Tying Flies

My husband is so cool.  Way cooler than me.  He climbs mountains, surfs, can play any sport, can make a fire out of nothing hardly.  A guy's guy but creative too.  He is a wonderful photographer.  He also enjoys fly fishing and ties his own flies.

So tonight he is tying flies to fish for carp...yeah that gross fish that lives in every pond in America that you wouldn't dare eat.  The evening also includes an educational information video about fishing for carp.  Apparently the US brought 345 carp over the states in the mid-1800's and harvested them in a lake in Baltimore.  Now there are millions all over the states from those first 345. 

They can get really, really big...OMG look at this one!  AH!!!

www.fishing-day.net

Normally he doesn't fish for carp...it is sort of an underground thing for fly fisherman.  Not quite as sexy as fishing in stream for trout or salmon.

www.ebay.com (yes you can buy this!)

But apparently carp are fighters and make for fun fish to catch because they are huge and really put up a fight.
Here is the start of his fly.  He said the bigger and uglier the better for carp. 

He uses a clamp on our table to secure the hook.  Then he uses tools to wrap string, feathers and glistening fibers around it to look like a real fly or some other kind of insect.

Here are the finished products.  

 And here are all of his supplies.  All kinds of colors and variety in fibers to make thousands of unique flies.  Sometimes, Rudy says he does better on the flies he ties rather than store-bought ones.

You know I secretly want to make a fascinator out of all of this right? 

Maybe Rudy will let me borrow some supplies sometime... :)