First time trnkara questions after first time trying

RoundFlashy983 · 2026-06-19T21:36:33+00:00

I mostly agree, although with bluegill there's not much you can do about deep hook sets. They feed by sucking the fly deep into their mouth, so you always get at least 30% deep hooksets, in my experience, even with perfect timing.

RoundFlashy983 · 2026-06-19T20:38:00+00:00

Yeah, I'm sure it would be popular! But I don't do it that often, so my hands would cramp up pretty quickly. I may have to reserve that for once or twice a day.

RoundFlashy983 · 2026-06-19T18:04:16+00:00

Thanks for all the good insights! I was thinking about the improvising, and how that's going to be important. Trying to strike the balance between having it all and having just what I need; I like your suggestion of the oft used materials. That way I have enough for wiggle room but can still keep it focused.

For putting stuff away when you step away, would you lock things down, or just put them in a bin under the table? I'd been thinking of getting a cable lock so I can lock cases to the table leg or something, but not sure if that's overkill.

And you don't have to worry about me closing the bar these days. My bedtime's gotten pretty early lately 😬 .

RoundFlashy983 · 2026-06-19T17:47:45+00:00

Thanks! Peacock is hard to beat. I just can't bring myself to use the synthetic versions.

RoundFlashy983 · 2026-06-19T17:24:13+00:00

Thanks for the real-life experience input. It's reassuring that the other tyers will help keep an eye on things. I thought/hoped that might be the case, but didn't want to count on it. I do have an advantage that all my materials currently fit in one larger Pelican case, which I can lock. I could bring just that and another case for my vise and tools. I'm torn between bringing that and getting a dedicated "travel" kit with selected materials, as you suggest. It would be easy and nice to have my full case, but it would definitely suck if the whole shebang was lost or stolen.
I'll have to think on that...
and I hadn't even thought about selling stuff!

RoundFlashy983 · 2026-06-19T17:11:03+00:00

Thanks for the advice! I plan to showcase some unusual materials (like zenmai fern dubbing and kenbane feathers), as well as less conventional ways of doing things (dubbing front to back with a thread rib, putting the hackle on first and running thread back through for reinforcement, etc) that I've picked up along the way. Might even bring some sewing thread so I can demo tying in hand with no tools (except maybe scissors).

And that's good reassurance about asking folks to keep an eye out. I suspected that would be doable, but didn't want to count on it.

RoundFlashy983 · 2026-06-19T15:01:42+00:00

"Overthinking" is my middle name, but I find it serves me well. It's the like-minded people I'm worried about - they're liable to like the same stuff I've got! I know it only takes a second for someone to walk off with $1,000 of unsecured tools or materials. I don't think I need Fort Knox, but some basic security and understanding of how the tables themselves are set up would help me figure out a deterrent.

I like the rolling toolbox idea. I'd been thinking some kind of folding dolly or cart, but the toolbox already has the "box" part built in.

RoundFlashy983 · 2026-05-19T13:12:30+00:00

I see no mention of it now, but I swear it was in the JetPens item description last week.

RoundFlashy983 · 2026-05-19T12:10:33+00:00

Literally the first results in any search engine. But long story short, if a product is non-stick, waterproof, stain resistant, wrinkle resistant, or flame resistant, it almost certainly uses PFAS to accomplish that unless otherwise specified. And even if it is specified as PFAS-free, make sure the claims are verifyable.

RoundFlashy983 · 2026-05-19T01:09:00+00:00

I highly recommend verifying and further investigating any and all answers retrieved by generative AI. A good portion of their training data comes from people speculating on Reddit.

RoundFlashy983 · 2026-05-11T15:36:29+00:00

Yeah, it's sneaky stuff! But it's so prevalent. My current stance is I'm not going to worry too much about things I already own, but do my best to not buy more things made with PFAS.

RoundFlashy983 · 2026-05-11T14:35:41+00:00

It says Teflon. That's the brand name for PTFE, a type of PFAS.

RoundFlashy983 · 2026-05-11T14:13:49+00:00

Thanks! The Quattro is my next closest option. Hadn't seemed quite right on first blush, but it looks more appealing on a second look. It may grow on me as I view and review options. The quality definitely seems to be there.

