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Frank Sawyer’s Bow Tie Buzzard

One of Sawyer’s favorite flies is described in Fly Fishing With a Buzzer Nymph, as described by my old pen pal. By Nick Sawyer  |   Submitted On May 03, 2010 There are a great many representations of buzzer nymphs available on the market. Some of them are very good and no doubt most of them will have caught fish at some time. As far as I know, there is only one bow-tie buzzer and that is the pattern designed by Frank Sawyer. Any others are simply copies of the original in just the same way as all weighted nymphs are developments of the Sawyer Pheasant Tail Nymph. Frank Sawyer spent a lot of his life teaching others how to use his original nymphs, the Pheasant Tail, the Killer Bug, the Sawyer Swedish and the Grey Goose. All require much the same technique and are used the world over with varying levels of skill. The Frank Sawyer Bow-Tie Buzzer (BTB) is completely different. It is true that a few fish will be caught whilst using it as a conventional weighted nymph but as such it is far from deadly. When fished as Frank intended, it really comes into its own. The natural buzzer nymph hangs in still water, just a few centimetres below the surface. In its struggle to transform itself from nymph to fly, the buzzer seems to rotate in the water. All buzzers appear to have a kind of frill around the head. As with all things to do with fish and flies, Frank Sawyer spent years observing what happened underwater. He knew that if fish were to take a representation of a buzzer with any sort of frequency, something unique was required. He tried all sorts

By |April 29th, 2020|Categories: Fishing, Fly Tying, Uncategorized|Comments Off on Frank Sawyer’s Bow Tie Buzzard

Fly Tying Head Cement for Small Flies

Griff's head cement is gone, and a part of me has died. I'm in search of a replacement for the best head cement currently available for tying small trout flies. Griff's head cement has been discontinued, which was the best head cement commercially available for tying of small flies. Rim Chung is now using laquer and laquer thinner. I've gone to Veniards No. 1. Lacquer-based Head Cements Many other modern Catskill masters also use spar varnish as well as lacquers in their various forms. The well known Western fly tyer A.K. Best, in his book, "Production Fly Tying", advocates the use of common hardware store lacquer for its economy and fast drying qualities. Many of the "lacquer" head cements you purchase appear to be a very small bottle of nitrocellulose lacquer that you can get at the hardware store for a whole lot less money…(like A.K. Best says). If the head cement is a pale yellow color (or clear) and smells like lacquer thinner, it is a good bet it is lacquer. Griff’s Head cement - Griffin makes two versions, thick and thin. This is a very common product found in the US. A lot of my friends used this stuff because it was so readily available in our area. But it’s not thin like Griff’s. TroutHunter Harrop Superior Head Cement is the next on my favorite list, but the cloudy color is less than desirable to look at in the bottle anyway, though the application of it seems fine. I am also trying Homemade Thin Nail Polish Head Cement Recipe which is the 2/3 Sally Hansen's Hard as Nails, Clear Topcoat, with 1/3 straight acetone. Veniard’s No. 1 is the closest I have found and my favorite so far. Rim

By |April 29th, 2020|Categories: Fishing, Fly Tying, Rim Chung, RS2, Uncategorized|Comments Off on Fly Tying Head Cement for Small Flies

What Happened to Mark Roth?

What ever happened to my fly tying picture framer friend, Mark Roth? If anyone knows how I can reach him, please let me know, as the mail I sent to his house/garage workshop in Woodland Park seems to have been returned. You can drop me a line at sportingroad@gmail.com. The following used to appear on his site about his hand rubbed wooden fly frames, which are unparalleled: Roth AnglingAll items are hand made one at a time...nothing here is mass-produced or farmed out. I started fly-fishing at age 11, and then filled my first professional fly order at age 12 in 1973, after being taught by Andy Puyans while working in his shop in Pacheco, Calif. I took up framing in 1988 following a number of customer requests. Some fishermen may have seen my small magazine ads in the late '80s and early '90s in 'Fly Rod & Reel' and 'Fly Fisherman' magazines, at which time I put out a small mail order catalog...this web site now functions as the catalog.A fly plate presentation consists of assorted flies mounted in a recessed shadowbox-depth frame, either with or without angling art or a photograph to correspond with the chosen flies. Each finished fly plate on this page is signed and dated, flies tied by Mark Roth. If you would like your own flies mounted in a fly plate, see: Custom Fly Framing page. Or if you see a design below you'd like to add your own flies to, inquire for a quote for a 'kit-only' on these without the flies.Each fly plate includes archival mats with gold & black French mat lines, acid-free backing, and each fly carefully mounted in a cherry frame. The depth of

By |April 29th, 2020|Categories: Fishing, Fly Tying, Uncategorized|Comments Off on What Happened to Mark Roth?

