Fly Tying:
The Electric Deceiver
The Electric Deceiver
Al Quattrocchi's version of Lefty's Deceiver combines some interesting features and tying techniques to produce a lifelike and effective baitfish imitation. Click HERE for the full story.
Al Quattrocchi's version of Lefty's Deceiver combines some interesting features and tying techniques to produce a lifelike and effective baitfish imitation. Click HERE for the full story.
Fly-Tying Techniques:
The Case for In-line Jaw Vises
The Case for In-line Jaw Vises
There are many different ways to classify fly tying vises; one of the most obvious ways is whether or not the vise jaws are offset, or in-line with the axis of the barrel. Here are examples of what I’m talking about:
 Renzetti Clouser Traveler Vise (in-line jaws) Courtesy Renzetti |
 Renzetti Traveler 2200 Vise (offset jaws) Courtesy Renzetti |
A quick market check reveals that many models in the upper end of the price range have offset jaws. This could lead to the natural conclusion that offset jaws are the best design for a vise. But this is not always the case. In the following article, we discuss why you might want to consider buying a vise with in-line jaws instead.
Almost any kind of mechanical design involves some compromises. Designing a fly-tying vise is no exception. The classic “old school” fly-tying vise featured in-line jaws, held at a fixed angle. The jaws could not rotate once a hook was locked in place. The archetype is the venerable Thompson Model A, which was first introduced to the market over 100 years ago, and is still available on the used market or as inexpensive knockoffs, even today.
Subsequent design innovations include different size and shape jaws, various jaw-adjusting schemes, various clamping devices to hold the vise in place, adjustable barrel angles, pedestal stands, and rotary capability.
Rotary vises allow the fly to be spun along an axis parallel to the hook shank while it is being tied. An early example of the rotary feature can be seen in the Veniard Salmo Ultra vise (right). This baby featured adjustable barrel angle, a rotary feature, and a position lock.
Rotary vises are a big help in tying most flies, because they allow the fly to be turned so that any side of the fly is visible to the tier. This makes it easier to maintain proportions and insure that materials are evenly spaced around the hook shank.
The rotary feature also makes it easier to wind materials such as chenille and hackle around the hook shank. Instead of wrapping the material around a stationary shank, the rotary feature is used to turn the hook, and the tier simply has to feed the material on to the shank.
The next improvement was Andy Renzetti's creation of the “true rotary” vise, which featured offset jaws. The offset allows the hook’s shank to be lined up with the axis of rotation of the vise, so that the hook shank remains in the same position when spun (not moving up-and-down like a crankshaft; see the blue lines in the picture to the right).
Vises with offset jaws seem to have taken over the market, and we agree that for traditional smaller flies, they work very well. But BTBFF doesn’t deal very much with traditional smaller flies. The vast majority of our flies are long, with material on both the top and bottom of the hook shank. Or, in the case of Clouser Minnows, almost ALL of the material is on the “bottom” of the hook (the side facing the hook gap).
We would argue that for these types of flies, an offset jaw vise does not make a lot of sense. Why? If the hook is mounted in the normal fashion in an offset-jaw vise, the jaws and barrel of the vise interfere with adding material to the bottom of the hook. Many people with an offset jaw vise pop the fly out and invert it before tying in the wing of a Clouser Minnow.
Remember, you don’t need offset jaws in order to have a rotary feature. Many of the vises with in-line jaws made today have a rotary feature. Admittedly, in-line jaw vises cannot be “true rotary”, but they’re pretty close.
For most BTB flies, the main use of the rotary function is to allow you to work easily on all sides of a fly without having to remove the hook from the vise.
Keep in mind that an in-line jaw vise only works this way if you keep the jaws horizontal and the hook shank parallel to the axis of rotation of the barrel when the hook is mounted. Otherwise, it doesn’t offer anything more than an offset-jaw vise.
Here’s a partial list of manufacturers that make in-line jaw rotary vises:
So…we’re not saying you should sell your offset jaw vise, but if you’re starting out tying, are looking for a vise, and are going to be tying predominantly BTB type flies, you should give a in-line jaws vise serious consideration. You may find that you prefer them. I know I do.
