Yesterday I went and did a little hunting, not with a gun but with my eyes. The field was "Bears Den" an excellent fly shop located in Taunton Mass. What a shop if you can't find it here it probably does not exist. Wandering about I found some tying treasures, one I'll share with you the others shall remain secret.
I spotted this beautiful hen pheasant skin, the feathers were pristine. Beautifully marked and the sizes were just perfect for soft-hackles, spiders and flymphs. I love shopping like this for you can see for yourself what your buying. Online and catalogs don't really show you the quality of what your purchasing. Moving along through the shop I picked up a few more items that I would never have purchased but seeing them in front of me I said "that will work".... So below are a couple of flies that I tied using the materials I purchased at Bears Den.
Bead-head #1...pretty simple eh! But movement where it counts.
Bead-head #2, this one uses a feather tied from the above hen pheasant. It just has that appeal of a drab colored insect.
If your in the area stop by, if not they also do a great mail order business and will satisfy your needs.
Nice find, Alan. I will second your opinion about the selection and quality of the tying materials from The Bears Den. Over the years I have found several really nice bird skins and hair patches in their booth at fly shows.
ReplyDeleteWilliam Shuck
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Bill as one of the more talented fly tyers you do appreciate quality materials. And Bears Den will do there best to get you what you want it's always nicer when you see it first hand.
Alan, treasure that fly shop, they are rare. Our local fly shop is a very modern shop but puts more emphasis on modern synthetic materials. I personally love the natural materials,and getting harder for me to find. I totally agree, I have to see the material. Ed shenk taught me the value of choosing the right kind of hair for spinning deer hair, even the same labeled product isn't created equal. Nice find on the pheasant. Thankyou on the post.
ReplyDeleteBrad Basehore
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Brad while synthetics have there place in tying there's just something special in natural materials. I enjoy fly shows just for what I can find in "now getting rare" materials.
Mr. Shenk, take that advice and follow it.
Alan
ReplyDeleteAlways good to touch and feel the item you are purchasing rather than viewing it online or paperback. Impressed with both pattern the pheasant skin produced. Thanks for sharing
Bill Trussell
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Bill when the chance presents itself "look and touch" Very simple and life like.
Alan
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pheasant skin. I sense a lot of soft hackles being tied.
TROUT1
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Pete that one skin will keep me busy all winter.
You should add artist to Brk Trt.
ReplyDeleteMark Kautz
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Mark I hope the trout will by the art.
Great find Alan! And one of the most overlooked skins in my opinion. Very nice ties as well Sir.
ReplyDeleteRalph Long
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Ralph the colors work so well with soft-hackle patterns. Most of the feathers are just right.
Nice as always Alan & should do the job perfectly.
ReplyDeleteGeorge
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We'll find out today.
Beautiful pheasant skin you purchased, Alan. Many great flies in the offing starting with those great bead heads. Not fishing much myself lately with the dark days setting in. I look forward to seeing how the new flies produce.
ReplyDeleteBest, Sam
Parachute Adams
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Sam that skin was perfect, the feathers were pristine.
That second bead-head worked very well today with the streams being a bit on the high side.
I don't care much for the long nights either.