Visitor in need

[Trout206]

Hello TB’s!

This is visitor David Elenbaas and I am struggling with this stay at home order. I have tied about a hundred flies for myself and friends to help with the boredom, but really just need to get outside. This joggong around the neighborhood is just not satisfying my urge to be in the natural world. If you are like me, perhaps you are starting to feel that “unnecessary travel” to a trail is becoming a necessary intervention for mental health!!! Stocking lakes most definitely is an essential job. If you are inclined to toss me a line, please either

1) Invite me on an early season stocking run

2) Let me know if there are any flies you would like tied up

Maybe you don’t need flies but have a favorite go-to fly that you don’t mind sharing? I have heard the olive willy is a killer! My current personal favorite is the Royal Wulff. I have already sent Chronomids to Hans via snail mail, and have created an untested but pretty cool flying ant pattern. Alas, please forgive the whine, and if you would like any flies don’t be shy–I love getting crafty, I just need a muse.

[Brian Curtis]

I’ve been keeping busy by finally getting my old slides scanned.

I don’t need any flies right now, but I’m interested in your new flying ant pattern. Can you post a photo? It isn’t often that I manage to arrive at a high lake with a full on black ant hatch in progress, but when I do a black ants are all they will eat so I always make sure I have ant patterns along.

[Trout206]

Here is the flying ant pattern I have tinkered with.

Size 8 – 12 hook
Black foam body
Claret dubbing legs
Crystal flash underwing
Antron white overwing
Rubber legs
Peacock herl abdomen

See the attached pic!

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[Brian Curtis]

Thanks for posting that. It looks great.

[Tony Curless]

I feel your pain David. Very generous of you to offer to tie. Like many others I’ve had excellent success with the olive willy… it’s become my go-to on high and lowland lakes. Best tutorial I’ve seen on the pattern is here – https://youtu.be/H4rZ8v_Xc9M. I usually use yellow dyed guinea for the hackle. Have been having very good luck with burnt orange seal buggers (Denny Rickards style) also. Hope this is useful 🙂

[Trout206]

Thank you for the tips and encouragement Tony–I am feeling great now that we can go fishing and the snow is a melting! I don’t have any guinea or dyed pheasant rump so haven’t been able to tie a true Olive Willy yet. I do have some Olive brown CDC though and a few twists behind the bead look fantastic. After tying a few seal buggers, I somehow morphed the two patterns into one with an olive ice dub body, CDC hackle and the classic red bead. It has worked well this last week on the local lowland lake–can’t wait to try it in the Alpine.

[Tony Curless]

I’m curious about the fly you just described David… it sounds like a winner. Can you post a pic?

[Trout206]

Definitely more of a seal bugger than an olive Willy, but if they had a baby….

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[Tony Curless]

I like that a lot. Seal buggering an olive willy is genius! I’m going to tie one for my next day on the water. Thanks for the pic!

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