Flies for Display

All about flies Fly Tying
1

I’m looking for suggestions for some collections of flies to be framed.

My wife wants me to tie a bunch to be framed. I’ve had a few thoughts about this, but could use some help. One idea I had was to do a fly for each stage of the life cycle for a particular fly - pattern suggestions would be much appreciated for this.

I may do it in themes - common drys, common nymphs, streamers, steelhead flies etc. At this point, although the salmon flies look fantastic, they are beyond my abilities.

Has anyone done something like this?

Thanks for any suggestions.

2

I’ve never done that but it sounds pretty cool. It would be interesting to see the whole metamorphisis, depicted in fly patterns.

I have a couple of friends who tie display pieces but they’re usually some type of Atlantic Salmon pattern, Spey or Dee patterns. I wouldn’t discount tying some of those types up. Many of them are easier than they appear. PLus, you can use some pretty wild colors! lol.

3

Hi John,

I’ve got 4 beautiful birch display cases that were made for me by a friend who lost a very expensive hand of poker. He’s a real craftsman and did a fine job. I’ve been planning to fill them by duplicating some of the color plates in Joseph Bates’ book on Steamer fishing and tying. Just a suggestion but it would make a nice theme. 8T :slight_smile:

4

John,

I’m doing a collection of wet flies in the Tweed, Clyde and Tummel styles for auction. The change is in the body and wing style.

Your idea of a life cycle fly set sounds like a good one.

Don’t be put off by flies that appear difficult. After a couple of practice runs you’ll be producing very acceptable flies.

5

I make lots of turned shadowboxes on the lathe… Up to 2" deep and 20" in diameter. The AFF gave one to a big contributor last year. I glued up 6 cherry segments with Brazilian rosewood splines to hold them together and turned them off the outside as I went. Ended up with a set of 6… 20" for the biggest and about right for a large plaque and 10 or 12 big flies.

Just made a couple last night of walnut, but realized they are too small after the fact. So now I have to do a few more. The AFF has a fly tying contest (First Annual?) Monday evening and I might donate some for prizes…

I use linen board (buy it at a frame shop as cut-outs from the middle of their mattes, dirt cheap) for backgrounds and appropriate length bugle beads to stand them off the bottom. Poke a scribe (ice pick) in the right place to wallow out a hole for the bead. Insert the beads and lace the flies in place with 10# mono. A drop of CA will hold the things together.

Then I put another linen board backer on and then I glue a piece of kraft paper on back. When the glue dries, wet the paper and dry with a hair drier. It will draw the kraft paper taut as it dries.

When I was very young my father did some huge framed displays of mostly dries… Another of Carrie Stevens streamers. Would love to know where they are today.
art

6

A great idea would be to make a small, clear, plastic box with a string of mono at the end, looped around the end of the hook. Then at the front, tie it through the eye and attach to the cover, but have one line of the mono come out the top so you can tighten it once inside.
Heres a paint of what I mean.
The box itself can be clear plastic. The blue is tippet. And on the left its the line itself poking through a small hole in the lid, which you’d need to be able to pull so you ca tighten the fly.
http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/8552/flyboxpaintmg7.png

7

The best displays I have done are Steelhead Flies, similar to these: Image: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_MeotwBW5N9Y/SJIbkHFmOOI/AAAAAAAAAI0/0Wl4NuSl1iE/s320/ian's_flies-3.jpg
The color of your background is very important.
Doug

8

If you have seen Hatches Magazine, there was an article in the Fall '08 issue about the Royal Family so to speak. Royal Wolf, Royal Trude, Royal Coachman (3 ways), Royal this, Royal that . . . There were 15 patterns in that article. I have been thinking about tying up all 15 for a display. Maybe a shadow box or two.

-wayne

9

I think Ron EE’s suggestions are very good, I could not advise you on mounting them as I have never done so myself.
Sets of trout flies such as the variations of the March Brown, the B-W Olive or any of the North American species.
I was going to do someting similar, only photographing them and then showing them on my web-site. I have never been a competition class tyer, they were for illustration in the articles.
By the way, I believe this was your first posting on the site, welcome!!! you find a lot of good advice and a very friendly membership here.

10

For posts I use transparent plastic tube fly tubing in the smallest diameter I can find. Cut to lenght, glue them into holes in your background, cut a small V into the top to hold your fly in position, then push a mono loop into the tube, insert the fly into the loop, pull the mono tight from the back and secure with a few drops of CA glue on the hook and the mono loop.
That way the flies really stand off from the background and it looks as if they float.
Mart

11

you could do “life cycle” sets

an entire wet fly plate from bergmans book “trout”

streamers like these: http://www.geocities.com/mehama_mike/mikes_site/streamer/streamer_gallery/streamer_gallery.htm

mary orvis marbury flies like this: http://www.geocities.com/mehama_mike/mikes_site/marbury/gallery.htm

some ronn lucas sr flies: http://www.ronnlucassr.com/

flies from the “forgotten flies” book

flies from the “rare and unusual” site: http://www.rareandunusual.com/tcs.html

bergman flies converted to streamers: http://globalflyfisher.com/streamers/guest/bergman/

stewart & leemans lost flies: http://globalflyfisher.com/streamers/guest/stewart_leeman/

atlantic salmon conversions: http://globalflyfisher.com/streamers/guest/salmon/

hornbergs and its variations: http://globalflyfisher.com/streamers/swaps/hornbergs/
the hornbergs in “forgotten flies” are a better selection

cains river series from “forgotten flies”

charles defeo flies

preston jennings flies: http://globalflyfisher.com/streamers/guest/jennings/

mike martinek streamers: http://globalflyfisher.com/streamers/guest/martinek2/

12

A couple of ideas for you.
Many years ago we had a series of fly stamps and while they are out of circulation, you can still find them pretty easily on sites like ebay. Canada also had a much better series of fly stamps and those are still out there easy to get. The Canadian fly stamps are have vivid colors. Mounting the fly stamps with the tied flies next to them really looks great. I’ve done a couple of these for friends.

13

Thanks for the suggestions. I do really like the life cycle idea and will have to research more as I’m not good with the entomology. I had also considered a bunch of royals as suggested by Wayne. Maybe a bunch of Adams in different styles. Donald, you are correct about this being my first post. I found this site in 2004 or 2005 when I first became interested and it has been a valuable resource. The beginning and intermediate fly tying sections were particularly helpful. I’ve suggested this site for many people new to tying and fly fishing and followed the advice to buy capes from Dennis Conrad. Great stuff!

John

14

Hap,

Those turned pieces you make on the lathe sound interesting. Could you post some pictures?

Dave

15

Dave
I have been meaning to for some time… Will try to get some up later… the whole run down on how I do it is what I planned… We’ll see on that! :wink:
art

16

I’ve done 2 boxes in the past. One for my son with flies he likes to fish with. One for my parents with steelhead flies, just because they are so bright. I think you need to decide on the display first, because that sets the number of flies. If you have a favorite picture, putting the flies around or beside the picture can look real sharp.
Rex