Unfortunately I will have to sit this one out. I am totally covered up right now. It will be a while before I sit down behind the vise again. Sorry for the inconvenience guys.
yes 12 it is. if somebody would like to tie two sets and get two sets back please sign up. otherwise we need a replacement or you’ll get stuck with two of mine.
the powerpro is the same more or less as kevlar thread. i have used old fireline before. it flattens out more like thread. MM may use powerpro but he just hinted that my spin might need to be a little tighter(a very diplomatic fellow). i put it on. the 10 lb may be a little too bulky for anything other than the spinning, but i think i would snap the bobbin before the thread. i sliced right through some antelope. i may try 6#. i just hate it for fishing and i have a few spools.
i think my claws look pretty good, and i think i will just use one. MM had a crab that had two front ends that sort of freed up my need for symetry. im definitely in the impressionistic camp. im cooking up some blue/green hair while my wife is sleeping. i got a batch that is pretty close to cajun croaker but not too good for blue crab. the other one looked good til i rinsed it but it is limish.
we dont need no reservations we dont need no cruise control
I dont use power pro to tie with… by a tighter spin I didnt mean pull tighter against the hair, you dont’ have to pull down tighter on the thread, you just need to pack the clumps of hair together tighter… you can use a packing tool, or you can just use your fingers. The more clumps you can cram on a hook the tighter the body will be and coincidentally the better it will look.
Flat waxed nylon works fine for this, just pack it in tight… real tight. Deer hair can be a pain to work with, but it can give alot of increadible results when your finished.
Mad Mike
i got the kevlar idea from one of the web sites(FAOL) on stacking hair. i really like the step by step progression of skills illustrated by the different flies. the individual clumps need to be pulled tight enough so that they wont turn and move the stacked stuff out of line. i think it is more to assure that a break wont ruin a 45 minute fly half way through. the web site recommends gluing the first bunch to the shaft and then packing the rest of the clumps repeatedly. i dont think im going to do stacking for this swap tho i think it would be a way to get a white belly like the one MM showed me.
the disadvantage with 10 lb. powerpro is that the thread is too coarse for the eyes so i will have to start the thread twice. since fireline flattens out it is ok for eyes if small enough so i might switch to that.
i received toothless’s flies today. very nice shrimp. with the loss of rookie we are down to 11 so i need one or two of y’all to do two patterns. i will also do a shrimp if needed. or someone else can jump in if youve been hesitating. looks like the 17th is a workable due date. anybody heard from ScottyD?
we dont need no reservations we dont need no cruise control
Try the Danville Flat Wax Nylon in 210 Denier or the Orvis G Thread both work great on any saltwater application. It’s certainly much cheaper and won’t cut your materials. You can also lay the head cement to the fly as you progress through the tying steps, hard as hull works great for this application and makes the fly pretty much indestructable.
may be the wrong forum but i find lightweight powerpro and other spectra lines unfishable due to the high rate of windknots and so i am using up the spools i bought on spinning hair. one other disadvantage with all kevlar type threads is that they are very slick and tend to spin on the shaft unless secured extra well.
we dont need no reservations we dont need no cruise control
Just so I’m not late, we’re planning to have the flies in the mail no later than March 17, correct?
TJ
yes. at one point i was hoping to move it up but i think the 17th is more realistic. im going to try to email ScottyD.
PI
we dont need no reservations we dont need no cruise control
I really hate to do this but im gonna have to drop the ball… I hope no one holds it against me.
Work picked up alot more lately (which is a good thing), and I just havn’t had any tying time… on top of that I will be out of town for the next few days. ( I havn’t even had time to tie for that trip either 
)…
This really sucks for me, I was truely looking forward to the swap, some of you guys are starting to get good. For those who have tied a fly with my name on it already, just add a few extras in for those who actually finish what they start.
Sorry again… and hopefully ill get in on the next one.
Mad Mike
It doesn’t bother me Mike… It happend to me on the last one… why does work have to get inthe dang way??? 
So we’re down to what 8 people now?
Fresh fish tastes much better than fresh kissed butt…
Sorry guys but I’m out too!
so, once these dry, Im off to the PO, whats the count down to, Nikon, 8 you think?
I have 12 all tied up and ready to go out, as I assume we are still sending 12 out. How much money do I need to send in to cover shipping costs? Let me know and I will try and have them in the mail today.
“The man who coined the phrase “Money can’t buy happiness”, never bought himself a good fly rod”
I’m going to need one more day to finish mine up. I was in Asheville for a wedding all weekend and just didn’t have the energy last night to finish everything up.
Thats a bummer that guys got busy, but BELIEVE me I understand. Pawleysi just send my 4 extra flies back with my swaps and I won’t have to order anymore wapsi tubes for a bit.
Just dropped my 12 fiddlers in the mail. Thanks for letting me play along everyone. It was my first time tying a crab pattern, as ya’ll will soon see, but I had a good time and learned a few things on the way…like, I don’t want to tie another crab for a few more weeks. Thanks again.
if you guys will please send the twelve on in and i will send some pairs back to make sure you get 12 back. that may work out even better as we will have one to keep as a reference and one to put in the water. i hesitate to use some of the ones ive gotten from y’all especially in salt cause i like to study them. guess i started this one a little too close to fishing season. shud have taken more advantage of those long winter nights. you dont need to send any money. ive got plenty of packing stuff and the postage will not be significant. just let me know if you are going to completely withdraw so i will know when im done collecting. i have only received one batch so far.
we dont need no reservations we dont need no cruise control
Mine are in the mail.
“The fastest way to a fisherman’s heart is through his fly.”
I had to change up my pattern due to materials on hand but I’m pretty sure everyone will be happy. They are in the mail. Thanks for putting this together
18 Dark Green Maverick
150 Yamaha V-MAX
Progress report
I have 5 sets but cant match some of them up. They really are beautiful. Mine just has personality. I gave up on spinning hair and went to yarn for the body. It took so much lead to sink the hair that it was a denny brauer power jig. I may use it for bass or on my surf rod {O). The yarn is pretty tedious. I saw a thing on blended colors in one of the recent fly mags so I am trying for that effect. I still like my claw but I think it could be refined. Hope to have this show packed up by next week. Lemme know whassup.
Fly Guy ----received
toothless --received
received 3 more but
cant match your CF handle to fly
t parker=??
s davis im guessing Scotty d?
casey a.=??
sorry if I blew your cover.
nikonj – rattlin crawshrimp sumpin
shadow – rattle shrimp
Scotty D —
TJ55—fiddler
stripstrike–unortho crab pattern that works wonders
jmb --out
MM – out
rookie-- out
we dont need no reservations we dont need no cruise control