A New Version of the Shady Lady:
The Split Shot Squid
The Split Shot Squid
The Split-
Shot Squid
The Split-
Shot Squid
Hot Patterns:
Tomaso's Jetty Fly
Tomaso's Jetty Fly
Tomaso's Jetty Fly
Tomaso's Jetty Fly is a promising new pattern for taking calico, sand and spotted bass, as well as barracuda and white seabass. Designed initially to mimic the popular Trix Jetty Worm, the result is something with its own unique action and characterisitics, and most importantly, catches fish! Click HERE to see the details...
Tomaso's Jetty Fly
Tomaso's Jetty Fly is a promising new pattern for taking calico, sand and spotted bass, as well as barracuda and white seabass. Designed initially to mimic the popular Trix Jetty Worm, the result is something with its own unique action and characterisitics, and most importantly, catches fish! Click HERE to see the details...
Fly Patterns:
The Borski Bonefish Slider
The Borski Bonefish Slider
 The Borski Bonefish Slider |
What's a bonefish fly doing on the pages of BTBFF?? Click HERE to see the details... |
So...what's a bonefish fly doing on the pages of BTBFF? The answer is easy - Tim Borski's Bonefish Slider is a very effective fly for working rocky areas such as the Long Beach Breakwall, the shoreline along Catalina - basically any place that has gobies or other small bottom-loving baitfish. It's also a decent imitation of several types of small crustaceans. Captain Bryan Webb, of Pacific Coast Flyfishing, is a enthusiastic Slider fisherman, and on our recent trip to the Long Beach Breakwall (see our fishing reports for the LA area), the Slider, in both the orginal tan/brown color, and chartreuse, proved to be the ticket to a consistent pick on both Sand and Calico bass.
The usual process for fishing the Slider is:
- Use an extra-fast sinking shooting head (Rio T-14, Scientific Anglers Striper, or leadcore, for example), 6 - 7 ft leader
- Allow the wind to move the boat parallel to the structure.
- Cast at a right angle to the structure, as close as possible, and let the fly and line sink (but not too deep!). Work the fly back in 1-2' slow, erratic strips with a little snap at the end of the pull. Let the fly sink as you work it, so that it coasts down the face of the structure. You should strive to get the fly as close to the structure as possible. You'll know you're close enough if you are occasionally getting stuck.
- Or cast parallel to the structure, and allow the fly to sink as deep as possible. Pull extra line off the reel, and feed it out as the boat drifts. When you reach the bottom, or the level of the fish, work the fly back using the slow strip retrieve described earlier
Gobies are not strong swimmers, so the erratic, move-with-the-current action imparted to the fly by the slow strip and the sinking flyline creates a very realistic motion to the fly.
Bob Waring, The Wall
Photo by Bryan Webb
Bryan fishes Sliders on some fairly stout leader material - typically 12 - 20lb Seguar Fluorocarbon. Not that the fish are that big or spooky, but they do live in some pretty nasty places, and the heavy fluorocarbon leader provides extra abrasion resistance. It also allows him to straighten out the relatively light-wire hooks used in his Sliders if he does get snagged.
And sometimes you do need the extra strength - Capt. Webb's clients have caught-and-released calico bass in excess of 7 lbs on the Slider (well over the current IGFA records), as well as juvenile White Seabass, barracuda, and bonito.
Bryan does not tie his Sliders, prefering to buy off-the-shelf commercial flies, but the pattern is quick and easy to tie. There are a number of websites with tying instructions, such as: FlyTyingWorld.com and TheFlyBench.com. Tim Borski also has an instructional video (see Tim's website). And of course, there are a number of places on-line that sell Sliders, if you can't find them at your local Fly Shop.
Captain Webb's preferred hook sizes range from 2 to 6, and as mentioned earlier, his favorite colors are the natural tan/brown, and chartreuse. Bryan considers the Slider one of his "Go To" patterns, and always takes several dozen with him on a trip to "The Wall". Why don't you give them a shot, and let us know how you do!
Fly Patterns:
The Tuna Kahuna
The Tuna Kahuna