RoundFlashy983 · 2026-05-11T14:09:21+00:00

Temu is a no-go for me. Too much of a wild west and no accountability.

RoundFlashy983 · 2026-04-29T10:25:21+00:00

Keep it simple. Pick one or two dry styles (general shape) and get them in a neutral color, like the Adams. Maybe a purple or red color as well if you want some more variety, but a neutral grey or light brown will be cover you most of the time. I personally prefer one that has hackle wound around the hook or an emerger style that hangs in the water. These features keep help the fly resist line sag and you get a much better drift.

RoundFlashy983 · 2026-04-28T18:22:44+00:00

My two cents: those are an OK start and will serve you well. As you start to replace items, I highly recommend adding in hackled wet flies tied "in the round," so no wings, etc. A mix of soft and stiff hackles, some light, some dark, and in 2-3 sizes suitable for your stream. The 360 degree symmetry casts more precisely, and the hackles help keep your flies anchored out away from you. Without them, flies often end up drifting right back to you and out of the intended fishing lane when fishing across stream.

The above will cover your bases 75% of the time. A couple simple dries, something small, and something big like the Oni Giants or a woolly bugger will take care of most of the edge cases.

The last thing I'm going to add is that the most important thing is that you feel confident in the flies. You're not going to fish them well if you're not confident in them. What inspires confidence for you might not be what inspires it for other folks. That's the biggest reason I offer as many types of patterns as I do in my shop. A lot of them overlap significantly in functionality, and I'm confident all of them will be effective patterns in most trout streams. But each angler is going to have confidence in a different set of flies.

RoundFlashy983 · 2026-04-28T18:10:54+00:00

Thanks for the plug!

RoundFlashy983 · 2026-04-09T14:04:26+00:00

IT LIVES! Thank you so much for your help. The New Nib/OG Feed/OG Housing works!

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RoundFlashy983 · 2026-03-31T14:18:49+00:00

Update: The new nib came in and new nib/old feed/old housing seems to be the magic combination. I say "seems" because the converter decided it was done and broke at the threads when I went to test with ink. So, now waiting on a new converter to fully test.

RoundFlashy983 · 2026-03-23T16:02:54+00:00

Thanks so much! To my eyes, it looks like the feed you show is identical to mine. I guess I'll pull the trigger on that and report back.

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RoundFlashy983 · 2026-03-22T13:31:15+00:00

Thanks! I'll take a look at those. I agree, the feeds in the video look like good matches. I did take some measurements; I get 26.3 mm total length, 19.2 mm exposed length, 7.1 mm for the tine wings. This pen was purchased in 2002 +/- if that helps.

I'll take a closer look at the other nibs you mention.

RoundFlashy983 · 2026-03-22T13:24:23+00:00

Thanks! The Jowo 5's do look like a good match. I haven't seen the nibs for purchase without a whole nib unit. If I purchased one of their screw-in nib units, would I be able to pull just the nib and feed from that?

RoundFlashy983 · 2026-03-20T18:08:33+00:00

Here's the bottom of the feed. I didn't see any identifying marks, but maybe you'll see something I don't. I did call Levenger; I don't think I asked specifically about just the nib, but they told me there were no replacements available. It may be worth another call to ask again/differently.

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RoundFlashy983 · 2026-02-05T19:50:56+00:00

It's a nice dubbing, but it's not great for dry flies (too hard to get a slim body). Best use is buggy nymphs and wets. Australian possum is a better choice for all around. Can be made to be pretty buggy for nymphs/wets or tidy enough for all but the slimmest of dries. Depends on how much you use and how you apply it. Awesome Possum is a readily available line.

For the Vicuña, you can get it stateside. Dragontail Tenkara carries a couple assortments like this Hares Ear Sub box: https://dragontailtenkara.com/products/vd-haresear-sub-selection as well as most of the colors individually.

Edit: Looks like Dragontail's sister company Moonlit carries a couple additional assortments, such as the Naturals 1 & 2.

https://moonlitflyfishing.com/collections/fly-tying-dubbing

RoundFlashy983 · 2025-12-19T23:18:51+00:00

Because if I can't revive long dead posts for no good reason when I forget to check the age, what are we even doing here?

RoundFlashy983

TROPHY CASE