Semblance Minimalists, Impressionists and Exact Imitationalists

The essence of zen is the beauty of simple things. Fly or Nymph Fishermen tend to fall into one of the above three categories. I am a semblance minimalist fly fisher and only carry 5 or 6 different patterns. I used to carry around 3000 patterns, I was an exact imitationalist, as I was a commercial tyer in my youth. But nowadays it’s just Rim Chhng’s RS2, the Improved Yong Special, the YKnot, the Calgon Fly, Andy Kim’s micro egg and a pheasant tail variant. If I found my former methodology more effective, I'd return to it. But minimalism suits me, and the fish as well. My old pen pal Nick Sawyer explains the minimalist set up well: http://EzineArticles.com/4255534

By |April 29th, 2020|Categories: Fishing, Fly Tying, Rim Chung, RS2, Uncategorized|Comments Off on Semblance Minimalists, Impressionists and Exact Imitationalists

RS3 Fly-Imitation is the Best Form of Flattery

Over on avidmax.com, they just recently posted the following article about the RS3 fly, which is a supposed adaption to create a bulkier nymph than the RS2 fly which was devised by my very good friend, Rim Chung, some 30 years ago. Not sure why you would want "a bulkier nymph" but perhaps he's on to something, I don't know. To me, it looks more like the emerging Alien out of the movie by that title than an improvised RS2 to me, but everyone is entitled to their own tyings and who knows what works until you experiement with it, which Rim would approve of doing as many experiments as possible on the stream to find what works best for you and the trout in your area. There have been many commercial attempts to duplicate and/or improve the RS2 since Rim invented it, as he has never sold it commercially or attempted to keep the pattern to himself in anyway, including Rim's own Avatar fly. So as Rim always says, imitation is best form of flattery. Here's the article by Max Pavel on his RS3: How to tie the RS3 Max writes: The RS2 is a classic pattern that was created by Rim Chung. RS stands for “Rim’s Semblance”. The fly pattern was designed to imitate an emerging mayfly. If you have fished in Colorado the chances are you have heard about the RS2. The RS3 is a spin on Rims pattern that I developed because I wanted something that was tied on a heavy wire hook with a slim profile to be fished on bigger CO rivers where the average mayfly is a bit bigger then on the tailwaters. This fly has been very

By |January 15th, 2020|Categories: Fishing, Fly Tying, Rim Chung, RS2, Uncategorized|Comments Off on RS3 Fly-Imitation is the Best Form of Flattery

Lance Egan’s Team USA Competitive Angling Flies

Euro nymphing is all the rage among marketing and fly shops these days as they tought their wares of "tactical angling" and "competitive angling." This is nothing really new compared to the methods that Rim Chung has employed for the last 30 years with his light-line nymphing methods here in Colorado, but the European methods seem to have evolved along similar paths. Fly shops have jumped on board, in an effort to sell more rods and a whole new line of leaders and flies, in an industry that has been largely stagnant for the last ten years. I have to admit that the premier guru of this euronymphing method is Lance Egan who has now produced probably the two best fly fishing videos/movies that have ever been produced to date, and the links to these movies are below. So being curious about his flies, I decided to order a few of his flies from his www.flyfishfood.com site. The ones we have found most useful in Colorado and Montana, we have posted tying directions here. Gut Sack Sow Bug Gray - 18 Stonefly Chenille - Coffee/Black Egan's Rainbow Warrior - Red - 18 Egan's Rainbow Warrior - Pearl - 20 Egan's Tungsten Surveyor - 18 Egan's GTI Caddis - Amber - 14 Egan's Frenchie - 18 Egan's Jig Frenchie - 12 Egan's Jig Rainbow Warrior - 16 Transfoamer Pink - 10 Pat's Black and Tan Rubber Leg - 8 The Thread Frenchie, a take on the classic Frenchie a very well-known Euro style fly is a great way to get a super slim bodied Euro style fly. This fly has evolved thanks to Lance Egan of Fly Fish Food and for good reason. Not only is

By |August 26th, 2019|Categories: Fishing, Fly Tying, Uncategorized|Comments Off on Lance Egan’s Team USA Competitive Angling Flies

Turck’s Tarantula

It's funny how time flies and how over time, some flies disappear while others just get repackaged with easier to tie foams, etc. One day, the Madam X is a popular pattern, and then you wake up and it's two decades of Turck's Tarantulas, and now there are dozens of knock-offs including the The Chubby Chernobyl, the Rubber Legged Stimulator, or the Stoneflopper. Thirty years has gone by since the Madam X. Sounds like a country song doesn't it? But, so is life, time passes, things change, some get easier, some just get uglier. And the flies are in essence the same, but have gotten easier to tie with foam replacing spun hair, etc., which not only makes the flies uglier, but much easier to tie. I have to say I am glad I stocked up, back when flies were good looking. One of my favoite flies is Guy Turck's Tarantula. I was one of the first to order it from him from his site back in 1995. In 1990, Guy began guiding float fishermen for Jim Jones’ High Country Flies in Jackson.  In August of 1990, while searching for a pattern that improved the durability and visibility of the increasingly popular Madam X fly, Guy developed his clipped deer hair head, rubber leg hopper/stonefly imitation.  During a slow afternoon Guy handed his creation to a client, World Bank head Jim Wolfensohn.  Noting the fly’s bulky, leggy appearance, Wolfensohn quipped, “What is this thing, a tarantula?” This wonderfully creative fly name stuck like head cement.  By September when the Snake’s hefty Classenia Sabulousa stoneflies become active, another guide pal, Shannon McCormick, introduced Guy to master fishing entrepreneur George Anderson of Livingston.  Turck gave the “Montana

