Jay Smith of JVice is auctioning off his 2000th vice with proceeds going to the Red Cross Children’s Hospital. You can see this beautiful vice in the photos below. For all of the details, go to my previous post of The Mission magazine and go to page 94. It tells you everything you need to know there.
CE Tech Innovations has recently produced two new products. One is there Desk Caddy which provides a larger storage area for fly tying tools. The latest is a base for a Norvise, which is the same size as the bamboo bases Norvise sells. It also has various pockets to hold beads, hooks, and extra spools. All come in the colors provided by CE Tech Innovations. Be sure to head over to their website and check out their products. They build terrific fly tying products!
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Brian informs us about the Mayfly Project, which is a very nice project. Then he goes through various ways you can use a schlappen feather in fly tying.
You can find out more about Brian at Fly Fishing the Ozarks.
I’ve tried many bobbins out there for many years and some would be ok, some were downright awful, and some I would use for awhile. For the last couple of years I’ve used mainly the Loon Ergo Bobbin. Which was another bobbin I was just ok with. It was too long, the feet were not very adjustable, which meant thread control was not very good. The one thing I did like about it was the feel. I could place my thumb in the groove and wrap my pointer finger around the rest of the bobbin. I don’t work well with the small thin bobbins. The Ergo Bobbin to me was comfortable in hand and not just some frail little thing. But as I mentioned, it had other problems. This year they improved the Ergo Bobbin, but it has been overshadowed already in my opinion. See below.
This year, Loon released their Ergo All Purpose Bobbin. Just by the look of it, I could tell it just may be what I was looking for, so I ordered one. When it came in the mail, my eyes lit up as I tore open the package like it was Christmas day! It was like a Red Rider BB Gun…ok, not really, just kidding, let’s get back to the review. Anyway, I brought it into the tying room and began to spool it up. This new bobbin was 4.25″ long, which is much shorter than the old Ergo Bobbin, which was good. However, it does have a little more length than standard bobbins. With the extra length, you might notice you need a longer bobbin threader, well, the Loon Ergo Bobbin Threader works perfectly. The arms on this new bobbin were much better quality and easily adjustable and they have brass feet. As I began tying, I knew right away that Loon had hit it out of the park. This new bobbin has such a great feel, plus good thread control, and was not long and awkward.
The tube is made of double radius polished tungsten and works well. I tie a lot of streamers, but also tie some smaller carp bugs and bluegill flies. I have used 140 denier and 70 denier thread and the bobbin works well for both. Loon mentions that this is an all purpose bobbin and I can see where that is true. You can use it for large and small flies. I have been using it for well over a month now and have already bought three more. So if you are looking for a new bobbin, check this one out and see if you are as happy with it as I am. I highly recommend it!
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“With the hundreds maybe thousands of hook options on the market, how do you find consistency in the hooks you tie on? Do you have one go to hook for all your nymphs, and one for streamers, and one for tires, etc? I found myself buying and tying on dozens of different nymph, streamer, dry fly hooks and I really think I need to consolidate the variations of hooks I use (that way I can purchase larger quantities and keep hook prices low). Without asking too many questions: What are your go to hooks for nymphs and streamer patterns and do you find that some brands are far superior to others?”
If you want to send Kelly a question, head over to their website and send them an email. https://www.slideinn.com/
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ASHLAND, ORE (October 4, 2017) – Loon Outdoors, maker of fine fishing and fly tying tools, once again brings anglers new products to perfect time at the bench and on the water with new scissors, ergonomic tying tools, and UV curing lights.
The new Ergo Micro Tip Arrow Point Scissors and the Ergo Micro Tip All Purpose Scissors come with enlarged ergonomic handles for a comfortable grip in any hand. They are hand-tuned in the USA to give precision priority, and the surgical quality stainless steel will last while keeping the cutting blades extra sharp. Choose the Arrow Point Scissors for perfect precision and the All Purpose Scissors for versatility. Available now for a retail price of $17.95 and $18.95, respectively.
Later this month, fly tyers can look forward to the introduction of the Ergo Bobbin Threader and the Ergo Whip Finisher. The bright Loon yellow ergonomic handles make them easy to find on the bench. The Ergo Bobbin Threader is extra-long for compatibility with even the largest bobbins, and the Ergo Whip Finisher has a sharpened base so finishing flies and clipping thread can be accomplished with one tool. Look for availability of both tools in mid-October for a retail price of $9.95 and $12.95, respectively.
