March 2013 Salty Fly Tying Chronicle

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March 2013
In This Issue:
"On Location - North Andros, Bahamas"
Highlighting my trip to North Andros at the Tranquility Hill Bonefish Lodge
"Newsworthy Events"
Yours Truly has now joined the Dyna-King, Inc Professional Fly Tying Team.
Feather Brain
Pre Order
Recently I partnered
with Stackpole Books
"The Avalon"
Learn how to tie Cuba's most innovative and effective permit pattern.
Welcome to Salty Fly Tying Chronicle. My goal is to spread the word about new or unique
materials, techniques and patterns that I come across each month.
to publish my latest
work Feather Brain How to Design Better
Saltwater Flies. If you
are interested in a
signed copy of Feather
Brain, Click Here and I
Thanks for reading, and as always, let me know what you think. Tell Drew
Drew
On Location - North Andros, Bahamas
will email you as soon
as it becomes available.
SFT Blog
Saltwater Fly Tying
Tips, Tricks, Tutorials &
More... Check Out the
Salty Fly Tying Blog
by Click Here
Tranquility Hill Bonefish Lodge sits atop a low hill near Behring Point, overlooking the eastern
entrance to the North Bight, between North and South Andros Islands, Bahamas.
Logo Gear
Shirts, Hats, Decal's,
Travel Mug's you name
it! For more colors,
styles & options check
out the Salty Fly Tying
Online Store
It is here that the legendary Ivan Neymour, one of the pioneers of bonefish on a fly, guided for
over 40 years and passed that knowledge on to his son Dwain Neymour. Following in
his father’s footsteps, Dwain has generations of experience guiding in the Andros bights, and
has quickly become known as one of the premier guides on Andros. I was lucky enough tie a
few flies with Dwain and learn a few of his go to big bone patterns.
Tranquility’s hilltop location not only offers a panoramic view across the bight, with wading flats
directly in front of the lodge, but also gives anglers easy access to hundreds of square miles of
spectacular sand flats, mangrove cays, sheltered bays and winding creeks, all teeming with
bonefish.
Andros is well known for numerous large bones, with the average in the 3 to 5-pound range,
frequent shots at 6 to 9-pound fish, and double-digit monsters not unusual.
In addition to sight casting to bonefish you can pursue tarpon, barracuda, sharks, jacks and
snappers, and if the weather is calm, make a trip to deeper water for wahoo and dorado. Even
excursions to the wild and rarely fished west side of Andros can be scheduled.
Whether you are an expert looking for shots at big fish or a beginner wanting to hook up your
first bone, Tranquility is definitely your place.
Newsworthy Events
I am happy to announce that I am now officially a Dyna-King Man! “We are thrilled to have
Drew Chicone join the Dyna-King Family of Professional Fly Tyers,” said Shannon Langevin,
CFO at Dyna-King, Inc. “He is one of the most innovative saltwater fly tyers in the industry today,
and his unique tying styles and extraordinary patterns are really making a splash in the world of
saltwater fly fishing. I know that our clients and our team members will benefit greatly from his
experience & contributions. Drew’s meticulous focus on detail is obvious, whether he is
developing new saltwater fly patterns or teaching others how to correct or improve their own
flies. This makes Drew a perfect fit with our customer satisfaction-driven culture and emphasis
on unparalleled quality.”
About Dyna-King, Inc.
Family owned and operated in California for nearly 30 years. The Dyna-King vises were
designed with professional and commercial tyers in mind. Known throughout the industry as "the
vise that holds," Dyna-King vises will accommodate hook sizes from 24 up to 8/0 without
adjustments.
Customer satisfaction is our first priority. Our products are handcrafted in the USA to precise
tolerances, using quality materials machined to the highest standards. We truly believe we
create the World's Finest Hand-Crafted Fly Tying Vises and Accessories, and we make them
here in the USA.
For more information please visit our website at www.dyna-king.com or follow us on Facebook.
The Avalon
Mauro Ginervi the creator of the Avalon fly was born in Civitanova Marche, Italy in 1963, but has
lived in Cuba since the the late 90's. In May of 2000, Mauro received the opportunity of
a lifetime and started working as the Manager at the Avalon Fly Fishing Lodge in Cayo Largo.
