Fly Tying - The Only Guide You Need

If you've been fishing for a while, then perhaps you've been tempted to to tie your own flies, or at least, learn a bit more about it.

Here's what you need to know.

1. A bad knot can mean you lose the fish as you're trying to catch it. It's much better and easier to tie your flies at home rather than when you're actually out fishing.

2. It's advisable to lubricate the knot to make it slide into place better. This will help it from working loose, and so the knot will last longer.

3. Once you've finishes, you'll need to seal the knot with a long pull. This will ensure that the knot it as tight as you can get it, and so it won't work loose. The longer the ends, the more leverage you'll have.

4. Don't forget to cut the ends off the knot. This helps to make the fly look more authentic, and so will be more attractive to the fish you're trying to catch.

5. You don't need to spend a fortune or a long time creating your perfect flies, in order to have something effective. You might find that some of the more rushed, or ragged flies actually attract the most fish.

6. Many household items that you might throw away, such as foil or anything reflective and colourful can be used for creating your own flies. What about using the foil and cellophane from sweet wrappers, for example?

7. There are even some rather unlikely materials that can be tied to create flies. You might never have thought of using dog hair, feathers, foam packaging or beads, but some anglers swear by them. Why not see what you can come up with?

8. Don't forget to save suitable things in a box, so that you'll always know where they are, and what you've got. You don't want to find the perfect fly material, only to lose it.

9. It's likely to be a matter of trial and error to find which the most effective flies are. You might speak to friends and other anglers to see what sort of things they're using, or find out more about what the fish normally eat in order to try and mimic them.

10. Don't forget to be creative, and think for yourself. You might have different ideas to your friends, or read something that shouldn't work but does. You can try very colourful or reflective materials, or different textures to see what works for you.

Now you know more about some of the things to be aware of, why not have a go at fly tying yourself?

Discover a wide range of Fly Tying and other Fly Fishing Flies and accessories, at JohnNorris.co.uk today. If you're a keen angler then you'll want to make sure that you've got all the fishing tackle you need.

Obama: A Grimm Fairy Tale

Once upon a time there was a very handsome young man with a winning complexion and uncertain origin.

One day this young man appeared at the edge of a very unhappy village which recently had suffered through a terrible storm which had devastated many homes and livelihoods.

The young man promptly surveyed the situation and asked to be taken to the village elders.

The village elders took a liking to the young man immediately and their affection for him grew all the stronger after he said: "O village elders ask not where I come from or what I am, but where would you all like to go--and your wish will be granted!"

Despite their age and wisdom the elders were delighted at this response and so desperate to keep the villagers from perhaps slitting their throats in the night that they immediately decided to withdraw from their positions of power and elect this bright young man temporary King of the Village.

Once all had seen and heard the young man, a giant tumult of approval went through the entire village. And he was made King.

After a short while the young man now made King would appear at strange times doing strange, uncommon things in the village. In the beginning the villagers thought that this was a part of the young man's 'special powers' of healing and that all would be well if they just let well enough alone. And so they did.

However after a time people began to take notice that many new laws had been passed by they knew not who and they knew not when and that new folk had come to settle in the village to enforce them.

Rumors began. Some villagers said that the new folk had forced them to do things that seemed strange but was for the future good of their village and other villages, most of whom they had never heard of before.

As strangeness began to pile upon weirdness and began to form an atmosphere of unease over the village, people began to ask "Where is our King and what has he done?"

Yet no one had seen the young man turned King up close for some time.

And when they searched they no longer could find him, but only a picture of him as he was when he first came to the village.

People started to be afraid.

The ravages of the storm had not been fixed and there was a warning of even greater storms ahead. One, very distant village, was rumored to be preparing for the greatest storm of all: an abrupt and devastating war.

Yet most people chose for a time to ignore all this chicken talk: after all the elders had trusted this young man to get rid of all their past accumulated problems and wasted efforts.

So, for a time, the houses continued to lay barren and the mills were silent and the people spoke in ever hushed whispers as more laws and more enforcers of laws came from they knew not when and they knew not from whence.

Generations passed and the elders were all dead and even the villagers who had first welcomed the young man, even the tiniest, had all long since died.

