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Re: Sightcast Spoons

Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2019 8:11 am
by Ron Mc
bones72 wrote:... but as a disabled guy tying keeps me occupied when I can't get out. Its why I haven't made it to the coast yet. My back keeps going on me. I can tie a few flies then rest my back and then tie a few more. I tie a wide variety because tying one pattern can be tedious. I will probably have few more to post later today.
I know many people who tie flies for entertainment - have full fly boxes they'll never open - but yes, it's a way to plug into a fly fishing affection when you can't get to the water.
I created the epoxy crab on a day like that - Stevo and I were inventing flies and drinking beer in Kerrville.

The epoxy crab, btw, has one really useful spot - the bare sand in a pass or along the mangroves bordering a lake.
Both redfish and black drum have seen me, turned away, shuddered, ran back and grabbed the fly.
As long as you keep your stealth cool, they think you're a heron.

Re: Sightcast Spoons

Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2019 10:46 am
by bones72
I have a few crab flies I have been working on. May have to see what ya'll think. Haven't done any with epoxy or UV stuff yet but may have to give that a whirl. Which reminds me I may have to send the wife for some more Sally Hansen's. No matter what thinner I use once its at about a quarter of a bottle it remains like molasses. The effect was worse in Colorado. The best thing about here is I can forget a Sharpie cap for more than five minutes without the pen being irretrievably dried out.

Re: Sightcast Spoons

Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2019 11:45 am
by Ron Mc
sharpie makes really nice paint pens, also - lacquer that you can still remove with denatured alcohol.

Re: Sightcast Spoons

Posted: Sun Sep 15, 2019 8:01 pm
by ben_beyer
I ordered some Daichii 2546 hooks today from 239 Flies. I thought about ordering one of their kits too but another time. I just hope they are still doing some business with the red tides and all.

I'm going to see what I can do without a drying wheel but I also did some research on how to build your own using low RPM motors from Amazon. Few $10/portions of parts, some plywood and a scrap of 2x6 maybe for a base, and a little elbow grease.

I need to go by a Hobby Lobby or Joann's to see what they have in foam and hobby grade lite ply for the wheel.

Re: Sightcast Spoons

Posted: Sat Sep 28, 2019 10:08 am
by ben_beyer
Ron Mc wrote:something else you might consider - you can get some nice wire-bending pliers from Micromark.
I use mine all the time for making leaf springs in antique reel repairs, making homemade single-hook barbless spinners to loan on the Guadalupe tailwater,
and also for bending my Trokar hooks with TSL grasswalkers.
Image
you can also buy these tools individually
https://www.micromark.com/WIRE-LOOP-PLI ... c5ST.jpg?1[/img]
Follow up question. What radius of bending pliers do you suggest?

Re: Sightcast Spoons

Posted: Sat Sep 28, 2019 4:38 pm
by Ron Mc
for bending hooks, I use the really wide-radius pliers - same ones in my reel-spring photo.

Re: Sightcast Spoons

Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2019 5:28 pm
by ben_beyer
I ordered a rotating fly dryer and I'm looking for a pair of wire bending pliers.

What do you think of this?

https://www.amazon.com/Vouiu-Bail-Makin ... s9dHJ1ZQ==

Re: Sightcast Spoons

Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2019 6:23 pm
by Ron Mc
You should be able to make those work - with mine, I also like a pair of nylon jaw pliers to grab the end I'm applying the reaction load

Re: Sightcast Spoons

Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2019 6:37 am
by ben_beyer
I ordered the pliers and I'm going to start setting up a fly tying area on my desk in my office. I'm going to start trying to tie during my lunch break since I can at least get a fly or two tied in 15 minutes whereas when I get home I'm dealing with young children lol.

Re: Sightcast Spoons

Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2019 6:55 am
by Ron Mc
my youngest is off wrestling for Aggie women, and studying biochem.

Re: Sightcast Spoons

Posted: Wed Nov 13, 2019 9:47 pm
by ben_beyer
I cleaned up a portion of my desk at work and started moving my fly tying equipment. Between yesterday and today I even tied 2 flies. Yesterday I started with the low fat minnow and then today I broke out the crawfish pattern I got from Postfly. One of the materials will take a little getting used to but it still turned out OK.

I also got my wire bending pliers in and I cleaned the oil off of them tonight. Maybe tomorrow I'll break out one of the 2546 hooks and a cutout and try tying a spoon fly. I think spending 15-20 minutes during my lunch break is going to help with improving my tying skills.
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Re: Sightcast Spoons

Posted: Sun Nov 17, 2019 9:54 pm
by ben_beyer
I keep forgetting to post these but I was able to get a few spoons tied up. I have a dedicated hook for setting the extra bend. So far I've done Silver with Chartreuse, Gold with Bonefish Tan, and Gold with Red Krystal Flash. I'm going to have to do some with marabou next. Ultimately it's about having fun. Plus to me a spoon is a versatile bait for inshore.

