do it myself proprly, but I thought of using two different shades of silk for the loop. I mean, twisting the fur between, say one claret and one crimson thread, or one hot orange and one sherry spinner, you dig? (w-h) Just in order to make the colour even more "un-solid". Experimenting with close shades and different shades. All this computing keeps me off my vice.

dd

[letumgo]

Stefan (DD) - I was thinking that exact same thought yesterday... Why not use to different colors of silk to form the body? I was thinking of a yellow/orange conbination and orange/brown (sort of a brown Jasper combo). All fuel for the fire.

[DNicolson]

Silk thread takes ink from marker pens very well I have been told.
Would make some interesting experiments with a vari-coloured silk.

That's it DD, keep away from those vices and stick to your vise.

[gingerdun]

Been a busy week, but I've been working on this. Here's the result—not very refined, but better than before perhaps. I opted for a two-tone body, like Tups.

Suggestions welcomed, as always.

Hook: Tiemco 5263, size 12, 2X heavy, 3X long
Thread: Pearsall's gossamer Hot Orange, vintage on wooden spool, real orange, not the yellowish replacement
Hackle: India Hen Back, Natural
Body: Light blend, dyed rabbit, ginger, yellow, and Squirrel belly. Dark blend, Hare's cheek plus dyed rabbit, ginger, rusty brown and squirrel belly. On Hot Orange silk
Rib: Lagartun varnished French Tinsel, Oval, X-Strong, Medium
Tail: Hooded Merganser

GingerDun

[Roadkill]

Beautiful fly only one thing to improve it-take it fishing!