By |August 3rd, 2019|Categories: Fishing, Fly Tying, Uncategorized|Comments Off on Turck’s Tarantula

Silk Fly Tying Dubbing

Often times I am asked where do you get the natural beaver fur dubbing dyed in various colors for tying Rim Chung's original RS2? I was surprised the other day when Rim suggested to a guy that he buy silk dubbing. I didn't even know it existed. The problem with commerical beaver dubbing is that the fibers are cut and blended in a blender type machine. This results in a lot of short, coarse pieces that go onto the thread in a big clump. The natural fibers off the pelt, can be 1/2" to even 1" long and they can be aligned vertically with the thread, a few fibers at a time, to form a dubbing rope which is then twisted finely onto the thread. The problem nowadays is there are not many commercial companies offering beaver fur on the pelt, and if it is offered, it is usually only in the natural gray, brown and sometimes black, not the olive, yellow, and tan that Rim also uses. So to check it out, I ordered some Kreinik silk dubbing in the following colors:Adam's Grey Black Cinnamon BrownDark DunLight CahillOlive Hare's Ear Pale Yellow They are nice and fine fibers, with longer strands, perfect for substituting for natural beaver. So if you can't find natural beaver dubbing on the fur, and/or don't have time to dye your own then try some silk dubbing. Kreinik Manufacturing Phone: 1-800-624-1928 Fax: 304-428-4326 URL: www.kreinik.com

By |August 3rd, 2019|Categories: Fishing, Fly Tying, Rim Chung, RS2, Uncategorized|Comments Off on Silk Fly Tying Dubbing

Rim Chung and the RS-2 as Featured in The Denver Post

Chung’s RS-II a fishing pearl Rim Chung, originator of the RS-II, remains an active fly-fisherman.By KARL LICIS and SPECIAL TO THE DENVER POST | The Denver Post PUBLISHED: February 2, 2010 at 1:22 pm  UPDATED: May 6, 2016 at 5:03 pm When Rim Chung came to America, little did he know he would create what might be the most effective fishing fly ever devised for Colorado’s South Platte River.ADVERTISING Perhaps it was inevitable. When he arrived in Denver in 1968, the elements for development of the RS-II were already in place. First, Chung already was an accomplished fisherman. “I probably had a certain knack for it,” he said, recalling his childhood in South Korea, where he grew up fishing with long, limber bamboo rods for saltwater fish, with live shrimp as the bait of choice. “I was a good fisherman when I was 15.” Equally important, he and his fellow fishermen were inquisitive. They engaged in lively discussions of the fine points of their fishing — the precise best way to place a shrimp onto a hook and exactly how it should be presented to the fish. He brought some pearls of Oriental philosophy, including an observation by ancient Chinese sages that man should strive to be as one with nature, in this case the water, and recognition of a moral responsibility to the effect, “Why disgrace the fish by not learning about it?” Those qualities would serve him well when he took up fly-fishing in 1970, but the main catalyst leading to creation of the RS-II might have been something in his nature that told him the prevailing approaches to the sport were not necessarily the best. “When I do some self-reflection, I think I must have been born an

By |August 2nd, 2019|Categories: Fishing, Fly Tying, Rim Chung, RS2|Comments Off on Rim Chung and the RS-2 as Featured in The Denver Post

Scuds

Below is the scud fly tying instructions/recipe by Jeff Goff who was legendary for bringing gallon jars of scuds to a local Denver fly shop that I used to frequent, which he brought in his vehicle all the way down from Grey's Reef, Wyoming, just to show how many were in the river during a few minute seining session he had done. It was a gallon jar and it looked like there were a million grayish scuds in it. To date, Jeff Goff's Scud is still the most realistic scud pattern I have ever seen, for when the fly was thrown in that jar of scuds, you couldn't find it (a trick he liked to perform at the shop after tying one of his flies). Many more realistic plastic looking patterns have developed over the years, but they don't look the same in that jar with the naturals, as Jeff threw a few others in the jar from the fly shop's bins. It's been over 25 years since those days, and I was sad to see that Jeff had passed away as I attempted to research what he was up to these days for this article, as I am grateful for this fly which has served me well throughout the Western states. I often fish it as the upper fly with the RS2 as the lower fly. He also devised a very cute little lady bug, which I never caught any fish on, but it was a fun little pattern to give away to friends. Jeff Goff's Wyoming Scud  Hook: Dia- Riki 135 scud  Size 12Tail mallard flank fibers at 1/8” or so, yellow thread light CahillScud back light grayLead weight, tie in at eye

By |July 30th, 2019|Categories: Fishing, Fly Tying|Comments Off on Scuds