Hair Flying Everywhere - Follow up with Corey Gale at Coren's

Deerhair bugs are what H. G. Tapply loved to cast.  He wrote a book about then and they’re often referred to as Tap’s bugs. The art of spinning deer hair has progressed quite a bit from those simple flat faced bugs. Now we have sliders, poppers, divers and any number of odd and interesting shapes. 

Deer hair and I don’t get along all that well, it’s a bit fussy for me and my wife doesn’t like the bits and pieces that find their way into the laundry, carpeting and even the occasional cheese sandwich. But there are few flies that can match the “coolness” factor of a well tied bass bug. 

But deer hair bugs can be frustrating. So I was encouraged to read, Deer hair should be fun, not frustrating, written on the top of the handout that Cory brought to his clinic. And he’s correct, the right tools, the right techniques and the right materials, make it fun. They also make it easier. 

So I’m going to share some pointers that I learned from Cory and suggest that you check back to this blog from time to time to see when he’ll be doing his class again. It is well worth the time and you also leave with two bass bugs and some new knowledge about what a good bass bug should look like and what you have to do to make deer hair float like cork. It all starts with the proper proportions and the mantra: Don’t crowd the hook eye. 

Pointer one: use gel spun, nothing flares hair like this stuff or is better at holding the hair in place.
Two: get a good hair stacker and in this case, bigger is better.
Three: scissors and razor blades need to be sharp
Four: Once you’ve tied on the tail, take a look at the shank of the hook and divide it into segments where you’ll be tying on the hair. On most this will be three maybe four segments. My suggestion is if you can’t imagine that part, then mark it with a sharpie. You do this so that when you grab that clump of deerhair, you’ll know how big a clump to grab. If the clump is too small, you’ll have to add more near the hook eye and that makes that last wrap around the hair difficult and if you take too much you’ll crowd the eye. So by taking the right amount, you’ll have an easier time stacking and or spinning the hair.
And Five: if you want more, you’ll have to attend a class or maybe I can talk Cory into doing a video, but any who, the last tip is when you’re stacking hair, use your thumb and forefinger to control the hair and keep it from sliding around  the hook. There’s a photo about that in this group. So if you keep your thumb and forefinger controlling the hair on the hook shank, it won’t roll about, it will stay separated and you have much greater control over the materials. 

So those are a few of pointers for those of you interested in deer hair. Good glue is another. I suggest and Cory insists that you buy a bottle of Fly-rite, (Fly Tite) no toxic head cement. Some fly shops might carry it but I suggest that you go to www.whitetailflytieing.com and order a bottle. It won’t dry up on you like head cements and it does an excellent job of holding the thread and hair in place. If you need to thin it, just use denatured alcohol. 

The crowd was as expected and if you came after 9:15,  there was only SRO, (standing room only). We had coffee and donuts too, always good to have coffee. And Cory took us through tools, materials and then right into tying bass bugs. Like all good teachers, Cory took his time, worked one on one with those having difficulties and shared his experience learning from Chris Helms and brought a selection of some very nice bugs he’s tied. 

I learned a few new tricks this time that I intend to apply to my own tying. And I finally had a bass bug that looked like it was supposed to, well packed, colorful and yep, I intend to cast it. Most of all, Cory is right, the proper tools and technique make it fun, not frustrating. You also tie quicker and so what might have taken you, say an hour, might take half that time. 

So next time, hope to see you at Coren’s Rod and Reel. You’ll be glad you came and spent the time. 

Takedown Eventures

Over the last year or two I've been working off and on with a friend of mine, Jason Amato, who runs an outfit by the name of Takedown Outdoors.  Takedown Outdoors is geared to help educate, entertain, encourage and empower everyone to get outdoors and enjoy nature.  

Through team building events, corporate outings and picnics, Takedown is helping introduce more people to hunting, fishing, and all things outdoors.  In both private and public events around the country, Takedown is growing and is now proud to officially announce its new brand, Takedown Eventures.  

Looking for something unique and awesome for your next event?  Check out Takedown Outdoor’s brand new events website: www.takedowneventures.com.  It’s time to tap into your wild side

A Charitable Cause - IF3T Milwaukee

About four years ago, a lout I know once said, “Pat Ehlers is all about Pat Ehlers,” and he meant it in a smug and snotty way.  But the lout was wrong. Very wrong. Pat Ehlers is about giving back to the community, not just the fishing community but the community at large.

While most promoters would rent a theatre, sell tickets and collect a profit from the sale of tickets and raffle tickets, Pat will have none of that.  

So this year’s International Fly Fishing Film Festival, the fourth one that I’ve worked on with Pat, raised a fair sum of money. Now this isn’t just some, come to this theatre film festival, this one is held at Sprecher’s Brewery in Milwaukee. Sprecher’s is kind enough to donate space and much more to make this happen, so the next time you buy Sprecher’s beer or root-beer, raise your glass and give them a toast. They’re a fantastic group of good people from the front office to the guy who drives the fork lift and has to move pallets and cases of beer out of the way. 

Once the area is cleared and scrubbed. A screen and PA system go up, chairs are brought in, goody bags are made up (and they contain beer and a beer glass - so it’s truly a goody bag), donations come in from manufacturers like Simms, Buff, Scott, Airflo, Echo, and Smith and they’re organized into stacks for the raffles. Cards are sold for the special raffle like a wonderful painting or a rod, reel and line combo. Pizzas are sold and even they’re donated to the cause!

The doors open early and the Veterans are brought in and given a front row seat. Pat has a soft spot for Veterans and honors them whenever possible. A few minutes later at 6:30 the doors officially open and people find their seats and goody bags. Once people are seated, Pat starts the first set of raffle drawings. At a little after 7:00 the films are started and run till intermission, when the final raffle tickets are drawn and the last of the films are run.

Then it’s clean-up and tear down. Chairs are packed and placed on pallets. Screen, trusses and drapes are folded and packed away. Sound system gets put into cases and cables get coiled and packed into boxes.

Pat sits down next to me on a pallet to catch his breath.  I sit and coil a cable.

“Well Pat, how’d  you do tonight?”
“We did well, not as much as I wanted to raise but we did well and it was good to see the Vets here and we certainly had a good crew of volunteers. You get a beer and pizza?”
“Not yet.”
“Hang on, I’ll be right back.”

He brings me a glass of beer and a whole pizza.

“What did you think of the films?”
“I saw them from the backside, you know, all left handed casters. What’d you think?”
“Didn’t have a lot of time to watch them. Any warm water ones?”
“Nope.”
“Maybe next year. I’m going to try and hit the ten grand mark, be good to help the Vets and TU. Now finish your beer and pizza, you’ve got a drive ahead of you.”

I finished up with the cables, packed my car and there was Pat.

“Thanks man, we couldn’t do it without you,” Now Pat’s not really a guy who gives hugs but he gave me one, a good man hug.

So what did I think of the films? Does it really matter? What I know is that Pat Ehlers is a good man with a great heart. His passion is for fishing and for the men and women who serve this country. His concern for the land we fish and how we care for it is evident in the way he runs his life and his business.

Now that’s the Pat Ehlers I know.

Stuart Van Dorn