presentation mounting of flies

[Randy Diefert]

Would anyone in this group care to give a tutorial on how to go about mounting flies in those pretty little shadow box frames that you see every now and again? I'd like to mount some of the flies that I've recieved in the recent fly swaps to display in my tying room. alot are just too beautiful to sit in a closed box.
Thanks
if you know of a link, that'll do too.

[Ron Eagle Elk]

Randy,

My wife is the artsy one in the family, but she does a real nice job of mounting display flies. When she gets a shadow box she figures out where they fly or flies should be mounted on the back of the shadow box. Then she hot glues a small piece of clear plastic rod on the back of the shadow box, adds some glue to the other end of the rod and attaches the hook point to it.
This makes it look like the fly is floating in the air.

REE

[Jerry Daschofsky]

Ron, that's a great idea, I didn't think of that. Hmmmmm. LOL.

Actually, what I've done (but like Ron's wife's idea better) is buy cork at craft stores and color them black (to match the background). Then either drive the flyhook into it, or glue it down. Has almost same effect, but sounds like Ron's is much faster. I've made a few of these frames for people. Got a rush of orders for them (not for $$$, but for family and friends) after making my Dad's retirement gift. It was the bigger frames, and had a picture of us that "floated" in the frame since I put cork out of sight behind it. So everything floated at different levels in the frame. I know it was the hit of the party.

Oh, and if you want them inexpensively, go to Walmart. I know they used to carry 3 different sizes. But last time I was there, they only had the one (would be perfect for about 30 or so flies). But used to have some smaller ones at one time. I know the one they had was like $12, and same one at Michaels ran around $30.

[Randy Diefert]

some great ideas, thanks gentlemen

BYW I loved that Patriotic fly that you tied Jerry. It was great!

[Jerry Daschofsky]

Thanks. That one has been a hit. I just don't like tying alot of them. Just take a bit to tie. Yeah, have a few of those floating around now. I charge a bit more for them, but not a fast tie. LOL. Just donated one to a military auction to help fund some services for enlisted men. Hope it draws a decent price to help them out.

[Monk]

Do you have a picture of that Patriotic Fly? I would be interested in seeing it. Is it in the gallery?

[Jerry Daschofsky]

Click here to view it.

http://www.washingtonflyfishing.com/gallery/data/500/100509atlanticUSpin-med.JPG

[Monk]

Beauty! You have talent for sure! What is the red/white wing made of? Nice fly! :thumb:

[Jerry Daschofsky]

The wing is married goose shoulders. Thanks for the compliement. Still trying to perfect (if that truly ever happens) doing built wing salmon flies. Simple ones I can do, full married wings still get me. LOL.

[jessejames]

Randy:
You are going to display the fly swap flies?? I thought they were for fishing! If your going to put them in a box on your wall I guess I can just tie up a few "just a pretty face" flies. That will save on the R & D trips that I take to try out the flies before I tie them up for the swaps. I didn't want to send flies to this group of maniac flyfishers that hadn't bee proven out there in the fish world. ;)
All this time I thought they were for fishing, man I been missing something. :confused:
jesse clark

[Randy Diefert]

Yes and no Jesse.
Since I often get only one fly swap back from most swaps; here's what I usually do(so far anyway). I keep them in a box in my tying room until I can get at least one extra tyed . Have you ever been fishin' with only one pattern that was really hot and after the fish ripped it to shreads only wish you had a clone of that fly to duplicate? I appreciate the fact that you are doing R&D on the flies that you're submitting. All of mine have had numerous hours of R&D invested as well. But , I still keep 3 copies of each fly I tie and submit to a swapfor the Following reasons
a) In case someone's flies get lost in the mail such a thing happen for a few days in a swap that I now am entered in.
b) so I have an exact copy of a fly that I submitted as well as detailed instructions should a fellow tier wish to have the recipe to that pattern.
c) I also keep a 3"x5" envelope containing dubbing concocions for each pattern that I submit that were dubbed. (I have lots of them)...

Unfortunately too many tyers cannot duplicate patterns that they recieve because, The person that submitted the flies to the swap don't include recipes. So, I guess that's why Your fly (the one that you submit) will be stored in a box. Who knows if it looks good and works it might end up in a frame someday.
The guy who taught me how to tie (Gill Nyerges) has some of the most beautiful plates that you ever saw. Ands he uses most everyone of them.
I hope this answers your question.
I lerned a long time ago that you don't want only 1 of any pattern.
BYW, I hope that you're having fun R&D ing them flies and I want you to be the first to know that I appreciate all of your hard work! :thumb:

[Randy Diefert]

Well, It's official, Gill Nyerges will do a 1 1/2 hour presentation on Presentation Mounts on Flies at the Whidbey Island Fly Fishing Club Meeting in Jan. I'll post the date and Time/ Location if there's anyone interested in attending. For those of you that have never seen one of his; They are truely beautiful and of some he incorporates his painting skills.
Randy Diefert :thumb: This should be a very good presentation.

