Smurfette

blue macaw bubble kebari

I was lucky enough to be gifted a small bag of parrot feathers a while back and I have to say that they are hands down the most beautiful feathers I've worked with.  So vibrant and even the bad/damaged ones make great flies.  The trouble is they are super small and mega delicate, my hands have to be nimble in order to get a good one tied.

Recipe = Blue Macaw Parrot feather, peacock, glass bead, black 6/0

blue macaw bubble kebari

A School of Bluegill Kebari

I tied a few bluegill kebari for the upcoming Tenkara-Midwest fly swap.

skinny tropical kebari

Inspired Tenkara Fly

The Gilmour Kebari

Fly Recipe = orange thread, partridge, rooster neck feather, ice peacock dubbing, pheasant,       6/0 black thread, #10 hook natural bend 3xlong

The Gilmour Kebari

gotta have it....

Skunked ...again

First real day back in the home waters and I got skunked.  Big time.  It was unusually hot, like 94F summery hot (if you didn't get the memo, spring started this week in Chicago) and I so badly wanted it to be awesome.  Not at all.  A single hit.  Weeks of waiting.  Zero.  

The water is still pretty cold, very swift, and fish are tiny and on the bottom.  So I fished with my Rinfu 35sr, a 9' -#3 level line with a 8" bit of red amnesia as a sighter and 3' of 7x tippet with a weighted killer bug on a #14.  I did have a feeling with more practice and a longer line with one more color of a sighter (pink #2.5) it could we a wicked combination.  I still need a bulky fly with a very small hook (#20>) that I can get down thru swift water.

salt creek second week of may 2014

Kebari #34

partridge, peacock, red wire, #12

Crazy Cold in the 3:one:2

Shockingly cold here in the 312.  They are calling it a Polar Vortex.  You know what it really is, is just plain old fashion freezing. You know you are from Chicago when 40's is warm enough to go outside in shorts and right now typing away I have a coat on in my house.  I wish it would even get into the 20's so you could out and ride without the fear of frostbite or having your nads frozen to your seat thru your clothes!