I’ve been in Kauai a couple of weeks and have taken the opportunity to tie a few flies during the rainy and windy days. Fly tying in Kauai isn’t the first time I’ve tied flies in paradise.
What was so unique this year were all the chickens running around our condo and the beach! It was like they were taunting me with their feathers so close.
Roosters and hens walked close to me for several days. In fact, I wonder how many chicks might fit in a suitcase?
I thought it very interesting to see them on the sand.
I realize they aren’t the quality of Whiting hackle, but the natural colors were spectacular and enticing!
And noisy? They started early in the morning and continued throughout the day.
Kind of an odd intro to my post, isn’t it? But with all the feathers, perhaps not…
You’ll frequently see my fly tying vise, tools, and materials in my suitcase. While a trip to the Hawaiian Islands is a time for rest, relaxation, and recharging by laying on the beach and reading lots of books, I’ve found I can also tie a few flies. Especially during those rainy days on the Garden Isle.
This year, I brought materials to continue tying flies for a large fly order from a good customer. Several of the flies are new to me and include fly patterns from Blue Ribbon Flies in West Yellowstone, MT, which is one of my favorite fly shops. For some reason, they create wonderful fly patterns.
The Almost There Baetis is one of them. I’ve tied several dozen in sizes 18 and 20. The image below shows 43 size 18 and 37 size 20 flies; cream on the left and olive on the right.
You’ll find Sparkle Duns flying off my vise now. They are olive in color and size 12 and 14 to imitate Caudatella mayflies.
These happen to include a biot body, which I think looks pretty realistic.
(Oh how I miss my cameras and macro lenses. I wasn’t too happy with the close-up images.)
If you’re interested, here are some posts from previous years:
Aloha
Enjoy…go fish!
BE CAREFUL WITH YOUR TOOLS. I LIVED IN PEARL HARBOR FOR FOUR YEARS WHILE IN THE NAVY AND RUINED AN HMH VISE BECAUSE OF THE SALT IN THE AIR. DID NOT NOTICE DETERIORATION OF VISE UNTIL TOO LATE.
THE SALT AIR IS HELL ON REFRIGERATORS AS WELL.
MAYSON
Mayson
Thanks for the tip. I’m hoping a couple of weeks at a time won’t matter. Parts of my Renzetti Traveler are aluminum, but jaws are steel. I’ll be sure to pay close attention.
John