In November, Loon introduces three new UV curing lights for use at the bench or in the field. The new UV Nano Light retails for $19.95 and is small enough for use in the field to cure UV Knot Sense or UV Wader Repair but powerful enough for bench use to cure UV resins. One AAA battery powers this light and makes it portable and durable. The UV Bench Light has a 3-watt, high-intensity output for tying applications. It is powered by one AA battery and will retail for $39.95. Last, but certainly not least, is the UV Infiniti Light retailing for $59.95. With its 10-watt output, this light is powerful enough for professional tyers and rechargeable to harmonize with Loon’s environmental-friendly culture. All lights cure the UV product in 15 seconds.
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Note from Paul of FrankenFly:
Hartman Woodworking built this awesome fly tying table. This particular model of table is a first for Hartman, because it incorporates a NorVise. But what’s really great about Hartman Woodworking building a table is they will customize it to your liking. They excel at this! If you haven’t seen the post about the table they built for me, check it out here.
This Susquehanna Table was actually built for Eric Snyder of Warmwater Specialties. So check out the information that Hartman has provided about the table and the photos that show off the table quite nicely.
Eric’s table after setup.
From Hartman Woodworking:
The custom Susquehanna Modular Fly Tying Table has been named after a favorite warmwater fishing spot, The Susquehanna river in Northeastern Maryland. As with all of our Fly Tying Tables they are handcrafted from the finest hardwoods, The Susquehanna containing the Maple/Birch Veneer high strength plywood base that will ensure no warpage over time and climate changes, with a 2” solid Red Oak boarder. The Red Oak boarder contains the mounting holes for your Norvise System as well as 12” solid wood inlay ruler that has a boarder of Zebra Wood, which is one of the most unique and exotic of the hardwoods. The Susquehanna also features a first tier shelf that contains ten 1 ½” round holes and a rare earth embedded magnet strip that runs approximately 12” along the front of the first tier shelf. The second tier shelf contains six 2” round holes and extra large 2”x3” and 2”x4” trays for tying pieces. The third tier contains twenty-nine ½” holes. All three tiers are also handcrafted in Red Oak. The back corners of The Susquehanna are each equipped with Modular threaded inserts that will accommodate any of the Hartman Woodworking Modular accessories. Pictures are shown with dual Modular Black Finish LED Lamps that attach to either of these mounding locations, with an Otter Creek smart phone stand that can be used stand-alone as a table top stand or securely fitted on either of the modular mounting locations on the Smart Phone Modular mounting attachment. The LED Lamps should last a lifetime but in the case that the heirloom quality table outlasts the lamps they are made to be replaceable. All wood surfaces have been finished with 12 coats of spray MinWax polyurethane (holes are hand brushed) and will hold up to many tying sessions and abuse. As normal wear and tear may dull your finish and provide a few character marks and dents it can be refinished with a light sanding and a few coats of polyurethane.
We maintain a Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/hartmanwoodworkingLLC/) where we put lots of on-going photos of what is happening in the shop and some of where owner, Josh, may be wetting his line. There are a lot of pictures on Instagram (http://instagram.com/hartmanwoodworking) so that you can follow all of the current work, products, shop changes or just how some finished products look. We also maintain a fully functional e-commerce website (http://hartman-woodworking-llc1.mybigcommerce.com/?ctk=X3S10OS775Q4VT4QTHWP8PSA) where you can browse and order most of our standard products or request a quote for a custom project.
We also feature some of our products at local fly shops and currently have some inventory at all four TCO Fly Shops in Pennsylvania (www.tcoflyshops.com) and The Beaver Creek Fly Shop near Hagerstown, MD (www.beavercreekflyshop.com). Stop in at one of these five fly shops to see some of our products. Make a purchase or get more information about custom orders! Contact us about any products, questions or just to find out more information:
Via email:
[email protected]
[email protected]
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Back in February in a post where I included a video of Kelly Galloup talking about scissors, I included a note mentioning the red, white, and blue Deer Creek scissors that I use and love! These are fined point scissors and very sharp. I use these for all of my close-up, small area work, but I also use them as my main scissors. I’m just careful not to use them to cut synthetics or wire.
Well, Deer Creek now has them available again on their website. They are called Deer Creek Pro Razor Scissors. You can find them here: https://www.deercreek.co.uk/blank-c10n8
They also have a red, white, and green version now as well. Check them out, they are well worth the price. I’ve been using my first pair for well over a year now and they are still going strong. (Just don’t drop them on a hard surface, because you could damage the tips.)
Enjoy!
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