Posts tagged: Fly Tying

Recap: Maine Bar Fly - Fore River Brewing (Dec. 11th 2018)

Recap: Maine Bar Fly - Fore River Brewing (Dec. 11th 2018)

Last night we gathered at Fore River Brewing Company in South Portland for the second Maine Bar Fly of the season. The theme was "Half & Halfs" which was taught be Shaun Baggitt. Two variations were done - a saltwater one for striped bass, bluefish, etc and the other was a freshwater crayfish imitation for trout/bass. This was the first time that we had tied using bucktail. Although probably my favorite material to tie with, it can be tricky not only for beginners, but logistically for large groups. But, everyone prevailed and tied some super fishy patterns! 

Continuing the effort with Project Healing Waters, we were able to raffle off some good items including a fully guided day on the water targeting striped bass with Kevin Stone of Old Oak Outfitters - a very generous offering! All proceeds again will go towards PHWFF and specifically their local chapter. This will be true for the remainder of the Maine Bar Flies this season, so at the end of these events I will be able to give back to a wonderful organization. 

The great people at Fore River Brewing put up with us again and provided a great place to gather, tell stories, and learn some new tying techniques. They always have great beer including a newer brown ale called All Hands and Timberhitch which is a red ale. I enjoyed both quite a bit! 

The next Maine Bar Fly will be taught by Nate Wight and we will be doing Euro style nymphs on jig hooks! Stay tuned for more info. It will take place in January, but date is not confirmed. If you have not signed up for the email list. You can do so HERE. I will be sending out an email with specifics through there. 

Hope to see you at the next one!

Shaun Baggit Fly Tying at The Maine Bar FLy(Shaun Baggit checking himself out on the big screen above)

The Maine Bar Fly

The Maine Bar Fly

The Maine Bar Fly

The Maine Bar Fly

The Maine Bar Fly

The Maine Bar Fly

The Maine Bar Fly

Words + Photos By: Josh Thelin

Read more

Recap: Maine Bar Fly - Oxbow Blending & Bottling (Nov 12th 2018)

Recap: Maine Bar Fly - Oxbow Blending & Bottling (Nov 12th 2018)

We are back! The Maine Bar Fly has returned and it is shaping up to be a great season of fly tying. I thought it would be proper to arrange the first one (of this season) to be held at Oxbow and to also have Aaron Lockwood tying the fly. That was the setup on the very first bar fly...so if it ain't broke...

Last night was a special one as I coordinated with local Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing members/chapters. Seeing as it was Veteran's Day, it made it even better. We were lucky enough to have a good amount of PHWFF members there tying with us as well. Those who attended got to hear a little bit about what Project Healing Waters does and how it can help those who have served our country. Further, we were able to raise a little bit of money via donations and ticket sales. 

You can read up on Project Healing Waters HERE

Last night we tied Lockwood's "Sneaky Smelt" which is a trout streamer tied with marabou and synthetic Senyo's Laser Dub. It's a killer pattern!

 The Maine Bar Fly - OxbowThe Maine Bar Fly - OxbowThe Maine Bar Fly - OxbowThe Maine Bar Fly - OxbowThe Maine Bar Fly - OxbowThe Maine Bar Fly - OxbowThe Maine Bar Fly - OxbowThe Maine Bar Fly - OxbowThe Maine Bar Fly - OxbowThe Maine Bar Fly - Oxbow

The next Maine Bar Fly is scheduled for December 11th at Fore River Brewing. We will be tying "Half & Half" patterns with Shaun Baggitt in both freshwater and saltwater variations. Hope you can join us! 

I would like to give out a big "thank you" to Tim Adams from Oxbow who has been a big supporter of All Points and the Maine Bar Fly since day one, Aaron Lockwood for not only bringing his expertise to the tying table but for all his help along the way, and also Jon Larrabee from HMH Vises (these nights would not be possible without him). 

Words + Photos By: Josh Thelin 

Read more

Video: Fly Tying Using Magnum's Dragon Tails

Video: Fly Tying Using Magnum's Dragon Tails

Jake Nichols stopped into the shop and we filmed a fly tying video of a pattern he's been spinning recently. We named it the Chartreuse Striper Dragon. It is tied using Magnum's Dragon Tails along with bucktail and EP Gamechange Fibers Blend. This has been an effective tie for striped bass here in Maine. Check out the video below!

