Lance Egan's Tungsten Surveyor Fly Pattern (Fly Tying Tutorial)

[@dgracia18]

One thing you guys could do that would help improve your videos and pan out a bit when you dub the various materials. It almost entirely is off camera in all the videos I've seen when you are dubbing materials. If you can't pan out, perhaps hold the thread at ~45° to the fly instead of straight under it. That should help make some of the dubbing techniques visible. I love that you whip finish with your fingers. You can whip finish anywhere on a fly using your fingers, and you never lose them like you can loose a whip finisher tool. I was a member of the Golden Gate Angling and Casting Club in San Francisco back in the 80's and 90's and knew Frank Matarelli, who of course invented the two Matarelli whip finishers. He tried multiple times to get me to use them, but I learned how to whip finish with my fingers back in 1976 when I started fly-tying , so I just couldn't make myself use them. I did use and still have some of his bobbins though.

[@dgracia18]

Very good info about why you used that color of thread. You can alter the overall impression of the color of the fly by the thread you use, especially if your are dubbing fine materials sparsely, or you are using buggy, coarse materials for dubbing like you are in this fly. Invariably the final color will vary by the color of your thread. If you use white thread, it brightens up a fly, if you use black or brown it will darken it, and if you use tan you will get the color of the dubbing without much, if any change, because that tan is a very neutral color. With this fly the red not only darkens the fly but also adds some red tint that will be come more apparent yet when the fly gets wet because the coarse dubbing material lets some of the thread color through.

[@dgracia18]

To avoid that lead bump after you wind it but before you cut or pinch it off, anchor the lead with your index finger on the far side of the hook and and hold the tag in your other hand 180° from your index finger that is pressing the lead on that side tightly against the hook. Now, just pull that lead wire directly towards you. It MUST be 180° from where you have the lead anchored on the other side for this to work properly. When you pull it to break it like that, it causes the lead wire to taper before it breaks. Then just push that over with your thumb and it always tucks in nicely below the level of the wraps...no bumps!