55 on the fly

On this very cold winter morning, after shoveling the driveway. I made some German pancakes just like my Grandma Lehner made for me 50+ years ago.... Yeah, they taste as good as they look, just ask my wife.... Boy that breakfast sure brings back memories.

Hi friends, this is a Frank Sawyer fly pattern variation that I've fished for many years. Davey McPhail has an excellent video showing the tying steps here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ogp5F7bmVcA&t=0s I tie them the same way Davey does in pheasant-tail to imitate mayfly nymphs but also in turkey-tail to imitate the small early stone fly nymphs here in NY. They are fast and easy to tie using just XS or SM Uni-copper wire along with your choice of tail material and a nymph #14 1XL hook. Turkey-tail and copper nymph (side view)

Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29 For nothing will be impossible with God. Luke 1:37 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. John 1:4-5 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him… John 1:9-10

A friend gave me two old fly rods awhile ago. Today, I dug them out and got to work on them. One is a  Horrocks and Ibbotson Featherlight and the other is a Kingfisher Fly Rod both 8 1/2' long. Both will be stripped and rebuilt as "user" fly rods.... The good news is all the bamboo seems to be in fairly good shape. I am starting with the H and I.  Pictured here is the H and I, but both grips have been heavily varnished by the original owner and were very dried out, soft and punky, they crumbled when I tried to clean them.  They both have loose and/or cracked ferrules as-well-as some bent or missing line guides. All the line guides will need to be replaced anyway with larger versions as these were for silk fly lines of the day and are too small for modern fly lines. I will reuse the reel seats and any ferrules that are not cracked. I am going to strip the rod completely; turn a new cork grip on the lathe, remove all of the line guides, remove the old varnish and ...

Nothing like good old turkey soup after Thanksgiving.... It's a task I enjoy each year.

UK Bomber fly - the body is made with sheeps' wool that I collected from the Lake District in England..... Some folks will get to fish these flies in Montana next year for wild brook trout.... Lucky them!

7 pointer - Cherry Creek, NY .... I was very lucky on this buck.... He was wounded and I was able to put him down.... He will be some good eating.

Tying up some Fran Betters Bombers today, just for fun.... Looking forward to chasing the Brookies here in NY and out West in Montana in 2018... also, getting packed up for Deer Camp this afternoon with Opening Day of the Gun Season on Saturday. It's suppose to be cold and wet! Bombers pictured here with my Shane Gray Brook Trout Rod

Turkey hunting this morning and look what I called in with my Witter Long Box ..... no more turkeys for him...

Had a great time catching a bunch of perch on Irondequoit Bay with these old guys today.... Nothing like having good friends.

Fly Fishing on the famed Ausable River yesterday with my friend Bruce .... Here's a photo of my first fish.  The Brown trout was caught on a Pogo Nymph trailed behind a black Never Sink stone fly in some fast pocket water... We fished in the 6 mile catch and release section near Lake Placid...

Wild turkey breast wrapped in bacon and done long and slow on the PK grill, nothin like it.

 After a very tough week of hunting these magnificent birds in terrible weather I was lucky enough to take this fine gobbler. I used a Scott Witter Box Call to bring him to the gun. Now I have lots of nice tail feathers for tying my turkey tail nymphs.... right on!

Hi folks, just thought i'd show the Simi-Seal Leeches I have been tying as of late. These are a killer streamer at all times of the year....... I tie them in; black, brown and olive... Olive Arizona Simi-Seal material tied on a Size 12 in 2X long, 3.5mm brass bead. See my old video on how I tie it here...... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJ4A9VM0FtQ Here I am netting a nice Yellowstone Cutthroat, yeah he fell for a olive Simi-Seal Leech....

It's been a crazy winter here in NY with warmer than usual weather and little snow. I've been itching to get out on my creeks but it just hasn't happened yet..... I seriously injured my left elbow on my casting arm back on August 5th, 2016 out in Montana while fly fishing. Taking a fall on a big arse rock. Many doctors and surgeons visits later and I am still dealing with a tricep and bursa sack problem and elbow pain. Thus the lack of fishing reports since the injury. Anyway, I hope to get out on the water soon, regardless, this is getting ridicules..... I NEED to go fishing! I've been tying two patterns this week, beetles and streamers....... two killer patterns for Brown and Brook trout. Beetles are an excellent summer terrestrial pattern, often overlooked by fly fishers. The Joffee Jewel Streamer is a killer in the Late Winter and Early Spring seasons when the trout are looking to put on weight fast... Joffee Jewel size #10 Streamer  #18 Beetle

Here's a new DKW Custom Trumpet with removable mouth piece I made recently that's for sale at my web site, see below.  It's made of Stained Maple and has the optional removable mouth piece system. Different mouth pieces can be obtained to produce old and young hens and even gobblers. http://drkorn55.wix.com/dougkornsworkshop  for Turkey Trumpets and more.....