Now, the village looked much poorer and neglected than it had in the past: at least as it was depicted by pictures that were ever harder to come by---but all present woe and doubt was soon to be forgotten because tomorrow as it had been celebrated ever since would be the King's day--or more precisely the Coming of the King--the most important and most celebrated day in village history.

http://mrlobots.blogspot.com

The General's Star (Part II, WWI, a Short Story)

(WWI, 1917-18)

The General watched from his guarded post, the battalion, was to charge over the top of the trenches, day two in his war with the Germans, after three years watching nothing happen, and wanting his second star, the general was desperate. He had put in Corporal Abernathy for the Distinguish Service Medal, and there was much talk about it, everyone now wanting a medal to bring home, and he General wanting the second star, and everyone's blood was like hot vinegar, hoping to empress him the general, and so he ordered another attack, he was reinforced with a new company, a new 172-troops, soldiers, untested under fire, and these new troops knew, the General lost 125- soldiers a day ago, the day before, and they had just arrived, to be told there was a second suicide mission, and they heard about what happened to the to that 125-soldiers, and they didn't like what they heard, and they were causing trouble with the other three companies, over 600-soldiers.

Corporal Abernathy being the only one that survived the slaughter yesterday, some soldiers had made it to the first trenches, the ones five-hundred feet away, and took them, but the Germans that were 900-feet away from them, took it back an hour later, supported by those other Germans, 1500-Germans 3000-feet away, but the General figured if one company could reach the 500-level, six-hundred might make it to the 3000-level, and that was his new star, his second star.

Forenoon, the fields were quiet, empty, no firing of artillery or of any kind of ammo, the Germans just waiting as always eating their sour cabbage, and bratwursts eating lunch one after the other, bored, and perhaps wanting the General to send some more troops their way so they could practice shooting them down like pigeons, as usual.

Corporal Abernathy figured it was hard to beat the Germans without air support, that is really what they needed, but he, the general didn't want to wait, he wanted that star now, before he was sent back to Paris to discus the rest of the war with Pershing and the other generals, he didn't want to be standing in the last line of generals.

When they call the six-hundred to get ready for the advance, the offensive, they sat around where the officers were, drinking coffee, smoking cigarettes, just like the officers.

"What's the problem?" asked the General to Major Sharp.

Major Sharp, said somewhat tongue-tied, but spitting out the words though, "The troops heard what happened yesterday, the new ones and they see the officers safe in their dugouts, and they see the sergeants not too willing to go over the top with them, and they want everyone to go, if they're going die for a worthless cause, everyone should die with them, everyone but you, they said."

"So the soldiers are on strike, is what you are saying, and that is not possible, that is treason, and I'll have them shot." Said the General, but ordered the Major to remain where he was while he thought this out clearer, then remarked:

"Well, Major, the only thing left is for everyone to go over the top, and you too!" said the General.

"Perhaps we can get some air support," asked the Major.

"Major," said the General, "if you do not go over that top with you troops, you'll be a Second Lieutenant tomorrow; where is the devotion in this war, you are like a vegetable tree, fate has me in for a second star and you are in my way Major," and he pulled out his silver plated revolver, ivory handle, and aimed it at Major Sharp's forehead, as he dropped his baton at the same time, and when he went to pick it up, the Major jumped on him, and in the struggle, the General was shot in the heart-dead.

In the investigation, they could not find the weapon the German insurgent used to kill the General with, the Major being the only one to escape the fatal disarray that took place in the General's shelter, and the only eyewitness. The German, the report read was hiding in the General's closet, and when the Major came in he had the General's gun in his hands, and escaped right past the Major, knocking him down. The inquiry asked how this could be possible; it all sounded so far fetched, kind of fishy, like a cover-up. The Major said it was as possible as sending 126-soldiers out to commit suicide, and only one returning, and there was no questions asked about that, that wasn't fishy or abnormal, to Headquarters, matter-of-fact, a Distinguish Service Metal was handed out to the one and only survivor of the suicide mission, and after the fact, not a word from Headquarters was said, and no investigation for the 125-privates now dead as a door nail.

Thus, the Major, received a Distinguish Service Metal, for his bravery, like Corporal Abernathy, and the war went on for another year as normal.

See Dennis' web site: http://dennissiluk.tripod.com