It’s hard to believe that we’ve hit the end of 2017! This has probably been my least active month at the vice this fall, but I had some fun doing some experimenting.

One of my goals for this winter is to get better at spinning, stacking, and trimming deer hair. This is something that came up when I attempted two Zoo Cougars, and a deer hair head version of a Feather Game Changer. When I tried to trim the white Zoo Cougar, I ended up taking off too much and salvaging it by turning it into a Drunk & Disorderly-style wedge head. The yellow Cougar is passable, but barely. Winter tying goal!

Murdich Wigglers in different colors.

Originally meant as a pair of Zoo Cougars, but the one on the left turned into a D&D-style wedge head.

Feathered Game Changer with a spun deer hair head

Chowtime Sculpin 2.0, when wet.

Chowtime Sculpin 2.0, with the main hook up front and 2 articulated shanks in the back

Bent the front of a 1/0 Streamer Hook for this slider/diver experiment.

A “clean up the desk” crayfish.

Single hook Chowtime Sculpin, for a small snack.

Strolis’ Headbanger Sculpins to fill an order for a local fly shop.

Two Headbangers for the personal stash.

One of the other patterns I tried out this month is the Murdich Wiggler, after reading Smallmouth by Dave Karczynski and Tim Landwehr. (The book is a good read, by the way.) It’s one that I look forward to trying, especially just to see how it moves in the water (it’s a 4XL shanked hook, with the front half of the shank bent down a bit – the top and bottom of the fly are both trimmed for a flat, wider profile).

Other things have been: a half dozen Headbanger Sculpins to fill an order for TCO State College, two Headbangers for the personal stash, some experimentation with a diver, crayfish, and single-hook Chowtime Sculpin, and a new spin on a Chowtime Sculpin, with a few additional shanks and the hook up front.

What are you tying at the vice this winter? Any tying goals for the next few months?

Happy (soon-to-be) New Year!