[Dave Westburg]

I've attached a couple pictures of fly plates that I made after buying a kit from Sawdust and Stitches. I think the kits were $50-60 each. A warning. You mount the flies on small glass rods. It was tough drilling small holes through the glass to hold the hooks.

I've attached a very cheap fly plate I constructed myself using a thin sheet of cork board from a craft store and using soft silicon tubing (the kind which is the sleeve for tube fly hooks) to hold the flies. I superglued the tubing to the cork background. The total cost for this frame was about $10 because the frame was given to me for free. Not as nice as the presentation boxes, but I tie a lot and am trying to frame a number of different collections of flies.

[Dave Westburg]

The website where they sell the shadow boxes is www.sawdust-stitches.com

[Randy Diefert]

Very Nice Dave! This is exactly what I had in mind. A nd a nice selection of flies.
What did you use to drill the glass tubes? (A dremel tool?). and I didn't happen to see the rods for sale at that website. They do have some really nice looking frames. Thanks, Randy

[Dave Westburg]

When you buy the kit they include the glass rods. I had to have some friends drill the glass rods so I don't know what sort of drill they used.

I would strongly recommend using the soft 1/8 diameter silicon tubes to hold the flies (see the corkboard plate). They are much easier to work with than glass and they attach easily to the background with a bit of superglue.

For what it's work, I was in a card shop yesterday day and found a deep frame which would be suitable for mounting flies for about $20. Put it on my Christmas list.

I've mounted some classic atlantic salmon flies and some spey flies. Am working on plates for hairwing steelhead flies, Roderick Haig-Brown flies, Harry Lemire flies and maybe a plate of Ken Sawada tube and waddington shank flies.

[Tim Cottage]

When you buy the kit they include the glass rods. I had to have some friends drill the glass rods so I don't know what sort of drill they used.
I would strongly recommend using the soft 1/8 diameter silicon tubes to hold the flies (see the corkboard plate). They are much easier to work with than glass

Dave
Are you sure they are glass and not pexiglass. Drilling a glass rod that small would be difficult, not to mention the need for specialy designed glass drill bits, very specific bit speed and lots of proper lubricant.
Plexiglass, lexan or similar rod is much easier to drill and as you use solid rod (not tube) and as long as you mechanically polish or flame polish the cut ends looks very similar.

[sean]

Also check out Michael Radenichs book 'Tying The Classic Salmon Fly: A Modern Approach To Traditional Techniques'. He has a whole chapter about mounting your flies and what materials you need. You can pick up everyting you would need at Michaels Craft shop. A littel elbow grease and you can make your own display quality boxes.

-sean

[Dave Westburg]

Dave
Are you sure they are glass and not pexiglass. Drilling a glass rod that small would be difficult, not to mention the need for specialy designed glass drill bits, very specific bit speed and lots of proper lubricant.
Plexiglass, lexan or similar rod is much easier to drill and as you use solid rod (not tube) and as long as you mechanically polish or flame polish the cut ends looks very similar.

Tim, you are right. They are plexiglass.

[Randy Diefert]

Thanks Tim , Got any ideas where to get that smaller diameter plexiglass rod? I looked at both Micheals and JoAnn's and haven't found it as of yet. I was thinking of using a small diameter dowel and tried it but, it doesn't look too good. Then I thought of using a tooth pick but, it casts a shadow when you look at it in a lighted room.
Randy

[Ron Eagle Elk]

Randy, I checked with VEE and she doesn't remember where she found those rods. I'm thinking it was a lighting store, but it's been a long time.

REE

[Tim Cottage]

Get it right here http://www.tapplastics.com/shop/product.php?pid=147
6ft of 1/6" for $6.25 Thats a lot of fly mounts for a little money.
They have a store in Seattle and a store in Bellevue. They do retail.
They will ship via UPS if you don't want to visit the store.

As Sean pointed out take a look at Michael Radenichs book. You won't find a better tutorial. Don't forget to polish the cut ends.

TC

[Randy Diefert]

excellent, Thanks TC :thumb: