Nick and Warren won the Durban Fly Tyers Foul Hook award in 2013. This meant re-tying the giant fly for the 2014 winner. Warren took on the challenge and put together a large popper with the help of his injured wife. [slideshow id=102]
[caption id="attachment_754" align="aligncenter" width="900"] The Jvice[/caption] For over 10 years I tied my flies on an entry vice which I bought while on a limited budget at University. And for many years I believed that all vices were made equal; that was until the day I got to tie a fly using the Jvice. Suddenly I realised just how wrong I'd been. Yes, perhaps the final fly looked similar, but the process of tying it differed greatly. The Jvice was faster, more efficient and far easier to use. I was once again excited to tie flies and was suddenly tying twice as many in half the time. I immediately decided to review the Jvice and was lucky enough to meet Jay Smit and to spend some time with him at…
[caption id="attachment_568" align="alignleft" width="200"] Warren Prior's DFT Demo[/caption] On Monday 1 October I had the pleasure of being the guest tyer at the Durban Fly Tyer's monthly meeting. Although I was originally asked to demonstrate a salt water fly I opted for something a little more intricate and exciting to tie. Since past flies had been aimed mainly at salt water fish, trout and tigers I initially decided to tie a yellowfish fly. My first idea was therefore to tie the famous orange hotspot. Sadly however, with all the recent rains in Kwa-Zulu Natal, the rivers are a little high and muddy and yellowfishing has therefore taken a back seat. I therefore made a small change and decided to tie the Pheasant Tail Nymph, or PTN as it is commonly…
[caption id="attachment_142" align="alignright" width="300"] Self Tied Wooly Bugger[/caption] As some of you may have noticed, its been a slow period of fishing for me. In fact, since my trip to the Mooi river over 2 weeks ago, I haven't had a fly in the water at all. Sadly the reason for this wasn't a pleasant one...I landed myself, thanks to Sharon, a bad strain of the flu, and as a result was man down for just over a week. But I suppose the glass is never half empty, and everything happens for a reason...So while I was unable to get out of the house and into the water, I decided it was time to get out the old (and rusted) fly tying vice, and get to work. Step 1: Acquire…