Evening star., 1963-02-05
WINTER SPORT
WINTER SPORT
Anglers Tie Flies and Dream
BY CHARLES COVELL
Outdoor Editor


Winter is dreary for the
average fisherman unless he
has time and money to 60 to
Florida or the Bahamas. One
of the things he can do,
though, to while away the
evenings is to tie flies and
dream.
Each time I tie a trout or
bass fly, mentally catch three
or four fish, says Charlie Most
of Silver Spring, once q
registered guide at Sun Valley,
Idaho.
Most came here in 1858 to
Join the information division
of Fish and Wildlife and is q
director of the d. c. Chapter
of Trout Unlimited. the Or
ganizations Of sportsm n
which, like those in Ducks Un-
limited, seeks to perpetuate
their favorite recreation.
Charlie also is q fly tyer Of
no mean ability as his collec-
tion OF dry flies, wet flies.
nymphs. salmon flies, bass
bugs. imitation frogs and even
salt water streamers attests.
Get the Right Start
Fly tying is q fine activity,
II you get the proper start.
Don't. for example, buy one Of
the cheap kits on the market.
Begin with a good wise, easily
found ct the better tackle
stores.
Next is q bobbin to feed the
thread. small scissors, hackle
pliers. bodkins and possibly a
whip finisher to properly finish
off the heads. There are extras
like hackle guards and winging
pliers, but these can come later.
Then come hooks Of various
lengths and sizes, both straight
and hump shanked for bass
bugs, flosses. thread. yarns,
gold and silver tinsel, wax, bot
ties of enamel and lacquer,
small brushes and fly head
cement.
Dealers Advice Helps
HackleS, the fuzzy stuff
around the neck of a fly, come
from gamecock neck skins. You
also will need wing and side
feathers, peacock tails. mari
bout plumes, squirrel and deer
tails, deer hide and various bits
of fur, on all of which a dealer
can advise.
If you have a friend who
ties flies, a quick demonstra-
ton will get you started. If not,
practice first with Streamers.
They are the easiest.
Clamp a long -shanked hook
by the barb in the wise. Take
a wisp of golden pheasant crest
feather and wrap it with black
thread on the bend of the hook
for a tail. To do this you wrap
over the end of the thread
several times. clip the excess
and let the bobbin dangle.
Try Using MaribOu
Next. tie in a length of
black yarn at the tail and wrap
the shank, tying off and clip
ping. Follow with a ribbing of
flat silver tinsel. wings of white
hackle feathers and shoulders
of tiny jungle cock feathers. !
This is a black ghost, one of
the best flies for opening
morning of the trout season.
Vary your streamers by
making wings of maribou
ieath ers instead of hackle
feathers. Maribou has a.
waving. minnow-like action in
the water that is often ire
sistible to fish.
From streamers you can pro-
ereSs to wet flies and then dry
lies which are similar but
whose size takes keen eyes and
much finer workmanship. Some
flies are made with dubbed"
codes; that is, thread waxed
and coated with fur fibers.
Most has a neat trick of doing
:his.
How to Make Dubbed" Body
Instead of cutting a length
Of thread. waxing and rolling
it in downy fibers clipped from.
8 pelt as many do. he makes
a few turns to fasten the
thread to the hook, then wakes
enough to wrap on for the