I just need to get some brushes so I can thin out some epoxy and get a nice hard coat applied to the cut outs.

Re: Sightcast Spoons

Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2019 7:32 am
by bones72
Looking good. I really like the gold with red crystal flash. I think my next set of spoons will be either purple and chartreuse or a brown and copper combo.

Re: Sightcast Spoons

Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2019 8:04 am
by karstopo
Way back when, before all the multitude of lures now available, a gold spoon with a little red tab was a killer saltwater lure. Seems like the spoons being made now corrode more quickly than they used to.

Those fly rod versions you made ought to be killer too.

Re: Sightcast Spoons

Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2019 10:00 am
by Ron Mc
I like threads with good photos, but the neatness is over the top for me. :mrgreen:
messy desk - organized mind
organized desk - dirty mind

Re: Sightcast Spoons

Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2019 4:25 pm
by ben_beyer
I'm looking at getting a small desk to put in my office to store everything in. Right now all my fly tying stuff is in the Postfly boxes or in a small clear storage container about the size of a shoe box.

Re: Sightcast Spoons

Posted: Fri Nov 22, 2019 7:20 pm
by WC53
Ron, that crab spoon is a thing of beauty

Re: Sightcast Spoons

Posted: Fri Nov 22, 2019 9:13 pm
by ben_beyer
Three more spoons tied up. On the last one I switched to copper. I don't know if this helps imitate a croaker or not but it's something to try.

I brought my brushes and dryer home with me so I can work on getting them slathered with epoxy this weekend.

Re: Sightcast Spoons

Posted: Sat Nov 23, 2019 9:24 am
by bones72
Digging the marabou on them spoons. Think I may have to do some with fuller bou like yours. I want to do a few more with color contrast, such as gold and dark brown or copper and purple/ chartreuse as well as a light blue and chartreuse. Wish they had those stickers in larger and or different sizes and shapes.

My desk is a disaster area so messing with regular epoxy usually results in all kinds of stuff involuntarily (or voluntarily depending on perspective) attaching itself to what I'm working on otherwise I would try spoons without the stickers.

Re: Sightcast Spoons

Posted: Sat Nov 23, 2019 9:35 am
by ben_beyer
In my other hobby, I have glued my fingers together more than once with CA. I try to use wood glue these days just because it has a longer working time and is easier to clean up. Plus the bottles are bigger and the glue doesn't drain out when they get tipped over.

Re: Sightcast Spoons

Posted: Thu Nov 28, 2019 7:01 pm
by ben_beyer
Last Saturday I coated the first 6 spoons I tied in thinned epoxy. They came out OK but were still somewhat pliable.
20191123_113320.jpg
On Monday I tied another Copper spoon and coated it with Solarez Bone Dry. The finish was a lot harder than the epoxy but the spoon is somewhat distorted, which also can't be seen in the picture. It'll probably fish fine but I looked for another option and ended up ordering to Loon Hard Head to try next.
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Between the rest of my Monday and my lunch break on Tuesday, I was able to tie up 3 more spoons.
20191126_163410.jpg

Re: Sightcast Spoons

Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2019 8:58 am
by bones72
Those look real good. What I have been doing for the coat is to apply UV knot sense making sure to get the whole thing coated, most importantly to get the edges coated as well, set it with the UV light then put in the sun for at least and hour, then coat it with two thin layers of Sally Hansen's Hard as Nails. I've fished a few of them and they stand up to rocks and fish.

Re: Sightcast Spoons

Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2019 9:15 am
by ben_beyer
Cool, I thought about using some Sally Hansen's as well. I'll see how the Loon Hard Head works in a few days.

Re: Sightcast Spoons

Posted: Sat Dec 07, 2019 9:31 pm
by ben_beyer
No tying due to a busy week where I was gone most of the time and I left the spoons I did tie in my office. I'm gone most of next week too :roll:

Anyways, I got some books including flies for the Texas Coast from Texas Fish and Game via their Cyber Monday deal. The Texas Reds wasn't on sale but since I have the Flounder book already, I figured I might as well throw it in so I don't have to pay shipping a second time.
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Re: Sightcast Spoons

Posted: Mon Dec 09, 2019 12:05 pm
by Huskeryaker
I read with interest on you guys making the sight spoon. Think they would work great here in Nebraska on white bass when they are chasing shad. Could I purchase a few from anyone? Would be glad to pay for them. I winter in Rockport in Jan and Feb. so if anyone around there has them please let me know. Thank you..