Comments on: Cal Bird’s Modified distribution wrap, for Monty Montana

By: Don Labbe

Don Labbe — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 01:44:06 +0000

Hi Dave,

I will probably be in Hamilton for a couple of days in July. I usually stop and see Chuck Stranahan. I still have the two Ruana Knives that you sold me at the Santa Rosa Show many years ago.

I will call you.

Don

By: Dave Inks

Dave Inks — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 17:49:52 +0000

HI Don,
Nice to hear you are still around. If you come to Hamilton Montana stop in for a visit.
Lots of old days Fenwick school memories.
Dave

By: KBarton10

KBarton10 — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 22:05:39 +0000

Don Labbe, been a long time. I’ve heard about that tool but am always in such a rush to escape the Dentist’s chair that I forget to ask for one…

Nothing strikes fear into a fellow than the high pitched whine of the drill.

By: Don Labbe

Don Labbe — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 19:14:35 +0000

Hi Keith,

Another great picking out tool is a barbed broach that dentists use when doing a root canal.

I ended up with a LOT of Cal’s fly tying materials. Tons of teal flank, lots dyed and lots more natural late season highly marked teal.

Don Labbe

By: KBarton10

KBarton10 — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 13:30:11 +0000

As you know the Bird’s Nest is one of those designs that represents anything, looks like everything, and imitates nothing.

I tie them both weighted and unweighted. The weighted version is a superb searching pattern when probing pocket water or “high sticking” in faster flows. The unweighted version works well as an emerger pattern is either fast or slow water.

When I was first introduced to them by Cal he was tying both a giant stonefly nymph (weighted) in dark brown, as well as the natural grey and spectral variant. Most of them were weighted.

I posted the spectral version here about a year ago.

The fly is finished by intentionally overloading the thread with dubbing so that it is loosely bound. After wrapping the oversized head use Velcro to comb the fur off the thread and back over the hackle. All of Cal’s Bird’s Nests have a combed fur transition between head and hackle – neatly blending the two as shown in the fly above.

I use a thin dowel that I’ve wrapped with adhesive backed male Velcro – the small diameter allows me to get in close and rough up the head.

By: Fly Tying: The "Distribution Wrap" : Avid Fishing

Fly Tying: The "Distribution Wrap" : Avid Fishing — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:06:46 +0000

[...] Barton of Singlebarbed.com demonstrates a clever technique – how to make oversized feathers act as hackle on smaller hooks — and illustrates it was some very nice photos. It’s a follow-up to [...]

By: Don

Don — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 00:22:50 +0000

Thanks again, most helpful. If I was only allowed to fish one fly, it would be a Bird’s Nest.

Questions:
Do you usually wrap lead for Bird’s Nest or just on larger ones?
How do you finish the fly? Dubbing loop?
TIA