The Artistic flies of Mark Romero

[tie2fish]

I like the second "Forest Rain" photo best ... the colors seem more true on my monitor. Your "Cherry Bomb" is definitely DA BOMB! Man, does that thing pop! One of your best IMHO.

[willowhead]

Thankx guys.....actually i HATE the head on the Cherry Bomb.........but i hate some aspect of most every fly i tye, in terms of how much i usually end up realizing, i could of done this or that so much better. But.....such is life. And i spose without that reality, we'd never make the little bits of progress we do manage. Speaking for myself naturally.....

[willowhead]

Oh boy......i'm bout two thirds the way through, a damn ambitious or crazy attempt to get a fly completed that's kickin' my butt...............but it sure is fun. i've been workin' on it for two nights so far...........it's on a huge Ronn Lucas Sr. XXL 9/0 Noble D powder coated Orange hook. If i remember right, it's bout a $25. hook, maybe more.....and i've got a bead on there that cost.......?......i think it was round $24. So naturally i'm tryin' to take my time........and of course i'm always at the mercy of limited materials ( hey, everything's relitive ), and some degree of a lack of patience, simply because i'm so driven to complete this mission i'm on..............but. i spose i "can" think of each and every single fly.....AS, the mission itself.
This stuff is so incredable because it teaches us so much about ourselves............i almost wish everyone would take a fly tying journey at some point in their life................or at least an artistic journey...............just to see where it'd take them.
i'll try and get a pic up asap. The backed up line of flies that need photographing just keeps growing and growing and growing.....gotta be a couple hundred at least. Seems i'll never catch up............... oh well........

[willowhead]

7:47 a.m. and it's finished thru the first two coats on the head...............whew..............dang.......one of the most fun flies i've ever tyed. i was goin' to give you the recipe now..............but i'm way to tired............time for sleep.

[willowhead]

Well, that fly is going to have to wait a second.....Misa (tryin' to be sweet as always), went ahead and took a pic of another fly that just happened to be on the dining room table with a bunch of thers waiting to be photograpohed.

This is the one i recently did for Vicki.....it's on an Alex Hayes hook.....and the bead is wood..... For whatever reason this pic is a bit ,"washed out." ALL the colors in the fly are quite a bit more vivid in hand. But anyway.....
The wing is Rhea, just pretending hair, and dyed yellow B.E.P. The throat is Ostrich herl and G.P. Crest. Some sparkle subbing at the rear of the bead, and the tail is Burt Spey hackle. i think i used some kinna Kreinik for the tag. That bead is on another level in hand.....this pic does not show it well.

[kanutripr]

Sweeeeet!!!! It's funny how (at least in the pic) the tag looks like an extension of the bead. Now that I've finished with the last of the swaps for the year I'm checking my supplies for some "fun" flies. I priced a jungle cock neck at $180 at a local fly shop and figure I'll be looking around!



Vicki

[letumgo]

This may be my new favorite Mark. The head and bead look brilliant together. The JC nails take it up a to "eleven".

[tie2fish]

Cool fly! Actually, I think the "washed out" look gives the pastels a very spring-like look -- emerging but not yet mature. BTW, Vicki, $180 is not a bad price for J.C. if it's a good one ("thick" nails without split ends).

[willowhead]

Thankx guys.....Vicki, i have to agree with Bill.....that IF you've got a real winner there, (real good color/plenty of sizes), you might wanna think bout bittin' the bullet. The same thing is only gonna cost more next year. There's always plenty of JC on ebay.....but that's an item you really need in your hands "Before" you spend the money. Btw, there's a beautiful Brown Eared Pheasent on ebay right now for $170.......that's a decent price, but i know where you can beat it.....PM if interested.
Oh, i finished that fly last night.

[kanutripr]

Really? Wow I need a better job!


Vicki