Back at the Vise

We returned last week from Hawaii where we enjoyed beautiful warm weather. Our time was split between the Big Island and Maui. Here are a few spinner dolphins we could see from our Kailua – Kona condo along the bay. I’m back at the vise, working to fill orders for those on my wait list. As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I’ll be teaching a Zoom fly tying class this Friday. Check below for the details.

And a couple images of humpback whales off the Maui coast.

We have been fortunate to travel to the islands during our Oregon winters. Part of my luggage includes my fly tying vise and a few materials. Here is a box of flies I tied with several dozen flies for a customer order.

The top row have Sparkle Dun – Green Drakes in sizes 8 and 10. The middle row are Sparkle Dun – Caudatella. Four dozen Arrick Parachute Ants in sizes 14 and 16 are in the bottom row.

Green Drake Sparkle Dun

Arrick’s Parachute Ant

I usually forget something and this year it was my hackle pliers (again!). I was working on Sparkle Dun – Caudatella flies and the body is tied with dyed olive turkey biots. It’s very difficult to wrap them without hackle pliers! Yes, it can be done, but I decided to only tie on the wing and tail. Look closely at the three middle bins in the image above and you can see them. From left to right, sizes 14, 16, and 12.

Below is a closer look. Flies on the left are unfinished with a body of thread holding the Zelon tail in place. Several flies on the right have been completed.

This is what the final fly looks like. I like the segmented look of the biot bodies.

On March 4, I’m teach a couple of flies for BT’s Fly Tying Friday. I decided to highlight some foam fly patterns; a variant of the Braided Butt Damsel and a Morrish October Caddis.

Braided Butt Damsel Fly – Variant

Morris October Caddis at

Here are the details to participate in this week’s BT’s Fly Tying Friday session.

On Thursday, March 10, I’ll be tying my version of McPhail’s Golden Stone Nymph and Silvey’s Caddis Pupa for the Central Oregon Fly Tyer’s Guild Zoom fly tying class. I thought I’d change it up a bit and surprise people with some sub-surface fly patterns!

McPhail’s Golden Stonefly Nymph – Variant

Silvey’s Caddis Pupa

I’ll leave you with a couple of sunset images from our trip.

A Kona sunset.

A sunset from one of the last days in Maui.

Aloha!