All About Pocket Knives

Absolutely gorgeous, sir you are a high calibre artist. ×10. Neighbor l used to dabble in it, haven't in a long time.

Thanks Col26 and BH .. I am indeed humbled by all the compliments...

LongBlade wrote:
Eustace - Here's one shot of just a few of my fishing flies for Striped Bass (click to enlarge the photo) - the flies are 4-7" long for a perspective and tied on 1/0 or 2/0 hooks... funny I don't usually take many photos of my fishing flies but will try and take some more photos of other fishing flies in my fly wallet or box..

Saltwater Flies.jpg

Man, for such a fly goes half saddle. You do not think about my family budget...
The last two - dubbing loop technic?
I think I'll try these candies for bonito this year.

Lee, how many species of fish caught with fly fishing?

Eustace - The feather fly on top was fun to tie but not one of my favorites to fish - it didn't take that many hackles to tie it ... The second fly is a Lefty's deceiver and the last 2 buck tail deceivers.. No dubbing loop needed on the last flies - just bucktail starting at tail and then concentrically wrapped around hook shank as you move to the head at about 1/'4" intervals - and finished with some hackle spun at the head on one of them. Did I understand your question correctly??

The surf candy is a popular fly and an excellent choice for bonito but I haven't used many in the last 10 years or so though they are effective... Actually the originator of that fly and well known saltwater fly tyer is a good friend - Bob Popovics - he used to live 10 minutes or so from me and many years ago he taught me alot when I was a developing fly tyer.. these days I prefer flies which "breath" and move well in the water such as the buck tail deceivers (bottom 2 fishing flies)... Where do you catch bonito - the Black Sea or do you go to the Mediterranean?? We catch False Albacore and bonito - the bonito are edible but not the False Albacore though both are in the tuna family.

For me species of fish on the fly is about 25 to 30 - more if you count different species of trout... but there are so many more species I wish to catch in the saltwater but they are found in mostly exotic locations - such as dogfish tuna, wahoo, tigerish and trevally as just examples in the saltwater and in freshwater I would love to catch taimen in Mongolia and golden dorado & peacock bass in South America - most of these are just dreams but on the bucket list So many fish to catch and not enough time ... (If you count using a spinning rod which I have not for 20 or so years than many more species would be added...)...

Yes, everything is clear, I did not understand that this is a bucktail, I thought that this is some kind of synthetics.
I will try our Black Sea. Unfortunately, I have the opportunity to fish for no more than 4-5 days a year. The bonito is migrating fish and I can not always catch the time of migration. And sometimes stands only in depth and fly fishing is impossible. But there are always other sea fish for fun.

Eustace - Bucktail is a good all around material and I do not like synthetics very much - the synthetics do not move as well in the water. I agree all fish are fun in sea... Also it is the same with our small tuna - the Bonito or False Albacore (also called Little Tunny) as they spend more time offshore - often if you have a boat there is a period of 4-6 weeks you can catch them and if you are lucky they chase bait fish inshore and you can increase your chances by fishing near jetties (rock walls that are part of an inlet) - this happens mostly in August and sometimes lasts into October.. I do not have a boat and always fished from the beach which it sounds the same for you... When I was younger I would fish on the rock jetties but as I got older I don't trust myself anymore on the rocks particularly those that are not level in many places ... About 12 years ago I took a bad fall on the jetty and since that time I no longer do the rock climbing.. The little tuna which can be up to 15 lbs in our New England waters (Albacore and Bonito) are one of my favorites as they hit hard, and will take lots of line as they run faster than other fish - they are all muscle ..

Training Camp 2

Log carrying
Wood splitting, chopping
King of the log
Arm wrestling
all geared to develop upper body strength and coordination.

Good on you. Keep it up.

Maybe one of them wil aspire to this:



Charlie

Interesting reading about fly tying. In the late 1980's I took tying lessons at my Orvis shop. all my stuff has been stored for years. I have two custom nets one a catch and release, and not sure if the maker is still with us. A Billy Pate fly reel new in the box. I think my wife bit her tongue when I bought that. And some of my grand fathers gear including his split cane rods in the metal storage tubes.

Aerial view of my future cabin site.

Very cool, Ken!
Year 'round, or summer use only?

WOW Ken WOW!!! That's a real nice place!!! Thank goodness for dreams!!! John

ken98k wrote:Aerial view of my future cabin site.

Ken,
If this doesn't stir the blood of a man, he may need to get a check-up.
Please plan on posting progress photos, please. I need the photos to fuel a vicarious life.

Ray

mrwatch wrote:Interesting reading about fly tying. In the late 1980's I took tying lessons at my Orvis shop. all my stuff has been stored for years. I have two custom nets one a catch and release, and not sure if the maker is still with us. A Billy Pate fly reel new in the box. I think my wife bit her tongue when I bought that. And some of my grand fathers gear including his split cane rods in the metal storage tubes.

mrwatch - the Billy Pate reel if never used will be worth what you paid and probably more!!! Its a classic now and was one of Ted Jurasik's first reels before he became Tibor reels - I have 3 Tibor fly reels and they are great smooth reels... Billy Pate was a classic in fly fishing as a pioneer in saltwater and especially for tarpon... the custom nets sound great... and nothing like the old bamboo fly rods which I fish for trout on occasion.. what are the makers of the bamboo fly rods you have???

Ken98k - Just WOW!!! That is so cool!!! Definitely would also love to see the progress - as asked a cabin or home?? BTW - Alaska fishing is on my bucket list for sure

Day 2 !!!

Scott, looks like you have those boys trained as ready woodsmen! Really cool brother, really cool. Nice place Ken, I'd also like to see pictures as it takes shape. Bruce

Scott.. I am just sitting back and enjoying your pics and wishing I was there!! NICE!!! John

Thanks Bruce......John.

Amen to the others comments, Scott. What a gift to those young fellows.

Scott good job bro . Hares got it rough around bighomer's place.

In addition to chopping this pile they learned how much wood is in a cord!!!

That is a pile of wood for young ones to produce. Excellent job.

Scott, makes me proud to know you.

So what's going to become of that chord of wood ? (Looks perfect for whiskey drinkin' cigar smokin' campfires.)