Biot bodied flies

Tying up some flies with biot bodies. Begining with #12, will make some #10 and maybe even #8 to try out during the early summer. Then smaller ones #14, #16, #18 and maybe even smaller for use later as summer goes on. Using turkey and goose biots on larger flies, but also pheasant biots for the tails. The pheasant biots are nicely small and could probably make nice bodies on the very smallest flies. Will have to try them on some #28.

Thoughts on upcoming projects

It is good time, almost late, to start seeing over the stock of flies for the coming season. Will be another month of iced waters but it will pass by real fast since the temperatures are more or less constantly on the ice-melting side of a freezing point (0'C). The smaller streams should soon be deiced, but accessability of those waters might be limited.

Well, first to be tied up should be a bunch of chiromonidae, pupas, emergers and even hatcheds to synchronize with the insect life prevailing right after the ice melt away. Maybe even some midges in case of stumbling upon some open brook/creek.

kulloppi.kalix.net shutdown

After more than six years of continuous work kulloppi has been allowed to go to rest between the times its services are needed. During all this years kulloppi has served most dutyfully and complained little. Kanterborg the new labourer to carry the work of old kulloppi has already begun its service a few months ago and are now ready to take the full responsibility being in the lead.

We hereby wish to thank kulloppi with a heartfelt thank you. And we wish for a better tomorrow, also for you, our friend of many years.

Gammarus, scud, hatching caddis.

Gammarus shrimps for Sunday supper. Scuds for somebody else, and hatching caddis for our little gold fish.

Gamamrus, scud, hatchiing caddis.

9478 #4  nickel plated 5 ex short shank. Will the sea trout eat this one? It doesnt look like much anything.

Gul forsslända - Yellow May Dun - Heptagenia Sulfurea

Unprecedented saturday evening fun. tying up the Yellow May Dun.

Yellow May Dun size 12.

Hooks sizes comparison

It was decided to perform a quick comparison of different hooks absolute and relative sizes. After arranging and grouping some hooks on a millimetre grid paper a picture was taken and then edited to mark sizes of the hooks. I find the result very interesting and absolutely useful. The hooks could be rearranged to be grouped after different criteria like shank length, gape width, and so on.

Hooks on milli grid paper.

The lower most #18 hook is a ex. short shank Mustad 3984F. The short shank opens up for small flies while maintaining a relatively big gape. It is only 1 mm longer to the shank than the Mustad 94840 #28 down eye while the gape is twice as big.

Another one of similar size is the second from the top #20, Mustad 39836A gold. 

Interesting is also to see that third form top #20 is bigger than third from top #18. Different hooks of same # obviously do not hold the same size in respect to anything. Or is it me lacking knowledge in how hooks are measured and classified to belong to a specific size-#?

It is also of interest to note the size of the three Partridge 15BN Klinkhamer hooks #16, #18, and #20. They are immense while the Mustad C49S are about same size as regular fly hooks of comparing size (#8 -- #14).

First creations

Quill bodied #18 short shank

Malformed #28

Hope for better luck next time, not only with the tying but also with the photography. It is hard to get satisfying results with AF compacts.