I am a long time fly fisherman, long time TFF lurker and first time poster.
Let me take that back � I did post one time several years ago and got moderated my first post because - imagine this - I posted about fly-fishing for large mouth bass.
Times have certainly changed and I enjoy the posts, especially from newcomers and beginners to the sport.

I am an �old timer� and my goal is to encourage youngsters and beginners to join the ranks of fly-fishing for the fun and versatility of the sport. IMO we need a new generation to maintain continuity of a sport that has given so much to me.

Due to age and health problems taking its toll, my fly fishing is now limited to my son�s ponds in N.E. Texas, but my fishing experience had spanned North America from blue water Gulf of Mexico to Alaska and many warm and cold waters in between,

If there is any contribution I can make to this forum about fly tyin�, rod building and fly-fishing, I will be happy to do so.

The sport of fly-fishing is an on-going learning process and I have learned from this forum. Now perhaps I can repay my debts.

George Glazener
Plano, Texas

http://www.midcurrent.com/articles/flies/cowen_jighooks.aspx

http://www.danblanton.com/thespinster.html

Welcome George, I've been fishing some of your patterns on Texoma for years. I'm glad to see your post on here.

Rex

Hey George, I have a question for you about the 413 hooks.

I like the hook design and the action of they produce in the water, but I've been less impressed with the hook's actual performance. New hooks are dull and I've had trouble keeping them sharp.

Have you found any secrets to keeping these hooks sharp or do they just require you to keep a file handy and to resharpen them regularly?

Thanks,
Rex

Greetings George! And thanks for coming up from lurker to poster!

I loved this!
Indeed things have changed. I look forward to hearing more from you on your knowldege and experience with fly fishing.

Originally Posted By: RexW

New hooks are dull and I've had trouble keeping them sharp.

Hi Rex, and thanks for the welcome.
I am a stickler about sharp hooks � if they don�t pass the �fingernail test� they get sharpened immediately before going to the vise.
When fishing structure, such as bluff banks and rocky points on Texoma, I �touch up � my hooks often with a file, the same as you would do with any other hook.
Lake Texoma, having brackish water, requires the same attention to fly tackle as salt water.

You may have some of the older cad plated EC413 hooks, especially 2/0�s and larger, that are not as sharp as newer ones.

For my pond bass fishing, I tie bass flies on bronze plated EC410�s unless I�m tyin� with more flash, and I then use the cad plated 413�s.
George

Welcome George , glad you decided to come back. TFF has matured in many aspects of the forum.

Welcome George! Good to have you with us. Great stuff, flyfishing!

George we don't care what you fish for, as long as you catch fish . Would you believe that some people here even fly fish for that horrible trash fish - carp !!!

I for one will be happy to have someone giving advice! I've fished intermittently for many years, almost exclusively with dries for trout (not out of snobbery, but because that's what I learned to fish and I never gave much thought to fly fishing outside of that). Now that I've "discovered" striper fishing on Texoma, I am eager to expand my repertoire as much as I can.

So, I'm sure I'll be around to ask some pretty dumb questions from time to time. Meanwhile, thanks for turning up and offering fly fishing wisdom!

It is certainly encouraging to see a fresh sets of eyes in this sport. I for one think we need more fly fishing. The importance of being out in/with nature and having as minimal a footprint as possible certainly leads to learning about our earth and one's own self. I'm still new to fly fishing, but I already can't wait to get my little one involved.

Thank you for rejoining the forum! Inquiring minds will definately find the rod building tips helpful.

Kube

George: Welcome to the forum and I want to thank you for introducing fly tyers to the use of the 60 degree bend jig hooks. I have ben using them for several years now after learning about them from Dan Blanton's board.

Rex: I got in the habit of keeping one of those yellow handled hook files within reach of where i tie at the house so that it is handy and the first thing I do after putting the hook in the vise is to take a few swipes with that hook file. then my biggest problem with them is that I am constantly cuting the thread on that sharp hook. I figure that when I am fishing that if I am not banging them on the rocks or sticking them in some wood that I am not fishing where the fish are, so I keep another hook file handy when fishing with them.

I can't remember the last time I tied any crawdad pattern on any other hook.

Rex, perhaps we can convince George to teach how to tie The Spinster at the Texoma Tie In in January? That would be so cool!

Big Dale

George

We may have to start whining and begging and we'll do it if that's what it takes to get you up to the Tie-In.

But seriously, it is a fun time and not too far away.

So tell us a it about your latest pond expeditions. I am a big fan of farm pond fishing.

Jack, glad you are here as well. I think that dry fly for trout is pretty much the rough equivalent of poppers for bass. A big rush when that fish takes it! At least that is how it seems to me.
And you know, there are so many little creeks in Collin County where a one or ought weight rod would be a blast with dries. I need to use dry flies more myself.

I am young learn me please.

Hey George, welcome to this forum. We are glad to have you, and your experience here. I am glad you posted, I know you will fit right in with this bunch. Welcome to all the other new folks here too. We need more people in here to push our obsession to the brink and beyond...ROTFL..especially in fly tying. Yes I already have tied so many pattersn, but there are so many more I need and want to do..........hehehe...yes I am a fly tying addict. Dang. Y'all keep putting good patterns on here, and I keep asking what flies you used if you didn't post them. Then I want to make them ALL. It is thin ice I am traveling on....lol. I am afraid there is NO TURNING BACK NOW.