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Vintage Stuff
A friend of mine, and one of my blog followers, and occasional commenters, Alec Stansell, of Massachusetts, posted this picture on his facebook page. I liked it and decided to share it with my readers....
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Speaking of Ghosts…
Due to an inquiry from a customer a couple years ago, with his desire to have me create a frame of all the streamer patterns named “Ghost” – specifically “Something Ghost” as opposed to “Ghost...
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Carrie Stevens – Silver Doctor
Not too long ago a friend sent me this picture of a streamer. At first we were not sure what it was, though we were both pretty sure it was a Carrie Stevens tied fly. My friend sent the image to Don...
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Guess Who Came to the Show?
This is pretty cool. On Saturday November 22nd, at the 24th Annual International Fly Tying Symposium in Somerset, New Jersey, a man came to my table. He was intently eyeing my flies, moving back and...
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Streamer Hackles – A Primer on What to Look For
A few weeks ago I was tying 16 Carrie Stevens streamer patterns, actually about ten different patterns, for a few orders. While doing that I thought, as I had previously, that I get lots of questions...
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Chris Helm – Gone Fishing In Heaven
It is with great sadness that I announce that Chris Helm passed away last night, after a several year battle with cancer. I learned of this sad news on facebook, from Steve Wascher, fellow fly tier and...
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Wet Fly Wing Mounting Methods
Don Bastian:I have recently received a number of questions on setting wet fly wings and thought this older post was worth reblogging, so here it is. The main point I make is that there are four ways to...
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Carrie Stevens Streamer Patterns
I have posted these same flies previously, but these are some new flies and new photos. An assortment of Carrie Stevens Streamer patterns; clockwise from upper left: Pink Lady (2); Gray Ghost (2); Blue...
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Stanley Williams – Streamer Tier
Not long ago I made the online acquaintance of a young man from West Enfield, Maine, by the name of Stanley Williams. He ties a very nice replica, what I have seen so far, of Carrie Stevens streamer...
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Comando Streamer – Percy Tackle Company
My friend, Alec Stansell, in Massachusetts, sent me this picture of a streamer pattern that was previously unknown to me. It’s an original carded fly from the Percy Tackle Company, formerly of...
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Santa and The Reintrout are Back
Santa and his Reintrout… Last Christmas, I posted the painted card image of Santa, a sunfish, leading his sleigh with eight reintrout, being led by what we are led to believe is Rudolph, a channel...
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Bastian’s Red Squirrel Silver Picket Pin SBS
Now that we are a few days into 2015, I figured I better get something on here. When a friend sent me this link on one of my original patterns – the title fly, or “RSP” as it is now called for short, I...
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Flymphs
Some fine work, indeed, by my friend from Jarretsville, Maryland. Bill Shuck tied up this selection of flymphs, just to see how a set of these classic, heritage flies would look boxed up. I’m thinkin’...
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Carrie Stevens Streamer Deconstruction – Who Was First?
This article is sub-titled with an old adage: “You can’t believe everything you read.” There is a very easy answer to that question, but first this: The current issue of “Fly Tyer” magazine states that...
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Favorite Fishing Flies – 1892
This is the title of my upcoming book, the one that was originally announced here on my blog in November 2011. It was then shared by Fly Tyer Magazine Forum Moderator, David MacConnell, or “D Mac” as...
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Tomah Joe
Last weekend at the Fly Fishing Show in Somerset, New Jersey, a friend came by and gave me some barred wood duck flank feathers. On Saturday afternoon, I tied this fly for him, a Tomah Joe, dressed...
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Kelley’s Killer – Carrie Stevens Pattern
A year or so ago, I posted the Kelley’s Killer as presented in the Carrie Stevens book, “Carrie Stevens: Maker of Rangeley Favorite Trout and Salmon Flies,” 2000, by Graydon and Leslie Hilyard. I tied...
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Rock ‘n’ Roll
Soon, in the next couple posts, I will reach the number 400 in the total number of posts I have made here since starting this blog in March of 2010. A lot of water has passed under the bridge in the...
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Bastian’s Floating Caddis / Mayfly Emerger
I had announced this on my facebook page last week, but I also wanted to post something here. I am pleased to announce that the Orvis Company has picked up for the third year, my original pattern,...
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Bastian’s Floating Sulphur Emerger – Part II
Don Bastian:After today’s post on my Floating Caddis-Mayfly Emerger I received two requests for tying steps to make this fly. So reblogging this original post; here they are, from my article dated May...
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