Peterjay

Couple of beauties there Pete. I don't know what kind of trout you're after, but they look like something the sea-run browns would hammer.

Thanks for the info PP. Looking forward to seeing your new method.

If you check the Alumilite and Smooth-on websites, they have product descriptions that you might find useful, and there are some pretty decent instructional videos on the web if you dig a around a bit. Like you, I'm just starting out in mold making, so I bought both the pourable stuff and some silicone mold putty to experiment with. One thing's for sure - none of that stuff's cheap.

Some of that stuff is absolutely stunning. You guys do some great work over there.

Here's a little reading material on the subject. Selling a few lures out of the truck is one thing, but if you want to do some serious business, you'd better be informed as to the legalities involved. You can be sure that the competition has already done their homework. (I know a couple of people who were turned in by competitors and busted by the IRS, but that's another story) It probably wouldn't hurt to look into taking a course or two in the basics of business law, or at the very least, pick up a book on the subject. It would save money in the long run, and prevent a lot of headaches down the road. http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/metaschool/fisher/domain/tm.htm

Speaking of weird looks, I was in Rite-Aid with my wife today and was wandering around looking for the nail polish section when the following exchange took place: Wife: I think the nail polish is over there. PJ: SSHHHH!!! You want everybody to think I'm a little strange? My wife moved on and I went to look at the nail polish. I was checking out some really neat looking colors when I heard my wife holler from the other end of the aisle: "PETER, DID YOU FIND THAT GLITTERY TOENAIL POLISH THAT YOU LIKE?" Every head in the store turned toward me; I looked around for a hole to crawl into. My wife was laughing so hard she could barely breathe, though she had enough sense to make it to the car ahead of me, because she knew I'd have left her there if I'd gotten behind the wheel first. She gets away with this stuff because she knows I won't strangle her in front of witnesses and she also knows she's safe at home, since our seven dogs like her a helluva lot better than they like me. The plus side is that Rite-Aid had some fantastic glitter colors for $7.50 apiece, but I'm not going back in there for a year at the very least.

Yeah, what George said. Cheapo acrylic craft paints will also work pretty well. I use an epoxy topcoat for saltwater poppers and sliders, or sometimes multiple coats of Sally Hansen. The topcoat may make the Sharpie colors run a bit, which can give you some interesting effects if you use more than one color.

Very impressive, you do fine work.

Not sure I buy that one Tbone. If I had to be smarter than my equipment, I'd be catching fish with my teeth and filleting them with oyster shells.

TBone, I don't see a photo attached, (maybe I don't know how to find it LOL) but as a pro photographer, I can tell you that trying to pinpoint an exact shade by posting a photo on the web is next to impossible. All cameras record colors differently and computers will display them differently. Unless you're willing to settle for "close enough" or you get extremely lucky, color matches are best done in person or through your own computer that you've calibrated yourself.

Thanks for the help guys. I was about ready to start combing the yellow pages for a metallurgist.

Bob, do you happen to know the specifics on the soft stainless wire? (alloy type or number, Etc.) I've tried the McMaster-Carr site along with others, and I'm more confused than when I started. I''m doing saltwater stuff and need something in the .050-.062 range, preferably bright finish. I've found brass wire in the diameters I need, but again, I can't seem to find any info on whether I need soft, half-hard or hard. I've been using .040 spring-tempered SS just to get the hang of making wire forms, but as has been mentioned, that stuff is a nightmare to work with.

Nice tie. You never know what you'll find poking around craft stores and fabric stores. Thanks for sharing.

No you don't need anything special for what you described. When I was a kid, I started tying on my father's regular old bench vise and I tied hundreds of flies on it before I saved up enough for a real flytying vise. As long as it has flat jaws and holds the hook steady without damaging the hook, it'll work. All you need for thread is 3/0 monocord, 3/0 Uni-thread or Danville flat waxed nylon. A pair of nail scissors, some bucktail, some Sally Hansen Hard As Nails With Nylon fingernail polish, and you're in business. You don't even need a bobbin as long as you know how to tie a half-hitch. The old-timers didn't even use vises - they tied flies in their hands. (not recommended for beginners LOL) Tying simple bucktail teaser flies is a piece of cake with a little practice.

Something else you could look for is the cheap stuff that you sometimes find labeled as Chinese neck hackle. It's stiff and it's usually got a really nice curve to it - it would be fine for dressing hooks you're going to be using on a plug or jig. It also doesn't foul as easily as the more flexible stuff. You can find flash just about anywhere that sells tying materials. In addition to the other places mentioned, you could also try Feather-Craft; they give pretty good descriptions of the stuff they sell, which you might find useful.

If you happen to know someone who ties, you could ask if they'd give you a lesson or let you watch the next time they tie up a batch. That'd be the best way to learn the basic skills. One thing about panfish is that they'll hit just about anything that moves, so you won't have to worry about tying anything complicated right off the bat. A simple nymph pattern with nothing more than black and white chenille wound on the hook will produce more panfish than you know what to do with. You won't need any fancy equipment to get started. You don't even need a bobbin - you can get by with using half-hitches to hold the materials down. One of the inexpensive tying kits would be enough to get you going. IMHO, the best tying site on the web is flytyingforum.com. They have a beginners' section you might want to cruise. Once you get the basics down, the next step is to get yourself addicted to the point where you absolutely have to own every synthetic fiber known to Man and a piece of every bird or mammal that isn't extinct. (and a few that are) Consider yourself warned.

Salty's carries some cedar plug bodies, also birch, maple, etc. They're designed for big saltwater plugs. If it's smaller stuff you're looking for, you might have to make your own. Jann's Netcraft has a nice assortment of smaller basswood bodies that will work just fine for freshwater plugs. http://www.saltybugger.com/

It isn't just you Doug. 2-ton isn't easy to find. I recently stocked up, but I'm not sure where I found it since we hit a lot of stores that day. Probably Dick Blick's or Jerry's Artarama. Maybe Lowe's, though I doubt it. Gotta start writing this stuff down. I can't even blame the loss of memory on creeping senility - I've always been like this.

Just Google "antique fishing lures." There are a number of sites run by collectors, dealers, etc. that have photo galleries. Maybe you'll recognize something. You'll need pictures if you're looking for an appraisal or any specific information.

Have you checked Jann's Netcraft? I know they sell SS wire up to .050. They also sell pre-made wire forms of various kinds. Barlow's tackle is another place you might want to try.