What have you tied today?

[Clan Chief]

My tying has been curtailed of late as my tying room is temporarily under new ownership by my sis in law. Hope to get it back soon.
However I managed to tie a few on the garden table.  The light was tremendous!

[rannoch raider]

All 'real' useful flies and very nicely tied.

[corsican dave]

very nice indeed! I do appreciate nicely tied proper fleas, too 

just a wee heads up to everyone: we're fast approaching the party season (Halloween, Christmas) so keep an eye on your local pound shops, garden centres and supermarkets for fly tying materials. I came out of a pound store today with a small pile of fluoro fibres for a fiver. have  look at the wigs, hair extensions etc. of course it helps if you're into bright colours and big, outrageous patterns....  :

if anyone sees anywhere selling foil wigs, please let me know. I can get through a pack of crystal flash in about half a dozen streamers!

[Lochan_load]

Yeah lovely tying, are they on b160s?

[Clan Chief]

Aye B160's   I like the wide gape on them.

[corsican dave]

Easy-peasy pom-pom fly head:

I came across these synthetic pom-poms in hobbycraft at £1 for 25 yesterday
[attachimg=1]
they come in a variety of sizes and colours. I wasn't sure if the idea would work, so I only got green. I can see i'll be making another purchase or two soon.... this is on a #4/0 hook, but you get the idea...
you'll need to start the fly back-to front ie head first. if you look carefully you'll find a central point to the pom-pom which you just impale on the hook and push hard towards the eye. if you're worried about the eye being obscured you could always tie some wraps first to stop it, but I didn't find it necessary.
then whip on a dumbbell eye of your choice, tight against the pom-pom. figure eight or whatever works for you. tie off & secure with super-glue.
[attachimg=2]

remove the hook from the vise & impale another pom-pom (if you wish; you could just skip this step). push it hard against the eyes and then re-start your thread as usual, ensuring you make a number of wraps hard behind the pom-pom to lock it in place.
[attachimg=3]

run the thread back to the usual starting point near the bend and complete the fly as you wish. tie off behind the pom-pom. be creative!  :

[Lochan_load]

Looks good Dave, once you've secured in the first pom Pom you could tie in funky fibre top and bottom, pull it forward to keep it out the way and then tie in your dumbbell and anything else you want behind, once it's finished draw the fibre back and should all be pretty neat.....I like these, you've got me thinking

[corsican dave]

absolutely. anything that saves me fannying around with spun deer hair is a plus in my book. they'll cast real easy and shouldn't pick up too much water. i'll maybe have a try at stacking a load on a hook and trimming them down to a fish shape. I just wish I'd bought all the other colours while I was at it  :lol: the white or yellow ones would give excellent scope for two-tone colouring, too. I just drew some stripes on mine with a black sharpie. awesome  : i'll post it up after the rugger

[garryh]

ive got a mate who ties pike flies ,he uses this stuff .much cheaper and lots more of it than the stuff packaged for fly tying.
http://www.hairtrade.com/jumbo-braid-c-92_392.html?gclid=CJia_pmqqcgCFaOy2wodcBoJMA

Garry

[corsican dave]

nice link, Garry! makes my £1 wigs look expensive...

here's a finished article with the pom-poms;[attachimg=1]

the hackling could be neater, but we all know it'll catch fish  :