Winter Time -- time to tie

Well, just two more weeks in the girls tennis season and then I can get back into exercising. I'm sure I have put on 10 to 20 lbs in the past 3 months -- no exercise coaching 16 girls -- too much like teaching a class and never get a chance to hit or run. However, one would be a fool to give up a chance to work with really great young people, both as a coach and as a teacher. It keeps one young.

I have been setting up my tying bench and training my cats where they can sit on the bench and still get rubs without running into hooks or getting into my way. Either that or they have trained me to set my materials up where they want them so they can get rubs and lean their chins on the edges of my portable tying stand. Regardless of who is doing the training, it is a good time for all.

My plan is to tie 100 flies of 12 different patterns, in one specific size each, to create two "killer packs" of flies to be used on Lewiston Lake. Craig at the marina has been on me to create packs of flies that have been successful for me and to sell them at the store. I'll also need dozens that can be bought individually when one pattern becomes HOT. I figure if I tie 100 flies of each pattern, I can find 50 that are of commercial value leaving 50 "crappy ones" for me to use lol.

The six flies that I will be putting into my "stripping flies killer pack" are:

1. Blackberry Mohair Leech (size 10 4x long)
2. Black Peacock Simi Seal Leech with flashabou ribbing (size 10 4x long)
3. Sheep Creek Special (size 14 1x long)
4. Arizona Peacock Lady (size 14 1x long)
5. Purple and Black wooly bugger (size 12 2x long)
6. Black Beadhead bunny leech (for trolling size 10 4x long)

I have had a lot of success with these 6 flies and certainly know that they will work great on the lake. I'm also including instructions how to use spinning gear to fish these flies appropriately (the plan is -- spinning gear with flies out fishes bait -- fly rod makes fish appear much larger compared to spinning poles -- people become fly fishermen -- I'm not the only fly guy on the water.

Take care,
Shane