Read more

Recap: Maine Bar Fly - Oxbow Blending & Bottling (Feb. 6th 2018)

Recap: Maine Bar Fly - Oxbow Blending & Bottling (Feb. 6th 2018)

Last night (Feb. 6th) was the third Maine Bar Fly. Hosted again inside Oxbow Blending & Bottling's great tasting room, we gathered to learn more about Nome Buckman's approach to tying her "Predator Flies." Well-outfitted with HMH's generous supply of vises and LIGHTS (!!!!) we all drank and listened to Nome's instruction. As for the beer, Oxbow always provides a great assortment. Many people had variety/tasters so that they could try them all. I personally enjoyed and had my share of their Town Line Porter. 

Before the tyers all arrived, we did the ritualistic assembling of vises and divvying out materials... 

Maine Bar Fly - All Points Fly Shop + OutfitterMaine Bar Fly - All Points Fly Shop + OutfitterMaine Bar Fly - All Points Fly Shop + OutfitterMaine Bar Fly - All Points Fly Shop + Outfitter

Maine Bar Fly - All Points Fly Shop + OutfitterAfter settling in, people chose their preferred beverage and tuned into the tying instructions. The great thing about these nights is that the teacher(s) try and not only give you specifics on tying, but also how those tying techniques translate into the fly's motion/behavior/appeal. 

Maine Bar Fly - All Points Fly Shop + OutfitterMaine Bar Fly - All Points Fly Shop + OutfitterMaine Bar Fly - All Points Fly Shop + OutfitterMaine Bar Fly - All Points Fly Shop + OutfitterMaine Bar Fly - All Points Fly Shop + OutfitterMaine Bar Fly - All Points Fly Shop + OutfitterThe next Maine Bar Fly has been scheduled for March 14th at Bunker Brewing in Portland. The tyer will be Kevin Stone and we will be doing an "EP 101" night: an introduction to working with EP fibers for striped bass! It will be the last one for this season until we pick back up again in November. If you haven't made it to one yet, you are missing out! Maine Bar Fly - All Points Fly Shop + Outfitters

Read more

Midges + Winter + The Maine Bar Fly = ?

Midges + Winter + The Maine Bar Fly = ?

At our last Maine Bar Fly held at Fore River Brewing, Shaun Baggitt brought us through three nymph patterns. Although these flies are uniquely effective during other times of the year, the winter is when these guys really get their shine! But why is that? Well, midges...During the winter when snow covers the ground and most of the still water is frozen over, insect life starts to slow down as well. The caddis and mayfly hatches that we see during the spring through fall are no longer - the air temperature has essentially halted their maturation process.  But don't fret, there is still life! Behold the midge! 

Even if you have never fished during the winter, you have probably seen a midge whether you knew it or not - especially along the tailwaters here in Maine. Further, you very well might have mistaken it for a mosquito. Midges are found in various arrays of sizes and types and are also high on a trout's grocery list. But, many anglers do not fish them. For some they are too small to tie or even knot on a leader (which is why we tied these on size 12s at the Maine Bar Fly)...for others they don't know how/where to fish them. It's possibly a combination of both. Well if you have never tied a small midge to the end of your leader, to extended tippet off of a dry fly, or at the end of a nymph rig, it's time to give it a try. 

As mentioned, we tied our nymphs at the Bar Fly on size 12s for ease of learning, but midges are seen generally in the 16-18 range with plenty in 22s and beyond. Although this is small, the good thing for the tyer is that there are not a lot of materials involved for most of these midges. For instance, the Zebra Midge (which we tied) is essentially a hook + a bead + thread + wire. That's it. Because many midge patterns are imitating the larval stage which are found along the bottom of the river, the Zebra Midge has found a place in most anglers pack for it's simplicity and effectiveness.  

For the reason that most midges are found along the bottom, and in slower moving sections, midge fishing in the winter tends to be done in slow drifts with the aid of an indicator. If you have ever seen a fish eat larval midges, they are usually sucking them off the bottom. So if you are not bumping your Zebra Midge off the rocks you are not in the strike zone. The river's currents usually funnel midges to these slower runs and holes so fish anxiously wait for the next midge delivery to arrive. If you are fishing in the winter look for these slower sections. 

I hope that helps! There is still plenty of fishing to be done in the winter and it can be just as enjoyable if you adjust your tactics a little to suit the season. Bundle up, grab a thermos, and try out some midge fishing! 

Words + Photo by: Josh Thelin 

Read more