Contrary to popular belief, Mauro's pattern was designed to mimic an extra large shrimp, not a
crab. His goal was to develop a permit pattern that would work anywhere the persnickety permit
inhabited. This goal seemed next to impossible, especially since tying materials and tools were
limited in Cuba, and permit are notoriously difficult to entice to the fly. Mauro began studying and
deconstructing several other popular patterns and discovered that many of the flies that were
meant to fish “hook up” would roll or spin when stripped. This was a dead giveaway that
something was amuck, and would quickly tip off the notoriously selective species. Action,
position, mobility, sink rate, and behavior were all taken into consideration when designing the
Avalon. In 2007 all the pieces of the puzzle were brought together when one of his customers
showed him a fly with an extra attached keel system. A single piece of 20lb mono and 4
stainless steel beads changed the game of Permit fishing forever.
Materials
Hook: Daiichi 2546 or Tiemco 811 S size 2
Thread for body: UTC Ultra 140-Tan
Eyes: Dumbbell eyes 5/32 or 3 mm - silver or gold
Antennae: Krystal flash - Black
Legs: Medium grizzly barred rubber - Orange
Mouth: Arctic fox tail - Orange, tips cut
Body: - Large marabou - Beige or Cream
Shellback: Pearl Diamond braid
Claws: Straight-cut zonker strips - Light tan
Keel: Hard nylon 20 lb with four silver or stainless steel beads 2,8 mm.
Thread for head: UTC Ultra 210 - Florescent orange
Adhesive: Clear Cure Goo Hydro
Step 1:
Start the thread about 1/8” behind the eye of the hook and tie in the dumbbell eyes with a series of
figure eight wraps. Add a drop of super glue to insure that the eyes will stay in place even after you
have caught a fish.
Step 2:
Advance your thread to the bend of the hook, and on the underside of the shank tie in a small bunch of
arctic fox approximately 1/4”. Trim the tips so they extend slightlybeyond the bend of the hook. On
top of the hook shank, tie in an 2-3” piece of 20 lbstiff monofilament (Hard Mason). On either side of
the hook tie in 1-2 strands of black Krystal Flash. The strands should extend past the bend of the
hook 2-3”.
Step 3:
Tie in the two rubber legs one on each side of the hook shank. Be sure they are positioned
symmetrically, as this is very important for the action and mobility of the fly. Trim the legs so that they
are roughly 2” long.
Step 4:
In the same fashion as the Krystal Flash and Rubber legs, tie in two strands Pearl Diamond Braid on
each side of the hook. Make sure they are cinched down tight so they do not pull out when stretching
them forward later in the process.
Step 5:
At the bend of the hook, tie in the tip of the marabou and advance your thread to the back of the
dumbbell eyes. Twist the marabou until it compresses into a rope shape.
Step 6:
Step 6:
With ample pressure, palmer the feather forward until you reach the dumbbell eyes. Tie off the feather
behind the dumbbell eyes and cut away the excess marabou. Lightly tease the body to release some
of the feather barbs, giving the body a fuller look.
Step 7:
Advance your thread to the eye of the hook and tie in the two zonker strips flesh side facing the hook
shank. Wrap back securing the zonker strips until you reach the dumbbell eyes. To flare the zonker
strips and create the delta wing shape, apply extra thread tension on the last few wraps closest to the
dumbbell eyes. If the shape does not turn out as desired, wrap your thread around the strip and pull
the strip into shape. The claws should be positioned at an angle of 45 degrees with the body of the fly.
Step 8:
Turn the fly over in the vise and pull the right piece of Pearl Diamond Braid over the body to the left
side of the hook eye and secure. Pull the left Braid over the body to the right side of the hook eye and
secure both pieces with a series of tight wraps. The Diamond Braid should be visible on the back of
the fly when riding hook up.
Step 9:
Slide four beads on to the monofilament keel and pull the monofilament forward until the loop forms a
half moon shape leaving about a 1/4” gap between the beads and the shank of the hook. Secure the
monofilament in front of the dumbbell eye with a series of tight wraps.
Step 10:
Whip finish and cut away the tan thread. Start the orange thread at the eye of the hook and
cover all the tan wraps creating a solid orange head. Whip finish and apply a thin coat of Clear
Cure Goo Hydro to complete the fly.
Thanks again for sharing, Mauro!
Until next time, keep your wraps tight &
your feathers straight!
www.saltyflytying.com
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