Material Mondays: Golden Pheasant Tippets

[@burtonbrocious171]

Tks for this video rich I find salmon flies a fascinating work of art more please 😊

[@Bchas88]

Thanks so much for doing this video! Excellent!

[@flytyingwithrichlamonte]

Thank you for watching! I very much appreciate it. I enjoy making these for you all!

[@DarrellOlson]

Thanks for the tip. I will have to give it a try.

[@timothymcdougald21]

I learned quite a bit from this. I am also looking forward to the video on tying in mixed vs married wings, and hope you touch on the difference between the two wings.

[@flytyingwithrichlamonte]

I will certainly talk about the differences and how to construct and mount them as well.

[@salmonclassicfly8050]

Привет Рич!Хорошая работа!

[@johnconnolly3635]

Great video an informative

[@flytyingwithrichlamonte]

Thank you John!!!

[@dallin83]

Awesome The head on the second fly looks like a moths antennas. Looks quite good. Did you ever consider not cutting them away?

[@flytyingwithrichlamonte]

If it were a dry or wet fly I might consider it but this pattern is a salmon fly from 1902 so to stick with the origonal design they must be clipped away. Salmon flies dot have antennas like that. Tho it does look kind of neat.

[@chriscahill2642]

What about pressing these and others like teal and mallard after steaming, to take some of the concave form out for less nail creasing of the rachis? Staying with the GP how do you prepare the tails. I have trouble getting them to marry well. Thanks

[@flytyingwithrichlamonte]

GP and amherst tails are notoriously difficult to get to marry well. Mostly its just the type of feather it is. A lot has to do with the quality of the feather. I have some that are terrible so I use them in mixed wings, but I have gotten a few that do marry quite well. Gently washing new tails with dish soap, drying, then steaming can help but its mostly the quality of the feather. Try buying from feathersmc.com. John McClain has some of the best GP tails there is.

[@flytyingwithrichlamonte]

Oh and to answer your question about pressing GP tippets. The point of curvature on the tippets has a very thick stem. Pressing them will work to an extent but I find that a little thumbnail crease is better. Either way there is going to be a bit of a curve . The point of the thumbnail crease is hardly ever seen anyway. There is almost always a wing, side or cheek that covers that part of the fly.

[@jevgenijssobolevs4783]

Most question I have, and never seen videos, is how to plan materials close to head , and how to make a short and beautiful head on a complicated flies , I seen people build materials up and cut once , then how to cover all that stuff?

[@flytyingwithrichlamonte]

Im not sure how many of my videos you have watched but I do show how I do it. There are a couple ways. You can do it using just thread that is heavily waxed. Tho the type of wasx does matter A hard wax is best. I use a lighter and melt a little of the wax and rub it on the tying thread then wrap that around the cut ends. Once the end is completely covered, then use a black lacquer. It usually requires several coats. The other method which for framed flies I prefer, is to melt wax to the tip of a needle (bodkin) and carefully apply that to the cut ends. Then to shape it use the lighter to heat up the needle and touch that to the wax on the fly. This will melt it and allow you to shape it. Then Luke before use a black lacquer. I mostly use Celire but I also use Wapsi. Wapsi is a bit thicker. Kelsons formula is also a good one but is hard to find. Feathersmc.com has some. I will.make a video in the next few weeks on forming different heads.

[@marklucas588]

Does this also work with Lady Amherst tippets?

[@flytyingwithrichlamonte]

Good question Mark. Yes the process is almost the exact same with LA tippets and amgold tippets. The stems are virtually the same and tie in the same.

[@johnconnolly3635]

What are you using for your vice?

[@flytyingwithrichlamonte]

I use a Cotterelli T-Rex. I did use a Danica Danvise for over 15 years. But moved up to a Cotterelli as it is a better vise for tying classics. The double jaw design really holds the hook so much better!

[@kennethsanders963]

use pliers not fingers !

[@flytyingwithrichlamonte]

Either one works. I prefer fingers. Doesnt really matter as the point that is pinched or flattened gets covered.